I don’t know how station wagons became desirable, but I suspect it has something to do with modern crossover SUVs. When everything on the road has the same bloated shape, any variation is going to draw your eye. And if that variation in shape is every bit as practical, it’s even better.
Yesterday we looked at two station wagon replacements, one minivan and one SUV. Both of them had uncharacteristic manual transmissions. I think the price difference may have had something to do with the outcome; the GMC Safari van was three grand less than its Ford Explorer competition.
Price aside, personally, I’d rather have the van anyway. I think I’d have more fun with it. I’ve always liked the looks of the Astro and Safari, and having a manual transmission makes it an interesting conversation piece.
Now, let’s take a look at a couple of old wagons. They don’t have much in common: one’s French and the other Japanese, one’s manual and the other automatic, and one’s front-wheel-drive and the other is rear. But they’re both long-roofed versions of sedans, and that’s what ties them together. Let’s take a look.
1991 Peugeot 505 SW8 – $3,100
Engine/drivetrain: 2.2-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: San Juan Capistrano, CA
Odometer reading: 295,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
In a more just world, Peugeot would have ridden the yuppie wave right alongside BMW and Volvo in the US, and been just as successful here. But that’s not what happened; Peugeot’s 505 never caught on like the BMW 5 Series and Volvo 240 did, and the French firm left the US market after 1991. This 505 wagon was one of the last few stragglers to be sold here.
It’s a rare spec, even among 505s: it has a non-turbo gasoline four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual transmission. Most 505 wagons sold here were automatics, with either a turbocharged four or the PRV V6. It has a ton of miles on it, but the engine was replaced 70,000 miles ago, and it recently had a new timing belt, water pump, and clutch installed. It runs and drives well, the seller says.
In France, this car is known as the 505 Break with two rows of seats, or the 505 Familiale with three rows like this one has. Here in the US, it was called the 505 SW8: Station Wagon, 8 Passenger. It’s in reasonably good shape inside, but I think the driver’s seat has been replaced. It’s vinyl, and everything else is cloth. I guess it’s not surprising that the driver’s seat needed replacing after nearly 300,000 miles.
Outside, it’s reasonably straight, but the paint is in poor shape. At least it’s rust-free. I doubt anyone would bother repainting it at this point, but it actually doesn’t look bad all faded and scruffy.
1992 Honda Accord EX – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.2-liter OHC inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Portland, OR
Odometer reading: 123,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
When it was introduced, the Honda Accord came in two bodystyles: a four-door sedan, and a two-door hatchback. That arrangement lasted until 1988, when a two-door coupe was added to the lineup. It wasn’t until 1991 that you could get an Accord wagon. Some station wagons made from sedans look pretty awkward, but I’ve always thought Honda did a great job with this one. I’d go as far as to say it looks better than the sedan.
The fourth-generation Accord is powered by a 2.2-liter engine, and this one has a four-speed automatic transmission. Since it’s an EX model, it has an extra five horsepower and a rear sway bar, and since it’s a wagon it has bigger front brakes. It has only 123,000 miles on it, nothing for a Honda of this age, and it has had a bunch of recent service work done. It also had its transmission rebuilt at 100,000 miles.
I think this might be my favorite Accord color combination too. I don’t know how a maroon interior works so well with champagne paint, but it does. The interior is in great shape, too. It has all the power stuff, since it’s an EX, and though the seller doesn’t specify, I’m sure it all works fine.
The paint looks good, but I can’t tell if that spot on the left side of the hood is a reflection or a bad spot in the clearcoat. One thing it doesn’t have, thankfully, is any rust. Corrosion has always been the Accord’s Achilles heel, so a rust-free one like this is rare and special indeed.
I’m genuinely curious to find out how this vote goes. Will the Peugeot’s rear-wheel-drive layout and manual gearbox overcome the Honda’s reliability and ease of finding parts? Will a scruffier car be worth a nine hundred dollar discount to enough of you to give the Peugeot the win? I guess we’ll see.
BOTH. Boy this is a tough call. I love the Peugeot. RWD AND manual? Hell yeah. Funky wayback seat to give the grandkids a proper upbringing? HELL YEAH.
But then there’s utterly relentless Accord…dammit this is a tough one. The price is good for either one. It’s a 30 year old fascinating Frenchy with no significant support in the US vs. a kinda-mundane Honda with a reputation for reliability and boy, this is really the day to sign up for both. Use the one to drive back and forth shopping parts for the other.
Peugeot! You only live once.
I really like those Peugeots, but that accord is top notch. Rust free, low miles, super clean…I guess it would be nice as a manual, but it’s still going to be puttering around ina a decade at this point. That Peugeot is just too used up — 300k and banged up vs a super clean Honda with half the miles, it’s a no brainer.
My thoughts exactly.
Lift this Peugeot and slap some knobbie tyre for a Dangel look !!
Fit it with a limited slip diff and it comes close to earning the respect. The turbo model came with a LSD from the factory, so there might be OEM-spec equipment available to swap in.
Love the Pug, but that generation of Accord is the absolute pinnacle. It put them on top. US automakers could NOT figure out how they delivered so much car and quality and materials and tight tolerances for the price.
Those Peugeot wagons were thick on the ground in certain pockets of New England. My best friends parents replaced their 504 with a 505 wagon in this spec but non SW8. It didn’t have the later bodykit these wear. Refrigerator white. Absolute lemon. Might have been dealer service department competence and parts/service info supply from France at that point.
Traded for an XJ Cherokee County.
All manuals.
Good luck finding parts for the Peugeot to get and keep it running.
They are not ratre cars globally. Parts are available. They’re durable and popular in Africa still, AFAIK.
I rode in many used as taxis in Mali when I worked there. That and old 190s were the taxi of choice.
Fair, I acknowledge that I’m not a Peugeot guy, so this is outside my wheelhouse. But this car is not in Africa, and if you aren’t sponsored by Ebay, shipping can be a problem depending on the part. I do know a guy who has a different Peugeot and has run into trouble finding parts that are cost effective either by being local or don’t have a big shipping bill.
Yeah – some parts are going to be easy since they’re basically just Bosch, etc and shared with other makes. The more special the piece, the harder you’ll have to look.
Agree on the shipping – but the parts availability issue is just an old car of any origin thing. A mass-produced model with global sales isn’t going to be that much of a challenge. And paying to ship parts for your old car is still cheaper than the monthly payment on something current.
Maintenance of cars and houses and stuff still has a price!
Easy win for the accord, and an easy manual swap if it’s going to be the fun car.
No contest. The Honda gets it today. The Pug is too far gone.
Forced to choose an auto over a manual today.
I think Honda. Even if it’s an auto, I have it in my head to do a Castrol Mugen Accord wrap and green TEs. And even without a GT2 racing modification reference and left alone, it’s just a nice spare car.
I have no idea what to do with the Peugeot other than pay tarrifs on overnight parts from France and get the clearcoat redone.
I want to want the Peugeot. I actually want the Accord.
I’m just thinking – who does an engine swap in a 200,000 mile Peugeot? I vote Accord.
I wanted to vote for the weird French car, but that Accord is a damn fine cup of coffee.
It’ll look real nice parked with my pair of Civics.
Speaking of coffee , does the dash of the Peugeot have a pull out coffee pot holder, cause that’s what the symbol on it looks like to me? I went artifact with my imaginary autopiabucks.
I zoomed in and enhanced, and I honestly don’t know what the icon represents. Does look an awful lot like a pourover pot.
It’s a purse, meaning you can store coins inside.
Going with the Pug, because logic, reason, and sanity have no place in Autopia.
The decision is: do you want an artifact or a car? Edit: Maxillianmeen just above has answered! Thank you!
Yeah…
Yeah.
Voted Accord-ingly.
A Peugeot wagon has been on my “gotta own one” list for a long time and this one looks good enough. I probably can’t afford a decent one these days anyway…
That Accord wagon looks and sounds great on paper but my 94 Accord has the same drivetrain and it’s the most uninspiring thing to drive I’ve ever owned. It only has 120k miles and little rust so it’ll probably last forever just to spite me. If it had the 5 speed I’d probably be crowing about daily here in the comments…
I’ve felt that about most Hondas I’ve driven.
I don’t mind the gutless engine so much but the 4 speed auto really ruins it. Every ill timed shift (and they all are) grates on me.
Accord for me; my mom had this exact color combo (in the sedan). Great car-although the Peugeot is more interesting…
The elderly couple who sold us our first house moved just down the street and bought an Accord wagon, and I envied them for it. The slope of the backlight makes it like one of my favorite form factors, a 5-door hatch, embiggened. Catnip. And with many, many miles left in it. The Pug…it’s cool but could be on borrowed time.
Holding my nose and voting for Pepé Le Pew Joe because 70k engine and manual. That is all.
this is a BOTH day if there ever was one! I’m so conflicted…
I want the Peugeot but it’s utterly scuppered, especially at that price. So I voted for the ugly Honda.
I want to vote RWD manual, but that Honda just recently had the engine broken in, is in much better shape, and will likely run forever.
Peugeot for me. Parts might be hard to find in the US but if you look internationally they’ll be very easy to come by.
I’ll splash out the extra $900 and get the one with less than half as many miles on it and that interior that looks more mauve than maroon to me. It looks like something my grandma would have chosen in 1992, and I’m not hating it.
Really? No seconds thoughts about this one. Accord… But the old 505 might get some attention at Cars and Coffee. Hmmm….
This one is SO hard today. RWD manual odd ball with hard to find parts VS. Boring reliable with parts in every junkyard and barely broken in. I had a 90 accord maroon inside and out and it sucked in the snow. I am still going for the accord.