And there’s nothing smarter and more practical -- yet still reasonably fun and handsome -- than a wagon. SUVs generally don’t handle as well, or get as good fuel economy. Minivans? Even auto writers have standards.

So I guess it’s no surprise that I loved driving the new Mercedes E350 wagon. I parked the new one next to my neighbor’s previous-gen Mercedes, and the effect was dramatic: The new E wagon made the old one look as hot and contemporary as a Normal Rockwell painting. As with the Cadillac CTS, the Mercedes looks better as a wagon than its does as a sedan (but not hotter than the coupe -- even I don’t love wagons that much). The E wagon accentuates the wedgy shape of the E sedan, but the stretched body and combed-back proportions are especially handsome and sophisticated. And the effect was only helped by an AMG sport package, including snazzy 18-inch, six-spoke alloy wheels.

I drove the E wagon form New York to Rhode Island, where its nearly 70-cubic-foot carrying capacity helped me hurl in gear with room to spare. There’s even a pair of cute, rear-facing seats in the hatch area (for toddlers only, of course) that conjure up images of family trips in old Vista Cruisers and other trusty wagons of a bygone age. The technology, luxury and performance is decidedly more modern, of course, as is the price: Just over $57,000 to start, and nearly $67,000 with a generous helping of options.

The E350’s biggest flaw is in the second part of its name: The 3.5-liter V-6 has a mere 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It’s a very smooth, competent V-6. And it’s also near the bottom of the luxury rankings in V-6 horsepower and torque. Throw in the added weight of the wagon caboose on the back, and the V-6 is forced to work a bit hard to motivate things, especially when said caboose is loaded with gear.

As ever, I’d love to imagine that wagons like the Mercedes – so honest, so useful -- will lure Americans back aboard. But I know that’s wishful thinking: The station wagon is for a select and dwindling few. Company after company has dropped wagons from their lineup (Mazda, Dodge, Toyota), or rolled out crossovers that proceed to outsell their wagons by exponential margins (Volvo, BMW, Subaru, Audi, Mercedes). And when a company like Audi can’t sell more than a handful of S4 Avant wagons in a year, you can hardly blame them for not wanting to bring even higher-performing models like the S6 Avant. Volvo is the latest: The Swedish company will drop the V70 wagon from its American lineup for 2011. That means we wagon fans have to take what we can get -- and enjoy it while it lasts.