Looking at this Accord Aerodeck made me ponder: when was the last mid-sized station wagon sold in the North American market with a manual transmission? Hell, I had to stop and think when the last mid-sized station wagon was sold there. Suffice it to say, if you own one of these manual Accord Aerodecks and you’re looking to replace it, you don’t have many options today.
The answer to the first question was – correct me if I’m wrong – the 2014 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon. If we’re talking mainstream brands, the answer is the 2014 Subaru Outback. If you don’t count that as a station wagon on account of its slightly higher ground clearance – jeez, you’re fussy! – then the answer is probably the 2008 Volkswagen Passat.
If you are happy to buy a compact, then the good news is manual transmissions are still available in cars like the VW Golf SportWagen and the, uhh… Well, that’s pretty much it.
As desirable as something like a manual Accord Aerodeck may be to many of us Curbivores, it’s likely this style of vehicle died out in North America because of flagging consumer demand. Even in its time, the Accord Aerodeck was an anomaly—there was no manual version of the 1992-96 Camry, nor was there a manual Taurus wagon. There weren’t even wagon versions, automatic or manual, of rivals like the Nissan Altima, Mitsubishi Galant and Mazda 626.
The compact crossovers that effectively supplanted these wagons offered manual transmissions at first but even those have died out: the last manual Hyundai Tucson was in 2013, for example, and the last Honda CR-V well before that in 2006.
Of course, if you live in Europe the stick shift, D-segment station wagons never went away, although the Accord wagon eventually became a casualty. North Americans, you’ll just have to take solace in the fact automatic transmissions have gotten better and better over the years, and that today’s crossovers are much closer to station wagons than yesterday’s SUVs ever were.
Related Reading:
Curbside Classic: 1996 Honda Accord LX – In Accordance With American Demands
Curbside Classic: 1996 Honda Accord Wagon – You Might Think It Was the Last of the Breed
The wagon take rate for Accords was always much lower than that of the Taurus and Camry, at that, because they had third-row seating (up to 8 in the Taurus if they were skinny) and the Accord wagon never did.
Was this called the Aerodeck in the U.S.?
I remember a model of the Accord called the Aerodeck in the U.K…..but it had 2 doors instead of 4. It was a version of the 86-89 Accord similar to the Liftback model sold in the U.S. except it wasn’t a fastback, the roof was squared off. I can’t say for sure if there was an Aerodeck for earlier and/or later models of Accord.
Not called aerodeck here, no. This is the original:
Stunning. Looks more like a show car – sorry, concept car – than a production car, though the Japanese had a real creative spurt in the eighties when it came to automotive design. And now we see where the Dodge Magnum’s tailgate/roof opening idea came from.
Couldn’t you get a Mazda 6 wagon with a manual until 2007-08?
Just checked the Mazda 6 Tourer and a 6-speed (how appropriate!) manual is available in the UK.
The Honda Accord (sedan + wagon) is indeed dead here. No worries, if you want a D-segment wagon from a Japanese or South-Korean automaker you can still have a:
Toyota Avensis
Mazda 6
Hyundai i40
Kia Optima
Subary Levorg or Outback
Although I haven’t checked the choice of transmissions…
The Levorg is automatic only AFAIK, a missed chance for a brand that appeals mostly to the customer looking for an engaging drive. Luckily there’s still plenty of choice otherwise, since all mid-sizers from Europe are available in that configuration, and even painted brown.
Although these were always a little odd looking, I really liked them. A friend of my mother bought one new and I always harbored a little hope that I might hear when she was ready to sell it. I think her Honda mechanic got there first. But it was an automatic, so not the greatest of losses.
My last wagon in that general size class was my 86 Mercury (Fox body) Marquis. OK, it was a little larger than this and a completely different kind of car, but hey – it still had a hatch and a folding back seat. I would love a wagon like that Acura or Golf, but my Mrs. has announced a dislike of getting into and out of low slung cars these days. Looking at the roads around me, I don’t think she is alone.
Mrs. Bear had a ’12 Jetta tdi Wagon. Automatic. She tolerated it… and jumped at the opportunity to send it to the kids when she found out they needed an economical DD. She loves her Camry, but would really like a Highlander or an Outback the next time around. Manual transmissions haven’t been a conversation in our house for over two decades.
today at the grocery store a guy asked me of my TSX Sportwagon “Is that a station wagon?” “You don’t see those any more.”
I bought a 1993 Camry Stick Shift Sedan in 2016 instead of a 1994-1997 Accord Stick Shift Wagon.
The similar era Civcs felt tinny to me, somewhat loud, and the low seating position was uncomfortable. I was also unsure about how easy Honda stick shifts were to learn on compared to Toyotas so went with a Toyota.
This car isn’t too far off from the Volvo V60 in dimensions. The Volvo is taller, wider, and the wheelbase is a few inches longer, but the Volvo is actually shorter. Interior and cargo volume are almost identical, according to the EPA website.
What about the new Buick Regal?
Automatic only and moreover, 4 wheels drive à la Outback , the FWD Sport Tourer will stay in europe … Insigni-ficant GM …
I miss these final Accord wagons available in the U.S. They weren’t the most attractive, with thicker hips than I prefer, but I do have a deep appreciation for them.
You forgot the MINI Clubman. That’s a compact wagon you can still get in the U.S. with a manual transmission with all engines!
So . . . .
Is this a wagon?
You could get them with stick.
It’s also an old car, last model year was 1994.
Mazda 6 through 2007. And Mazda 5 ( kind of, sort of a mid-size wagon…) through 2014. My wife and I have a Mazda 5 for the very reason that there are very limited choices of mid-size wagons with a clutch pedal in the U.S.
“,,,the last mid-sized station wagon sold in the North American market with a manual transmission? … If we’re talking mainstream brands, the answer is the 2014 Subaru Outback.” Actually that’s true for the USA but not Canada. The Outback (along with the Legacy) was available with stick shift in Canada through the 2017 model year, but apparently not any longer. Of course, these were made in Indiana and could have been offered in the USA market with little difficulty.
My sister missed the 2014 models by a few months and was sick to discover that a manual was no longer available in 2015. She bought one but never took to it. A 2017 Wrangler Unlimited (with a stick) replaced it.
Actually you could get a manual shift on the 1992-96 Camry wagon’s but they are very rare, I did see one several years ago.
No ‘92+ Camry wagon stick shift in the US, I am fairly sure, but definitely not in California in 1993. Nor was the up-to-93 generation of the Accord wagon available with a stick, which is why we bought a manual Corolla wagon in ‘93. Other manual wagons available back in ’93 in California were Legacy, Escort, Saturn SW1 and Mitsubishi Vista. No Jetta then, or Impreza.
With so many links to automotive sites, my internet provider has seen fit to fill my screen-margins with car ads.
Clicking on an ad for the ” ! Brand New ! ” 2018 Honda Fit, I saw that the Fit’s standard transmission is a 6-spd manual. CVT-automatic is $800 extra.
But I suppose it’s a compact, and not mid-sized.
Another no-charge item: full wheel covers of 100% genuine plastic!
You can also go up a trim level or two with a stick in the Fit, it’s not until the EX-L that auto-only syndrome hits. But then, getting leather and automatic on a Honda is a bit like getting steak at a seafood restaurant.
Sub compact actually, if very space efficient. Also a lot of road noise, poor ride, and engine vibration and noise. Extra Easter Egg feature: about 2″ less legroom for front seat passenger than driver.
I purchased a new 1994 Accord wagon similar to the car in the top photo – a 5 speed LX – for my wife a month or two before my daughter was born. We kept it for 10 years and 175,000 trouble-free miles. It was the perfect car for a small family (mom, dad, and eventually two small kids). The Accord handled great and was a nice, smooth highway cruiser. It was fun to drive, and the transmission was probably the smoothest-shifting of all the (many) manual transmission vehicles that we’ve owned. We typically averaged over 30 MPG in-town and 35+ MPG on trips, providing that we didn’t drive like speed demons. I was pretty good about keeping up with exterior maintenance, and the Accord was shiny and rust-free despite being daily-driven through 10 tough New England and Ohio winters.
If I could walk into a Honda showroom and buy the exact same car (new) today, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
“If I could walk into a Honda showroom and buy the exact same car (new) today, I’d do it in a heartbeat.” That’s how I feel about Subarus. Two of ours are manuals, both very well equipped – a 2003 Legacy SE wagon and a 2006 Forester with premium package – and there’s nothing like them on offer today. Luckily there are still well-maintained ones available from the pre-framed-door-glass era, but not for much longer.
Before buying the Legacy in early ’03, we did consider a used ’97 manual Accord wagon but couldn’t find one we liked enough to pay the asking price.
This model Accord wagon was only available in Australia as an automatic.
As expected, we missed out on the Accord Euro (Acura TSX?) wagons completely, yet Honda here were falling over themselves by releasing than one SUV to supplant it.
BMW 3 and 5 wagons came with sticks at least until around 08. E46 wagons are being listed in cny for around the same as same year accords (unless they’ve been “upgraded”).
IIRC, you could get a Taurus with a stick (the uncommon “MT-5” option) for its first year or two–otherwise, no.
WS is right about the European varieties not available here–the UK Ford Mondeo has the manual option, with a variety of engines (including diesel). Do I have to wait 25 years to import one?
That Mondeo from 07-2012 was on my shopping list ones with the Peugeot turbo diesel especially but finding a manual forget it none for sale anywhere I finished up buying another Citroen turbo diesel a five door C5 hatch with five on the floor lovely car and very rare in manual, but I’m happy with my purchase my other Citroen manual TD will go to my daughter as her first car.
I remember coveting Honda wagons years ago, but they were rare and out of my price range. My wife had a 93 Accord sedan with a manual that was, I think, the most trouble free car I have experienced. Compared to the cars I owned around that time, it often felt strange to be able to keep a car on the road with so little time and money spent. At 180,000 miles, with little more than standard maintenance, it was sported away by thieves.
I had a 79 Buick Century wagon that gave me room for skis and bicycles but was ugly and a fuel hog, and I was never able to get the carburetor adjusted quite right in the winter. Its automatic was also of the old, sluggish variety. At least I never had to worry about it being stolen.
After its replacement, a VW Golf with a 5 speed, became too idiosyncratic, I came upon a 1996 Outback wagon and really liked it. With the roominess of a wagon, all wheel drive for fun winter driving and a 5 speed, it was everything I wanted in a car.
I liked it so much that I replaced it with a 2007 model, also with a 5 speed, that I have kept going for almost 250,000 miles, in part because it is a manual, and I fear it may be my last.
CVTs and modern automatics are very nice, as a previous poster pointed out, and I am sure I could get used to one. There is, though, something about a manual that still appeals to me. My dump runner and wood hauler is a 1971 F100 with a 3-on-the-tree that I am quite fond of, in part for its anachronistic shifter.
I wonder if I could sneak one of those Canadian-market Outbacks across the border…
In Australia there are still the BMW 320i and 330i wagons available as a manual (both are 2.0 4-cyl turbo). I suspect you would have to special-order one though!
Otherwise there is the Skoda Octavia wagon which is slightly larger than a Golf and can be had with a 245 hp engine, and as Brendan mentioned the Mini Clubman.
The last mainstream midsize manual wagon seems to have been the 2014 Subaru Liberty (aka Legacy) 2.5, while 2012 was the last Mazda 6 manual wagon – diesel only. Only slightly larger is the HSV wagon with the LS3 V8 and manual too, that was also available in 2014. 2013 was the last ‘normal’ Holden Commodore manual wagon – V8 only.
VW Passat wagon with the 2.0T engine was available with 6 speed manual thru 2010 in North America. Wish it still was, as the Golf Sportwagen is a size smaller.
I had this model w/ the manual for 17 years. I was told that only 5% of Accord wagons were manuals and only 10% of Accords were wagon. So that’s 5% of 10% of Accords were wagon.
No wonder people were leaving notes on my car to buy it. Two facts:
The wagon was 3 inches longer than the sedan. The wagon had an Acura rear suspension and the wagon had Acura brakes.
Loved it but traded it in after 17 years because ethanol destroyed the gas tank. Honda dealer said the fix was $4000 because the rear suspension had to be removed. Dealer said they normally didn’t take such old cars as trades but they would take this one.
So that’s 5% of 10% of Accords were wagon manuals.
Both versions of the Accord wagon have found their way to NZ US and Euro manuals are rare the 626 was available in wagon called a Capella in Japan, ok cars a friend had one but auto.
Should probably note that in addition to the Golf Sportwagen (with FWD or AWD, but in low-end trim only), the raised AWD Golf Alltrack wagon also offers a manual, and in mid-level as well as low end trim levels. It’s so annoying that the few remaining cars that offer manuals in the US usually do only on bottom of the line models with almost no options allowed.
If we could find one owned by a little old man (or woman), or one that had been stashed away and never driven…my wife would love to have another of one of her favorite cars, a 1987 Honda Civic AWD station wagon.
Honda Civic all-wheel Wagon is one of my favorite cars too, but I prefer the 4th generation from the early 1990s. But there are so many vehicles in today’s market with the same configuration and better performance. My other favorite vehicles are Benze W124, BMW E28, Porsche 944 turbo, and Mazada MX5
Not a wagon but a mini-mini van similar to the Mazda 5, the Canada-only Kia Rondo was available until 2016 with a 6 speed manual. Looked at one, but bought VW Golf Sportwagen 5 speed manual instead.
VW Golf Sportwagon is the direct replacement in today’s North American market. You can still get manual, even all-wheel drive. Golf Sportwagon is probably larger than that vintage Honda Accord wagon in term of size and space. Its chassis tuning is far better than any Honda products, its small turbo engine is superior than any Honda, Toyota and Subaru engine — Honda recognizes this trend and starts releasing its own turbo engine with similar characteristics, 20 years later. If you really want to stay with Japanese products, try Toyota iMs which has the similar power rating, or Mazada CX5, I believe 2016 CX 5 still have 5-speed maual transmission with its advance Skydrive engine. Going down further, drive CX 3.. For me, I will just get a 6-speed GTI, the best affordable and practical sporty car in the market.
Isn’t true that a “compact” is now the same size as a “mid-size” like the Accord shown at the top? The confusion is that the categories reflect relative size not absolute size. Today an Opel Astra is the same size as my 1989 Citroen XM which was once one of the largest cars available.
I had a 93 accord wagon 5spd it was a fabulous car, but it was a rust bucket with lifetime Cirris XM. The left front ball joint collapsed the left front wheel and I sold it for nothing!!