Upscale, sporty wagons from Audi, Volvo, BMW and other European brands are attracting younger, more affluent buyers, not all of whom need one because they have kids. They've taken the sport sedan concept, which the Europeans have mastered, and turned it into a sport wagon. People are getting tired of sport-utes. They're tired of the rough ride, the crummy mileage, all the things that are wrong with sport-utes. Most Boomers realize that they put nothing behind the rear seat except groceries, so they don't need all that room.
Sport wagons look good and drive great.
They're attracting the core SUV buyer of five years ago. The age of SUV owners is creeping up, Brown said, partly because of the hefty prices the vehicles carry and because SUVs are the vehicle of choice for soccer moms and Little League dads. In the same vein, hatchbacks have remained popular.