Worthy Workhorses

Yes, the new Acura TSX Sport Wagon is a sporty gamble for both our list and for Acura, but there is much to like here if you can swing the mid-$30,000 price tag. Station wagons are perfect for the suburbs, offering a good combination of sedan refinement and utilitarian hauling. Smaller home-improvement jobs, especially gardening, are a good fit, and the wagon's bodywork makes regular errands, vacations and airport trips that much easier. The Audi A3 is another such pick.

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When it comes to room in a garageable SUV, Chevy's Equinox is tough to beat. It's labeled a midsize, but stretches that definition with generous rear-seat and storage room. Fold the rear seats and the Equinox's cargo hold looks like a container ship; there's plenty of covered storage here. Of course, that coverage excludes tall cargo, and because it's an SUV you'll want to get it only so dirty. Also, the conventional side doors are not the last word in easy cargo access.

Watch Video:  2011 Chevrolet Equinox

Big as the house you're remodeling, the iconic Chevy Suburban is the ultimate station wagon simply because it is so large. All sorts of construction and gardening materials will easily fit in its warehouse-like cargo space, the only caveat being that this full-size SUV is trimmed mainly for people hauling these days. The same is true for the similar Ford Expedition and the slightly smaller Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon. Large, active families are the logical users of these huge wagons.

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Pickups come in three sizes — small, large and huge — with the Dakota playing the exception by slotting between the small and large trucks. Its no-excuse size for bigger jobs and a wide range of engine options allow you to tailor it to your mix of housework, commuting and towing chores. Alternatively, the basic Ford Ranger is the handiest, most compact, fuel-efficient, durable and often least expensive pickup available — that is, until the end of 2011, when the Dakota inexplicably will cease production.

Bing Images: Dodge Ram Dakota

We'll let you decide between the standard pickup trucks from Ford and Dodge Ram. Both offer literal tons of capability, more configurations than a Swiss Army knife and carlike manners. The Dodge has the smoother ride, but the F-150 has standout engines. Both boast excellent interiors and snazzy exterior styling, so we advise prospective purchasers of these superb home helpmates to carefully review the details before making a pick. Durability and style have us eyeing the Ford, but you need to look at both.

Read:  2011 Ford F-150 — First Drive

We're jumping the gun just a little here. While the new Focus sedan is available now, the project-friendly 5-door hatchback trim is still a couple of months away. Its large rear hatch and folding rear seats give surprisingly spacious cargo room, and like the Focus sedan, the feature-rich 5-door is a good value, with a starting price just over $18,000. Other hatchbacks and wagonettes are also handy carryalls. The reworked Jeep Compass, stylish MINI Clubman and boxlike Nissan cube or Scion xB come to mind.

View Pictures:  Ford at the Detroit Auto Show

Not as refined as the upcoming Ford Focus 5-door, Honda's Fit is available right now and boasts a generous 57.3 cubic feet of cargo room with its rear seats folded. The spaciousness runs throughout the cabin, so an open, airy feeling in the cockpit is another bonus. Honda is not afraid to let a little road noise through, so the Fit has more of an econobox feel than some in its class, but attractive pricing and great storage make it a home-improvement natural.

Watch Video:  Honda Fit Review

A touch quirky perhaps, but Subaru's Outback fills the bill for an affordable, capable combination of wagon and SUV. Carrying capacity is workable, if not outstanding, but the combination of hardware hauling and outdoorsy fun is augmented with optional 3G Wi-Fi and other uptown capabilities. Economy is a plus, with base models rated at 29 mpg highway, and every Outback has all-wheel drive for winter traction and dirt-road exploring. Who knows, you might stumble across a cabin fixer-upper.

Watch Video:  2011 Subaru Outback

Next to pickups, big minivans are the logical home-improvement vehicle. Barnlike sliding side doors and a liftgate open to reveal a huge interior; plus, when the work is done, everyone in the family has a great seat. While many minivans make good hardware-store hacks, the all-new, third-generation Toyota Sienna is a giant, able to carry 4-by-8 sheets of drywall flat on the floor or seat up to eight passengers. Opt for the V6 engine if big remodeling is in your plans.

Read: 2011 Toyota Sienna Expert Review

Versatility in an upscale station wagon is the XC70's calling card. Utility comes naturally from the wagon layout, although you'll need a cargo mat to keep the potting soil out of the carpet. As a car, the XC70 gives a choice of front-wheel-drive practicality, or up to 300 turbocharged horsepower distributed to a traction-happy all-wheel-drive system. A slightly elevated ride height helps with snow — along with loading 80-pound fertilizer sacks — and the styling is handsomely rugged for a wagon.

Bing Images: Volvo XC70

Longtime Road & Track contributor Tom Wilson's credits include local racing championships, three technical engine books and hundreds of freelance articles.

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