
Fact: There are no non-luxury small station wagons currently on sale in the United States.* There’s no one to blame for this situation, unless you feel a need to rant against a buying public that has latched onto crossovers in much the same way music lovers have latched onto downloadable music.
I have a warm spot in my heart for small wagons. And though my own 1984 Pontiac Sunbird was a coupe—with the same cool wheels seen on the ‘Bird below—I always thought the wagon looked pretty good, too.
Here we present the small wagons of 1984. That was the year Reagan was reelected president, and the year George Orwell predicted we’d all be wearing blue jumpsuits. Most importantly, in 1984 you could order a small Oldsmobile wagon with a manual transmission, sport suspension, AND woodgrain bodyside trim.
The 10 Cheapest Wagons of 1973
Small Wagons of 1984
Buick Skyhawk

Base engine: 88-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
Base price: Custom $7685, Limited $8135 ($370 destination charge)
Chevrolet Cavalier

Base engine: 88-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: Base $6375, CS $6666 ($370 destination charge)
Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country

Base engine: 96-horsepower 2.2-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: LeBaron Town & Country $9956 ($398 destination charge)
Hard to Park: The Longest Sedans of 1973
Dodge Aries

Base engine: 96-horsepower 2.2-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: Custom $7736, SE $8195 ($398 destination charge)
Dodge Colt Vista

Base engine: 88-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: Base $8115 ($175 destination charge)
Ford Escort

Base engine: 80-horsepower 1.6-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: L $6313, GL $6773, LX $7939 ($308 destination charge)
Honda Civic

Base engine: 76-horsepower 1.5-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: Base $6299 ($174 destination charge)
10 Worst Vehicles of the Past 10 Years
Mercury Lynx

Base engine: 80-horsepower 1.6-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: L $6448, GS $6887 ($308 destination charge)
Nissan Sentra

Base engine: 69-horsepower 1.6-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: Deluxe $7049, XE $7649 ($185 destination charge)
Oldsmobile Firenza Cruiser

Base engine: 88-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: Cruiser $7521, LX Cruiser $8073 ($370 destination charge)
Plymouth Colt Vista

Base engine: 88-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: Base $8115 ($175 destination charge)
Plymouth Reliant

Base engine: 96-horsepower 2.2-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: Custom $7736, SE $8195 ($398 destination charge)
5 Most-Expensive Wagons of 1978
Pontiac 2000 Sunbird

Base engine: 84-horsepower 1.8-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: Base $7115, LE $7819 ($370 destination charge)
1984 Subaru

Base engine: 73-horsepower 1.8-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: DL $6770, GL $7369, GL 4WD $7918, GL 4WD Turbo $10,174 (destination charge NA)
1984 Toyota Tercel

Base engine: 62-horsepower 1.5-liter 4-cylinder
Base Price: Deluxe $6588, $ Deluxe 4WD $7458, SR5 4WD $8278 (destination charge NA)
*A Volkswagen Golf SportWagen arrives soon as a 2016 model.
**Though arguably a hatchback, Nissan referred to this sloped-roofed compact as a wagon.
10 Most-Expensive Wagons of 1983
Small Wagons of 1984