9 Classic V8 Wagons That Make A New Kia Telluride Look Underpowered And Overpriced
These days, there are a lot of great family SUVs on the market. One of those is the Kia Telluride. It’s pretty much everything you could want in a large SUV. But it’s expensive. The Kia Telluride can cost you as much as $55,100 MSRP brand new.
Fortunately, there’s another way to get something that’s similarly great at hauling everything—one that’s not only a lot cheaper, but also has a lot more enthusiast value. That’s a classic American V8 wagon. A surprising number of these cars are much cheaper than a brand new Kia Telluride. They’re also a lot more fun in general!
9
Ford Country Squire (Sixth Generation & Seventh Generation)
Years Produced: 1965-1968, 1969-1978
When it comes to classic American station wagons, there aren’t many that are more iconic than the Ford Country Squire. Wagons under the Country Squire brand name were produced for several decades. But the best versions have to be the ones produced from 1965–1974, from the golden era of American cars up until the first part of the malaise era. They were based on the full-size Ford sedan of their era (the LTD), and as a result got the option to have some seriously powerful V8s. This included variants of the big-block FE V8 and the massive 460 cubic inch 385 V8. Country Squires with this engine were real sleepers, with the power to outpace the Ford Mustang II of the same era.
The Ford Country Squire isn’t a bargain-basement option. The average used value for a 1969 example in good condition is $24,500, and you can end up spending as much as $34,000 on a really good example. But that’s still a fair amount cheaper than a Kia Telluride. Plus, you can still get some bargains here and there, like this one that sold for $10,750.
8
Dodge Coronet Wagon (Fifth Generation & Sixth Generation)
Years Produced: 1965-1970, 1971-1974
The Dodge Coronet is one of the most legendary Mopar cars ever, and for good reason. While its more muscle car-oriented coupe and sedan versions are talked about more, the wagon deserves recognition too. It was available with the same engines as all the other body styles, and that included some big V8s. This included the 375 horsepower 440 cubic inch Magnum V8, the same big-block V8 that was offered on many of the top Mopar muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s.
The Coronet Wagon is surprisingly cheap for what it is. The most expensive examples on the market are around $20,500. That’s a lot less than a Kia Telluride, and you can potentially build an amazing sleeper car out of modifying the more powerful variants.
7
Chrysler Town & Country
Years Produced: 1969-1973
Younger enthusiasts may only know the Town & Country name as belonging to a fairly normal minivan. But back in the 1970s and 1980s, this name was given to big V8-powered station wagons. The V8s these wagons used during the 1970s were versions of the Wedge big-block V8, and were up to 440 cubic inches in size.
Surprisingly, this wagon can be incredibly cheap. You can pick one of these up for as little as $8,800, and that’s for one that’s in fairly good condition to boot. Even if you did a full-on restomod where you bumped up the power to crazy levels, you could still end up spending significantly less money than if you’d bought a brand-new Kia Telluride.
6
Chevrolet Kingswood (Second Generation)
Years Produced: 1969-1972
Much like the Ford Country Squire we talked about earlier, the Chevrolet Kingswood is another iconic brand of classic American station wagon. Like the Ford Country Squire, it also had versions with crazy amounts of power. This included the Kingswood 427, an exceptionally rare variant that’s now become legendary for its near-supercar levels of performance.
Thanks to it becoming a legendary name in American station wagon enthusiast circles, you do need a bit of money to get a Chevrolet Kingswood. The cheapest you’ll be able to get a good example is $17,525, and you could end up paying as much as $31,750 for a nice one.
5
Mercury Colony Park (Fourth & Fifth Generation)
Years Produced: 1969-1978, 1979-1991
Coming from a slightly more upmarket end of Ford’s lineup, the Mercury Colony Park is probably one of the best classic wagons the Ford Motor Company ever produced. Essentially an estate version of the Mercury Marquis and a sibling of the Ford Country Squire we talked about earlier, this wagon got the same V8 power as those sibling cars. That includes the 429 and 460 cubic inch versions of the 385 V8, turning this car into a proper contender to malaise-era sports cars in a straight line.
These Mercury Colony Parks are another example of a classic American station wagon that’s probably majorly undervalued. Go for one from the 1980s, and you can expect to pay something like $19,500 for a good one. Go for a 1970s example, and you won’t be paying much more than that. This one with barely any miles on the clock sold for just $16,750. This could genuinely be one of the best value-for-money purchases on this list.
4
Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser
Years Produced: 1971-1976
The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser is a kingpin of the classic American wagon. The first General Motors-built offering we’re going to talk about here, this was one of the more ‘premium’ wagon options GM could offer you in the 1970s and 1980s. Both the first and second generations of the Custom Cruiser had proper V8 power, including big-block options. Those got as big as the 455 cubic inch Rocket V8, which was offered from 1971–1974.
Much like those Chrysler Town & Country wagons from the same era, the Oldsmobile Custom Cruisers are surprisingly cheap. The most you might see one sell for is anywhere from $11,500 to $14,750. That’s an almost unbelievably cheap price compared to a current Kia Telluride, and it’s a much cooler way to transport your family around too.
3
Pontiac Grand Safari (First Generation)
Years Produced: 1971-1976
The Pontiac Grand Safari is, basically, the same car as the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser we talked about earlier. So, it’s got all the same great qualities, including the same engine options. That went all the way up to the 455 cubic inch V8. Early ’70s Grand Safaris were also known for their clamshell tailgates, a system that was used on the other GM wagons from that era. It wasn’t adopted by any other manufacturers, and it ended up getting a conventional tailgate door when it was redesigned.
The Grand Safari is now starting to become properly valuable. Top-quality examples sell for as much as $24,250 to $35,000, and that value’s only going to go up. If you want to grab one of these as an alternative to a modern big SUV like the Kia Telluride, you might have to act quickly!
2
Chevrolet Caprice Wagon (Third Generation)
Years Produced: 1977-1990
The third of a bunch of GM sibling wagons, the Chevrolet Caprice Wagon was the lowest on the totem pole. But that doesn’t make it any less of a great purchase. It’s got all the same engines as the Oldsmobile and Pontiac versions. That includes proper V8s and, oddly, a diesel V8!
If you’re willing to go for a 1980s example of this car, you can get them for incredibly cheap prices. One resto-modded example with a high-performance 350 cubic inch V8 sold for $9,700 recently. A more regular example with just 27,000 miles on the clock also sold for $15,000. That’s exceptional value for a classic American V8 wagon, and it will certainly be a much more distinctive family hauler than a Kia Telluride.
1
Buick Roadmaster Estate (Eighth Generation)
Years Produced: 1991-1996
The only wagon on this list that isn’t from the golden era or malaise era, the final generation of the Buick Roadmaster Estate has become a firm enthusiasts’ favorite in recent years. A lot of that has to do with the fact that, under the skin, it’s got a sports car powertrain! You could have this car with the LT1 small-block V8 that Chevrolet used in the Corvettes and Camaros of the era, running through the standard-issue 4-speed automatic transmission that Chevrolet offered at the time. While this meant the LT1 wasn’t free to truly rev out, you still got much of that same Corvette and Camaro power from this massive 7-seater family hauler.
These 1990s Buick Roadmaster estates have become some of the cheapest classic wagons on the market. The average value of a 1992 example in good condition is around $9,800. Even the most expensive examples will sell for $11,300 to $17,100. Add on the huge potential these have to be tuned thanks to all the aftermarket support for the LT1 V8, and you could build an incredible sleeper for much less than the cost of a brand-new Kia Telluride!
Sources: Bring A Trailer, Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Hagerty, Kia, Mercury, Pontiac
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