2Hip

I am a father of a 3 and 2 year old and the owner of an '04 sedan. Sometimes I really wish I would have bought the wagon but really for no reasons to do with my kids. It has more to do with owning a dog that I take to obedience and protection training. I end up having to take my wife's Honda Pilot for the day which leaves her with my rex and the kids which we both don't like because of switching car seats. Now if the rex is going to be your primary kid carrier which it is not in my family I would consider the Forester XT which has plenty of room and from what I hear might actually be quicker then the rex in stock form and I love the sleeper aspect of it. One last thing that really swayed me to the sedan was the difference of the flared quarter panels and the small difference in sway bars. Hope this helps and no matter which one you choose you can't go wrong. This is my first suby and I love it more everyday.
2Hip

HomerJay

iTrader: (3)

By the wagon! I don't have kids or a dog. (thank goodness) I go snowboarding a lot and I really appreciate the added space and the roof rails.

debbid

iTrader: (9)

exact same reason why i bought the wagon. even without a roofrack i was able to fit four people and four snowboards in the car.

HomerJay

iTrader: (3)

ajWRX,

sorry you had to move from Vancouver to San Diego. San Diego is nice, but I love Vancouver. Only thing about the 05 sedan is you can get a moonroof option, albeit a small one.

LUvikes29

I'll put in my vote for the wagon. There's a lot more space, especially if you fold the back seats down. My insurance is lower, and it's got the sleeper "oh, it's a wagon" factor.

WindCloud

i'm taggin this.. i tried searchign for wagon pics, of interior and exterior in LIFE situations, not advertisement to get an idea.. but didn't get much.

i'm deciding on a car for the next 4- years or so according to payment, and so i want to select a car that is well suited for life and its needs. it doesn't have to be a suby, but i'm considering it ...

flat broke

I just bought an 05 wagon and I love it!!! The non folding rear seats in the sedan were a consideration. You have more flexibility with the rear of the wagon than you do with the sedan, and if you run out of space there, you also have the roof rack.

I love the look of the fenders on the sedan, but the sleeper nature of the wagon, along with the added utility made my decision clear. Kids are in the forecast for the next couple of years, so kid related logistical support items will probably need more space than available in the sedan.

As stated, about $500 cheaper than the Sedan, a little less on insurance, and you can always refer back to another board member's line, "you just got beat by a wagon" when running against other cars.

Hope that helps,
Chis

Peaty

iTrader: (2)

I have the Forester XT and it's got plenty of room, it's really a wagon plus it has more HP than the WRX. It's underrated, the hp is closer to 240. Virtually no turbo lag either. We've had guys here locally get a 13.8 at the track with a stock MT XT.

I've been very happy with mine so far. I have a 5 and an 8 year old, it carries them and the associated crap nicely. The nice thing abou the XT is the stealth factor too. The major negative is the way it handles. That is easly fixed with some good tires and the fitment of a 20mm WRX STi sway bar. Have a look here to see what I've done to mine:

http://www.subaruforester.com/viewtopic.php?t=6472

Right now I'm at a stage 2 cobb setup with some other mods thrown in. According to cobb the HP is 285 / 318ft lbs torque w/ 93 oct.

xwarrenx

iTrader: (3)

i say the wagon

VRWRX

I just went from an 02 sedan to an 05 wagon and I'm really glad that I did. The simple fact that you can fold down the rear seats was enough for me. I had a heck of a time hauling anything in my sedan, but with the wagon even big stuff is a breeze. I also like the sedan fenders, but the utility was more of a big deal to me. Heck, you can always put the sedan fenders on the wagon if you wanted the flares that bad. I have my first child on the way and I can already see where the extra room of the wagon is going to help out. Just like everyone else, I vote wagon. Now if I can only find the sticker that says "You just got beat by a wagon".........

nachomc

iTrader: (7)

This should help you: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=689844

VRWRX

^^^good link.

Clint Torres

I've got 2 kids and can tell you that a baby seat behind either front seat leaves very little clearance for me. This is with a rear-facing child seat which are for infinks less than a year old.

I'm 5'8" and I sit pretty close to the wheel. If you're any taller, you may want to consider something larger. However, after that year is up, the front-facing child seats don't take up as much room and you can switch to that. But you'l always be faced with kids kicking the back of your seat which mere inches from their feet.

My son basically uses the top of the front passenger seat as a foot rest despite my warnings.

There is not that much cargo space in the wagon due to the sloping sides and rear window, albeit more than the sedan.

I drive a wrx wagon, btw. Great car for the $$. You won't have the same handling in a forrester or legacy but both are bigger/kid friendlier.