I guess I'm old, but there's something comforting about listening to these old shows with the aged graphics and muffled sound. Reminds me of Sunday afternoons.
Nah, wagons aren't bad.. But they cannot compare to the versatility and spaciousness of a minivan.... Now compare a big wagon to your average modern crossover SUV, different story there.
@blackandgold51 law enforcement used these wagons becuase they were cross compatible with the sedans and had a bit more room. they didnt really pick these as stand alone vehicles.
@@Themaxleydog It's got a SBC (305 pr optional 350) so it can be hopped up just as easily and cheaply as any SBC. There's plenty of performance parts for the sedan that would be easily applied here. Rear-wheel drive, with all the attendant performance bennies. Basically, this is a good platform to make a family hauler than can also haul ass! And, given that it is so aerodynamic, it'll get surprisingly good hwy economy, especially if it has a tall rear end.
No joke. There is a guy in central Virginia that has a custom built Crown Vic station wagon. It's not the last gen, but it's the body style right before the last model, like a 93 model or something. It is sharp!
blackandgold51 In NYC medallion cabs were comprised of 3 models, the Impala, Crown Victoria and Dodge Diplomats and the odd leftover Checker. All 3 models were prevalent in the NYPD Fleet.
The shortest crew cab/short-bed half-ton truck you can buy today is over 19' long, and people buy them like hotcakes. The 2020 Burb is 18'7" long, and the 2021 is 18'8" long.
There was no market for full size wagons in the early '90s. It was minivan or bust and then the SUV era started. The only people who used full size wagons were fire marshals and police K9 units. The Caprice wagon was a total flop.
NyuuMikuru1 Right on , when it comes to seeing it that a usual Mother back in the day we’re trying so hard to mother a child into protecting our own lives than to what in how it is NOWADAYS ( Modern day to be Precise) . That on which it is very Exaggerated in being very Overly Protective I would say . When I just have to say that it seems that a GOOD MOTHER would have been better off since the day you were born.Just a Good Though my friend.
It’s a shame Americans don’t like wagons anymore. I have an AMC Eagle wagon with woodgrain on the sides and the visibility is amazing and it’s versatile. Everyone wants a crossover now and they all look the same.
@@keithjackson286 magazines, before TH-cam, always called GM interiors "interior by Fisher-Price" or something similar, always using Fisher-Price as their standard and very rarely going above that standard regardless of the MSRP.
@@DDDD-fn5dp ...although not on a BMW wagon, wherever they are still offered. Unlike Mercedes-Benz and Audi, their attitude was 'Nein, not safe enough!'
"Excess and waste", that would have been a proper and accurate company motto for any American automobile manufacturer from the 1940's to the late 1970's. That's not a complaint, it's a compliment!
One of the greatest sleepers out there, especially if you can find a factory 9C1 model. All the performance of the SS/Police Cruiser, with tons of space.
The 2005 Dodge Magnum marked the return of the full size wagon, if only briefly. But interior room was small for a large wagon, with only 71.6 cubic feet cargo capacity (about the same as a K-car or late 70s Aspen wagon), while the 1996 Caprice wagon had 92.7 cubic feet.
Maybe by the last years this was made, but not in 91, the SUV craze hadn't really kicked in yet - although mini-vans were everywhere by that point. Still, I don't think it was the minivan that killed this, since no man would get caught driving a minivan unless they were whipped, but an SUV allowed you all the benefits of a minivan while not looking like a p-whip cupcake.
My family bought a ‘92 in the latter half of the ‘90s and we had it for more than ten years, only selling it because we needed to downsize. A behemoth, but absolutely wonderful to ride in. I used to be play in a band and we’d load it up with drums, amps and instruments and the band to head to a gig!
That's really not much body roll at all for what it is. These handled considerably better than most full size vehicles that came before them. My family went from an '85 Pontiac wagon to a '94 Chevy wagon and it was night and day.
The LT1 didn't exist in 1991. In 1990 the Lotus made engine for the ZR1 came out, which p/o'd Chevy engineers who complained to management, saying let show you how to build an inexpensive motor that will outproduce that ZR1 engine, and that's where the LT1 came from - just detuned by GM so the 92 base Corvette didn't outperform the ZR1, but, as we all know, with some minor modifications it could easily do so.
Over 20 years later and now the minivan is a dying breed as well, how long of a shelf life will the crossover have before its replaced by a new people hauler.
@@Trance88 thats what my mom said when minivans were around, somthing will come along or we'll regress and vans/minivans might regain popularity, or maybe the wagon will come back, or the crossover will become more tightly defined and pick up a new name.
What a cool wagon! Love the Caprice, a couple of years ago I remember seeing a black Impala sedan here in Australia. It was HUGE, low, wide and looked absolutely menacing. Absolute beast ❤
We owned brand new 1993 , 94 , 95 , & 96 Caprice Estate Wagons. The 95 & 96 were factory ordered at WOODFIELD CHEVROLET SCHAUMBURG ILLINOIS from the G.M. Todd Martin. Had the LT1 5.7 CORVETTE drivetrain. Trailer tow pkg. And EVERY factory option. One was black with woodgrain & tan interior. The 1996 was that special order metallic green with woodgrain & tan interior. Fast as hell. Factory dual exhaust. My late father loved those wagons. I miss those wagons , those times , & my father.
I recently got a '89 Caprice Estate a few months back. I absolutely love it, even with all the work it needs. If you get a chance to buy one I'd recommend it. Perfect roadtrip vehicle.
I would love to see a wagon like this one still existing. The aerodynamic shape, splendidly big trunk and overal room, the plush suspension. It must be a dream to roll around.
I had a 92 with the 5.7 under the hood. I always wanted to put the impala ss wheels, hood and a few other things to have an SS wagon, but i never got around to it. I personally loved it, but was one of those love it or hate it kind of cars.
I know several people that have done the LS swap on these cars. I rode in one from CT to Daytona and back last year for the Turkey Run car show in Florida last year, it was a blast!
Had a 1987 Classic and remember seeing this new model on the road, it felt like a slap on my face. The old model had full personality and looks, this one was like a balloon with wheels.
Thank you for posting this GM vehicle. I hope to see more. This wagon had some nice seats too. They did upgrade the instrumentation panel in 1994 I think it was. I prefer the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser version myself. There is a video of a fully loaded Buick Roadmaster wagon from this area on You Tube.
Gotta’ love when the driver hops into an 18’ boat of a car wearing black leather driving gloves!! Somehow, I can see Clark Griswold wearing them while piloting the Wagon Queen Family Truckster!!
It took a awhile for this generation of the B body to grow on me, but I drove one as a taxi in Cleveland and I loved it. that maroon colored one is absolutely gorgeous, same color as my cab as well as the Astros that our company used (and I later owned four of them myself, lol.) Sad that these were the last really capable and durable GM fleet vehicles apart from the Tahoe and Suburban.
Who would have ever guessed that the folks at MotorWeek had the foresight to take on internet sponsors all of the way back in 1991?! I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it for myself. WOW!!
The best ones to have are the 94 to 96 cuz you could get an LT1 engine some bolt on parts and a suspension upgrade to improve stance and handling along with a good wheel and tire package you got one hell of a Cruiser
04:04 Don Henley - ahhh the sounds of 1990! The End of the Innocence, very appropriate! This was GM’s last real attempt at a large family wagon, the end of a long line of rear-drive wagons that went back three decades. GM owned the family wagon market in the halcyon days of the 1960s and early 1970s. Regardless of what one thinks of minivans, they made better use of a smaller footprint and had modern front wheel drive - but this land yacht had a presence about it!
Ford wasn't called "The Wagon Master" for nothing. But my money would be the big Mopar wagons from the mid '70s if quality was on par for The Big Three. I thought they looked pretty nice, had adequate performance, gave you features (little things that Ford and GM didn't) that I like. But each and and their own
1983jblack That’s fair. I only meant that GM had so many wagons across their divisions, and some like the Olds Vista Cruiser, were as popular as any minivan or SUV that would come in later decades.
@@rightlanehog3151 They were pretty handy & slick so long as they were functioning properly...but they could definitely be a bit of a PITA when they weren't though!
I was in the 4th grade when this car was new. I remember my aunt taking me to the auto show that same year and they had a red one there just like this. At that time GM had a lot more cars in their line up compared to today. I really miss those days. 😭
I owned a sedan for a while, was VERY comfortable. What I loved most was how heavy it felt, like if you were to crash, you would just push whatever you hit right out of the way. Reliable it was not.
This generation of Caprice/Impala was obviously ubiquitous because they were used by countless police departments as police cars and as taxis as well. And we all know about the 1994-1996 Impala SS. They were all great-looking cars, and just great cars in general...extremely robust and reliable. But this wagon version must have been very rare because I honestly can't recall seeing very many of these as a kid. Again, the standard Caprice/Impalas were everywhere but the WAGON?!?! I can't say I ever recall seeing very many of these things back in the day, but I DO remember them. Actually I kept wondering why this wagon looked so strange to me as I watched this vid even though I know I saw them on the road in the 1990's and I just realized why...it's because you rarely saw the CAPRICE in wagon form and usually saw the Buick Roadmaster version with the fake wood trim on the sides! I was trying to look up the production numbers as I typed this comment and when I stumbled upon a picture of the Buick Roadmaster wagon from this era, all the memories came flooding back! The Caprice wagon looked so strange to me because it was missing that horrible fake wood trim all down the sides! I still say that the Caprice version of the wagon must have been fairly rare.
Crossovers are a tumor. Genuinely awful or mediocre in everyday, but "at least you get a high seating position". Minivans are infinitely more useful and wagons are simply better in most ways.
@@JackPecker911 take my advice and hold out for a 1994-96 model. The earlier one had a 5.0 L. The later one had the 5.7, 350 in.³ LT1. Much better, much faster. Got one, I know. ;)
Friend owned a 91 with 2.73 final and 305. And a year before he died he bought a 92 with 2.56 final and 350. The 350 was just a joy to drive and actually got better mileage with more power. I remember this stuff because I don't pollute my brain with poison all of the time.
I currently have a 93 Caprice wagon with 123,000 miles on it. Still looks good and runs smoothly. The 350 engine stills pulls good and gives very bit of 25 mpg on the highway.
That was considered a routine feature on full-size wagons of 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. In the 1970s, Chrysler's 'intermediate' size Dodge Coronet and Plymouth Satellite wagons could carry full sheets as well.
It's a 90's blob design full of old school features like strip speedo and two way tail gate. Also with newer features like auto headlights and airbag. What a window of opportunity fit the buying public!
I love how they run through those orange cones complaining about the handling, as though the average station wagon driver will be driving like that to the grocery store
The point being that if something unexpected happens on the road, you need handling that is stiff enough to avoid the problem without fishtailing or spinning out or losing control. I'm here to tell you though that if you put some good stiff springs on it, the handling is much better. It's not an MX-5, but for its size, it's responsive enough to be trustworthy.
About that last bit, concerning this particular GM products production longevity, in hindsight, oh how wrong you were! Lol, I guess nobody can be right all the time. I'm only teasing though, because this is literally my favorite tv show, since I first saw it IN 1990! No other television show ever got me so excited, as that theme song would make me run to a t.v. when I was a kid. I literally grew up watching all of you. I remember the first episode I saw you were showing the first gen Mitsubishi Eclipse, and me, as a kid who would rather have an Autotrader, Car and Driver, Motor trend, or the rarerest of rare treats, a Car magazine, than toys, it was like this t.v. show was made for me. Literally, some of my happiest memories, in a difficult childhood, were of watching this show. Thank you for making this. I can't thank you enough. This will always be my favorite television show.
My late great-grandmother was still alive in this area era then and she actually found it easier to get in my dad's Dodge Ram pickup then she did a full size sedan or wagon. Older people that prefer taller cars do exist.
60-0 in 128ft, for a 4500lb car? WOW, that is actually quite impressive. If you had modern tire compounds, this would probably be round 110ft, which is actually really really good for a car that weights a lot less than this. If you don't know braking tests, I can't overemphasize how impressive that is, and it also shows how little brakes have improved over the last 30-years, with most all of the improvement in braking distance coming from the tires.
To add to this -- I just watched a review of a 2009 370Z, and they said the 60-0 was 118ft, which they called 'good'. That 128ft distance for this car is amazing.
Had a mint 91 that I converted into a back up catering vehicle. Folded flat I could haul food and supplies that do a 200 person catering job. The people that liked them always will. At that weight and true utility you never needed another vehicle or got stuck in the snow.
This is proper testing vs the reviews people do nowadays. Some folks aren’t even allowed to drive the car off the lot yet they give you their full opinion of the car 🤣
I was going to comment that this is the perfect car to take you to the cottage, but in my case, this would be the cottage, too. Love it, couch and all.
Man, a sheet of plywood! Wish I could do that now with my people mover (2016 Toyota Venza). My best friends dad had one of these, and we took it across the border (Toronto to Buffalo) as it was a great people mover. I was one of the only ones who was fine in the rear facing seat, as others got nauseous.
I remember when this new b body style came out almost bought one 18k new in spring of 91 but I decided to keep my 77 impala at the time good video love motor week then and now
These were fucking awesome! Well built, durable, comfortable, roomy, easy to work on and they got decent fuel economy. And holy shit these were fun to slide around with on snowy roads :D Bring back the full size body on frame V8 cars!
Always loved the wagons! I even have a Ford Flex that's about as close to a wagon as you can still get now days. I'd love to have a classic car but I hurt too much for that anymore. I had a 1977 Volare wagon back in my 20s that I had to sell because my girl hated it. I should have kept the car and told her to hit the road! I tried to get one like the one in this video but they wanted too much for it at the time. Back when I was a teen, all I wanted was one of these... I ended up with a Chevy G20 cargo van...lol
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I guess I'm old, but there's something comforting about listening to these old shows with the aged graphics and muffled sound. Reminds me of Sunday afternoons.
I know what you mean. It adds a certain charm to them.
Better television than 4k and photorealistic cgi. Soothing and casual.
@@holodoc74656Me too!
I'm 30 and I love listening to these in the background while I'm doing other things
Yup! Motorweek, Yankee Workshop, This Old House...🙂
I would still prefer a big wagon like this one over ANY Mini-Van ever made.
Nah, wagons aren't bad.. But they cannot compare to the versatility and spaciousness of a minivan.... Now compare a big wagon to your average modern crossover SUV, different story there.
Having driven a 1986 Caprice wagon, I would disagree.
@blackandgold51 law enforcement used these wagons becuase they were cross compatible with the sedans and had a bit more room. they didnt really pick these as stand alone vehicles.
@blackandgold51 I just dont want anyone to think these were amazing or special.... RCR hit the nail on the head with their review of it
@@Themaxleydog
It's got a SBC (305 pr optional 350) so it can be hopped up just as easily and cheaply as any SBC.
There's plenty of performance parts for the sedan that would be easily applied here.
Rear-wheel drive, with all the attendant performance bennies.
Basically, this is a good platform to make a family hauler than can also haul ass! And, given that it is so aerodynamic, it'll get surprisingly good hwy economy, especially if it has a tall rear end.
"IM testing a staton wagon today? Better wear my racing gloves"...
I live! I die! I live again! WITNESS!
Those are more just leather driving gloves from the 80's. My mom had a pair.
maybe his nails weren't trimmed
@@tibchy144 HAHA, We've all been there
Lol
I still wish Ford had built a wagon on the last gen Crown Vics/Grand Marquis. It would have looked pretty sharp
No joke. There is a guy in central Virginia that has a custom built Crown Vic station wagon. It's not the last gen, but it's the body style right before the last model, like a 93 model or something. It is sharp!
the third gen didnt have it either
Yeah all those “Aerostars” are gone. People would preserve wagons.
Late 60's wagon the engine choices from a slant 6 , 428 Cobra Jet , 383 , 440 , 455 cid .
I saw a one off in hemmings a jellybean panther wagon maybe 1992 or so.
I love these gen of these bubbly Caprices when they dominated as police and taxi units in the Big Apple.
Hee hee hee. You said "unit".
blackandgold51 In NYC medallion cabs were comprised of 3 models, the Impala, Crown Victoria and Dodge Diplomats and the odd leftover Checker. All 3 models were prevalent in the NYPD Fleet.
@White Rider why dont you move there and be a cabbie for a year. See how you like it then. Oh, your racism is showing too. But you knew that.
@blackandgold51 you missed it entirely didnt you?
@blackandgold51 nevermind. Someone will get it and enjoy it.
18 feet? Holy shit this is a boat, even by today's standards.
Brought to you by the same folks who made the El Dorado Which is longer than a damn suburban, and I think this is longer than a suburban as well
The shortest crew cab/short-bed half-ton truck you can buy today is over 19' long, and people buy them like hotcakes. The 2020 Burb is 18'7" long, and the 2021 is 18'8" long.
@@JDMHaze Fun fact: The Fleetwoods & Devilles were another 6" longer than the Eldorados!
Paul Allison really? Because the hood on the El Dorado was long as hell and so was the trunk
@@wtgkb8 yep, I have a 2018 extended cab silverado its a hair under 20 feet long, can't get it in my garage its too close
5:52 "We expect the Caprice wagon will be around for a long time to come." -- It was gone in 1996.
Lol !!!😂 so true
Still q 5 year run
they discontinued it to make SUV'S
There was no market for full size wagons in the early '90s. It was minivan or bust and then the SUV era started. The only people who used full size wagons were fire marshals and police K9 units. The Caprice wagon was a total flop.
But there are still tons of them around. They're collectible now and for good reason.
These American station wagons are timeless!!!
Exactly. They don’t fit in any time
@@kadette yep lol
Kadette Actually they haved since the 1950’s or 60’s , that’s how long they’ve been going on though.
My mom had a station wagon family loved back in the mid 70s.. Today’s would make my mom a bad mother, no child seats and not wearing seatbelts.
NyuuMikuru1 Right on , when it comes to seeing it that a usual Mother back in the day we’re trying so hard to mother a child into protecting our own lives than to what in how it is NOWADAYS ( Modern day to be Precise) . That on which it is very Exaggerated in being very Overly Protective I would say . When I just have to say that it seems that a GOOD MOTHER would have been better off since the day you were born.Just a Good Though my friend.
my 89 year old neighbor has a cherry one in the garage its like a time machine
Nice! Had a 91, then a 94 both civilian models. Finally found a 94 ex police unit and what a beast that thing was!
Damn I feel so old now
It feels like yesterday this car came out it’s already been over 29 YEARS!!
It’s a shame Americans don’t like wagons anymore. I have an AMC Eagle wagon with woodgrain on the sides and the visibility is amazing and it’s versatile. Everyone wants a crossover now and they all look the same.
That must be the talk of the town at cars n’ coffee.
wagons are ugly af
Coupe > Cabrio > Sedan > Hot Hatchback > Wagon/Hatchback
I saw several last week in the Sierra Nevadas while on vacation. I even saw a 2 Door 4x4 Eagle.
I mean, the Eagle basically IS the first crossover. It doesn't have the taller body for chair-height seating though.
3:49 Gotta love that quality switch gear. Notice the whole module gets pushed into the dash.
Yeah, I noticed too. :-)
GM's plastic... Smh. Maybe they should've contracted with Ertl or Fisher Price
That's GM for you, then, now and forever.
Extremely typical for the time.
@@keithjackson286 magazines, before TH-cam, always called GM interiors "interior by Fisher-Price" or something similar, always using Fisher-Price as their standard and very rarely going above that standard regardless of the MSRP.
John Davis standing next to this and going "station wagons are back in style" without a hint of sarcasm is hilarious.
I love the rear-facing third seat on these wagons.
Now kids today fight who wants to be in front. 🙄
I think you can still find this kind of seats in a Mercedes E wagon
@@DDDD-fn5dp Absolutely. The rear facing third row seat in the Mercedes E class are for kids.
You mean "the way back"
@@DDDD-fn5dp ...although not on a BMW wagon, wherever they are still offered. Unlike Mercedes-Benz and Audi, their attitude was 'Nein, not safe enough!'
"Excess and waste", that would have been a proper and accurate company motto for any American automobile manufacturer from the 1940's to the late 1970's. That's not a complaint, it's a compliment!
One of the greatest sleepers out there, especially if you can find a factory 9C1 model. All the performance of the SS/Police Cruiser, with tons of space.
The 2005 Dodge Magnum marked the return of the full size wagon, if only briefly. But interior room was small for a large wagon, with only 71.6 cubic feet cargo capacity (about the same as a K-car or late 70s Aspen wagon), while the 1996 Caprice wagon had 92.7 cubic feet.
Can’t get enough of watching a guy in a racing helmet slaloming a wood grain soccer mom wagon.
@ 4:05 of course - "the Delco GM radio offers an expensive sound!" Those were some of the best sounding stock radios ever produced!
Some people bought these because they knew they would be the last full size, full frame wagons ever.
"Chevy will have to battle against the image of excess and waste fostered by full-size wagons"
Oh how times were to change 0.o
@TCL Because I was around then and knew the kind of people who bought it, kid.
@@realazduffman Station Wagons was already everywhere before 1991.
Maybe by the last years this was made, but not in 91, the SUV craze hadn't really kicked in yet - although mini-vans were everywhere by that point. Still, I don't think it was the minivan that killed this, since no man would get caught driving a minivan unless they were whipped, but an SUV allowed you all the benefits of a minivan while not looking like a p-whip cupcake.
The return of The Great American Station Wagon!!!!!!!!
The ford excursion of station wagons. Love it.
I owned the Buick model of this and absolutely loved it. Fantastic wagon for the age.
My family bought a ‘92 in the latter half of the ‘90s and we had it for more than ten years, only selling it because we needed to downsize. A behemoth, but absolutely wonderful to ride in. I used to be play in a band and we’d load it up with drums, amps and instruments and the band to head to a gig!
"Less body roll than expected." Car proceeds to roll like a log in water.
It wasn't designed to slalom lol
That's really not much body roll at all for what it is. These handled considerably better than most full size vehicles that came before them. My family went from an '85 Pontiac wagon to a '94 Chevy wagon and it was night and day.
I reckon unless it has a police pursuit package.
@@jasoncarpp7742 your a smart man lol
@@Anthony0899 I don't know about *that.* I've never driven a *Caprice* or *Caprice Classic,* sedan or wagon. I don't know what they're like to drive.
I find it funny that you can't fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood in most pickup beds today and have it flat like that with the tailgate closed.
They were so much better with the LT1
Obviously
Love some optispark.
Yesssss. My cousin had one of those LT1 Roadmasters. NOW that was a Roadmaster
Owned two 94 ex police cruisers had tons of snot!
The LT1 didn't exist in 1991. In 1990 the Lotus made engine for the ZR1 came out, which p/o'd Chevy engineers who complained to management, saying let show you how to build an inexpensive motor that will outproduce that ZR1 engine, and that's where the LT1 came from - just detuned by GM so the 92 base Corvette didn't outperform the ZR1, but, as we all know, with some minor modifications it could easily do so.
Over 20 years later and now the minivan is a dying breed as well, how long of a shelf life will the crossover have before its replaced by a new people hauler.
The thing is, what type of vehicle could we invent that's big enough to haul families and stuff that hasn't already been invented?
The Crossover needs to die.
VW mini bus will make a huge comeback and everyone else will follow
*electric of course 🤣
Minivans should still be popular. People are stupid.
@@Trance88 thats what my mom said when minivans were around, somthing will come along or we'll regress and vans/minivans might regain popularity, or maybe the wagon will come back, or the crossover will become more tightly defined and pick up a new name.
What a cool wagon! Love the Caprice, a couple of years ago I remember seeing a black Impala sedan here in Australia. It was HUGE, low, wide and looked absolutely menacing. Absolute beast ❤
Love all years of station wagons. The older the better. Grew up with at least one station wagon family truckster for family vacations.
Reupload with higher-quality audio? I approve.
I miss the big station wagons like this one, they were classics and they still are.
Had a laugh when the teenaged 90's hitman jumped into the driver seat. That sheet of plywood sold me. Can't do that in a Highlander.
We owned brand new 1993 , 94 , 95 , & 96 Caprice Estate Wagons. The 95 & 96 were factory ordered at WOODFIELD CHEVROLET SCHAUMBURG ILLINOIS from the G.M. Todd Martin. Had the LT1 5.7 CORVETTE drivetrain. Trailer tow pkg. And EVERY factory option. One was black with woodgrain & tan interior. The 1996 was that special order metallic green with woodgrain & tan interior. Fast as hell. Factory dual exhaust. My late father loved those wagons. I miss those wagons , those times , & my father.
I recently got a '89 Caprice Estate a few months back. I absolutely love it, even with all the work it needs. If you get a chance to buy one I'd recommend it. Perfect roadtrip vehicle.
Wow, amazing, what did you pay for $200 or $220? Did you get it from your meth dealer?
Miss the reverse back seat !!
Kids don't 😆
still better than a crossover
That L03 engine is so underrated. What a brilliant piece of machinery.
The 94-96 models with the LT1 are awesome. I have a 96 Buick Roadmaster sedan. Love it
I always giggle when I see a young Chip Foose wearing his driving gloves.
I would love to see a wagon like this one still existing. The aerodynamic shape, splendidly big trunk and overal room, the plush suspension. It must be a dream to roll around.
I had to do my final driver’s license test in this beast! I was sweating bullets.😆
Am i the only person who wants to get one of these just so i can LS swap it and smoke Ferraris?
I had a 92 with the 5.7 under the hood. I always wanted to put the impala ss wheels, hood and a few other things to have an SS wagon, but i never got around to it. I personally loved it, but was one of those love it or hate it kind of cars.
Man lol im not saying it aint possible depends on ls motor and add on but weight of it with your family and groceries not too sure on that lol.
@Hayden Hinkle Yeah the lt1 he would be close but he would need the lt1 with aluminum heads or the lt4
I know several people that have done the LS swap on these cars. I rode in one from CT to Daytona and back last year for the Turkey Run car show in Florida last year, it was a blast!
There is a regularcarreviews video with a roadmaster with a manual swap.
Roadmaster version in my driveway right now!
Damn you got a tank and beast! I would be nervous to leave that in the driveway.
Retired snow bunny hunter x Haha won’t fit in the garage!
Roadmaster s were a great land yacht
Dean Sapp It’s a great ride. 68,000 miles.
@awd protege It went back to the owner, now I have a Grand Wagoneer out front.
Had a 1987 Classic and remember seeing this new model on the road, it felt like a slap on my face. The old model had full personality and looks, this one was like a balloon with wheels.
THICC
John be like “it doesn’t look like a delivery vehicle”
it might look like a hearse but never like a delivery vehicle 😂😂
I kinda like those wagons tbh.
Quite a few Buick Roadmaster wagons were used in the funeral industry.
Kevin Wong my pops last ride was in one of those, definitely true story
@@kevinwong6588 - even more so did its' other platform mate, the last gen Cadillac Brougham.
Gunner brother
Thank you for posting this GM vehicle. I hope to see more. This wagon had some nice seats too. They did upgrade the instrumentation panel in 1994 I think it was. I prefer the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser version myself. There is a video of a fully loaded Buick Roadmaster wagon from this area on You Tube.
The Custom Cruiser (especially with those awesome full sized wheel covers) was cosmetically more appealing to me, also.
Did motorweek ever do the Buick Roadmaster with the LT1? I'd love to see how they compare.
@Roger Dodger The LT1 is a completely different animal from the L03 engine used in the Caprice in this video.
They did a 1991 Olds Custom Cruiser a while back similar to the Caprice Wagon no but wish they do a sedan both wagon of the Roadmaster.
@@themaritimegirl I think he means the rest of the car :)
One was a bullet and one was slow. Lol. A 305 is one thing... the 350 is something else :-)
The Caprice got the LT1 too...
I own a 1993 Caprice Wagon with 45k original miles. A funny car, to say the least.
Gotta’ love when the driver hops into an 18’ boat of a car wearing black leather driving gloves!!
Somehow, I can see Clark Griswold wearing them while piloting the Wagon Queen Family Truckster!!
My first car was a 91’ blue caprice wagon in 2005. I love station wagons and I am currently driving my third wagon but it’s an Audi
I had a 1991 Caprice Sedan, what a GREAT car!
It took a awhile for this generation of the B body to grow on me, but I drove one as a taxi in Cleveland and I loved it. that maroon colored one is absolutely gorgeous, same color as my cab as well as the Astros that our company used (and I later owned four of them myself, lol.) Sad that these were the last really capable and durable GM fleet vehicles apart from the Tahoe and Suburban.
Was it a purpose built taxi? What engine did it have?
Absolutely loving these retro reviews
Those big station wagons were the coolest!
Who would have ever guessed that the folks at MotorWeek had the foresight to take on internet sponsors all of the way back in 1991?!
I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it for myself. WOW!!
The best ones to have are the 94 to 96 cuz you could get an LT1 engine some bolt on parts and a suspension upgrade to improve stance and handling along with a good wheel and tire package you got one hell of a Cruiser
04:04 Don Henley - ahhh the sounds of 1990! The End of the Innocence, very appropriate!
This was GM’s last real attempt at a large family wagon, the end of a long line of rear-drive wagons that went back three decades. GM owned the family wagon market in the halcyon days of the 1960s and early 1970s. Regardless of what one thinks of minivans, they made better use of a smaller footprint and had modern front wheel drive - but this land yacht had a presence about it!
Ford wasn't called "The Wagon Master" for nothing. But my money would be the big Mopar wagons from the mid '70s if quality was on par for The Big Three. I thought they looked pretty nice, had adequate performance, gave you features (little things that Ford and GM didn't) that I like. But each and and their own
@@1983jblack Performance......the 440 handled that very well I might add.
1983jblack That’s fair. I only meant that GM had so many wagons across their divisions, and some like the Olds Vista Cruiser, were as popular as any minivan or SUV that would come in later decades.
Station wagons doing multifunction tailgate since the 60s
Hope there's a video for the 1994 model year... That year is really when this generation of B-bodies came alive.
Grab the Caprice keys, we are heading to the lumber yard to load up on plywood and 2X4s. @SaveTheWagon
OK!...but make mine a '71-'76 model year GM wagon though!!😁👍
@@paulallison6689 We had a 73 Caprice wagon , I'm not sure I am a clam shell tailgate fan.
@@paulallison6689 Make mine a Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge full size wagon from 1974-77
@@rightlanehog3151 They were pretty handy & slick so long as they were functioning properly...but they could definitely be a bit of a PITA when they weren't though!
Our was the the square back two tone 78 blue and then two tone 85(?) brown. Bought lots of plywood in the day...
I love this wagon!!!!!
I was in the 4th grade when this car was new. I remember my aunt taking me to the auto show that same year and they had a red one there just like this. At that time GM had a lot more cars in their line up compared to today. I really miss those days. 😭
I love the cool guy with the leather driving gloves checking out the wagon
That rear overhang appears to be around at least 5 feet lol. Sweet back then but didn't age well. Maybe if they had made an ss wagon. Oh well
I owned a sedan for a while, was VERY comfortable. What I loved most was how heavy it felt, like if you were to crash, you would just push whatever you hit right out of the way. Reliable it was not.
This generation of Caprice/Impala was obviously ubiquitous because they were used by countless police departments as police cars and as taxis as well. And we all know about the 1994-1996 Impala SS. They were all great-looking cars, and just great cars in general...extremely robust and reliable. But this wagon version must have been very rare because I honestly can't recall seeing very many of these as a kid. Again, the standard Caprice/Impalas were everywhere but the WAGON?!?! I can't say I ever recall seeing very many of these things back in the day, but I DO remember them.
Actually I kept wondering why this wagon looked so strange to me as I watched this vid even though I know I saw them on the road in the 1990's and I just realized why...it's because you rarely saw the CAPRICE in wagon form and usually saw the Buick Roadmaster version with the fake wood trim on the sides! I was trying to look up the production numbers as I typed this comment and when I stumbled upon a picture of the Buick Roadmaster wagon from this era, all the memories came flooding back! The Caprice wagon looked so strange to me because it was missing that horrible fake wood trim all down the sides! I still say that the Caprice version of the wagon must have been fairly rare.
1991: wagons vs minivans
2020: crossovers crushed them both.
"Crossovers" are just stubby wagons with AWD and a high center of gravity.
If I could choose between an unused 1991 Caprice wagon like this one in 2020 compared to a new crossover, I would take the Caprice all day long.
Crossovers are a tumor. Genuinely awful or mediocre in everyday, but "at least you get a high seating position".
Minivans are infinitely more useful and wagons are simply better in most ways.
@@JackPecker911 take my advice and hold out for a 1994-96 model. The earlier one had a 5.0 L. The later one had the 5.7, 350 in.³ LT1. Much better, much faster. Got one, I know. ;)
Covid 19 is fighting Crossovers pretty well
Friend owned a 91 with 2.73 final and 305. And a year before he died he bought a 92 with 2.56 final and 350. The 350 was just a joy to drive and actually got better mileage with more power. I remember this stuff because I don't pollute my brain with poison all of the time.
These cars are timeless! I truly miss them 😢
I like how it's so big, you can rent it out on the weekends as a hearse... 😂
It’s awesome. I always liked them when I was a kid.
People say otherwise but I love these wagons , I honestly think they look better than any other car on the road
I currently have a 93 Caprice wagon with 123,000 miles on it. Still looks good and runs smoothly. The 350 engine stills pulls good and gives very bit of 25 mpg on the highway.
An 8 feet plywood can fit in the back? Now you got my vote of getting one 💪..
That was considered a routine feature on full-size wagons of 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. In the 1970s, Chrysler's 'intermediate' size Dodge Coronet and Plymouth Satellite wagons could carry full sheets as well.
It's a 90's blob design full of old school features like strip speedo and two way tail gate. Also with newer features like auto headlights and airbag. What a window of opportunity fit the buying public!
I love how they run through those orange cones complaining about the handling, as though the average station wagon driver will be driving like that to the grocery store
The point being that if something unexpected happens on the road, you need handling that is stiff enough to avoid the problem without fishtailing or spinning out or losing control.
I'm here to tell you though that if you put some good stiff springs on it, the handling is much better. It's not an MX-5, but for its size, it's responsive enough to be trustworthy.
@Denes Szerdahelyi I'm assuming you're replying to the top comment, by @David Williams, because you're saying the same thing I did....
Those cones represent morons wandering around the Walmart parking lot yapping on their phones.
@@patdthomas in 1991? Yeah right lol
About that last bit, concerning this particular GM products production longevity, in hindsight, oh how wrong you were! Lol, I guess nobody can be right all the time. I'm only teasing though, because this is literally my favorite tv show, since I first saw it IN 1990! No other television show ever got me so excited, as that theme song would make me run to a t.v. when I was a kid. I literally grew up watching all of you. I remember the first episode I saw you were showing the first gen Mitsubishi Eclipse, and me, as a kid who would rather have an Autotrader, Car and Driver, Motor trend, or the rarerest of rare treats, a Car magazine, than toys, it was like this t.v. show was made for me. Literally, some of my happiest memories, in a difficult childhood, were of watching this show. Thank you for making this. I can't thank you enough. This will always be my favorite television show.
My late great-grandmother was still alive in this area era then and she actually found it easier to get in my dad's Dodge Ram pickup then she did a full size sedan or wagon. Older people that prefer taller cars do exist.
Yeah bad kness/arthritis does that
60-0 in 128ft, for a 4500lb car? WOW, that is actually quite impressive. If you had modern tire compounds, this would probably be round 110ft, which is actually really really good for a car that weights a lot less than this. If you don't know braking tests, I can't overemphasize how impressive that is, and it also shows how little brakes have improved over the last 30-years, with most all of the improvement in braking distance coming from the tires.
To add to this -- I just watched a review of a 2009 370Z, and they said the 60-0 was 118ft, which they called 'good'. That 128ft distance for this car is amazing.
Had a mint 91 that I converted into a back up catering vehicle. Folded flat I could haul food and supplies that do a 200 person catering job. The people that liked them always will. At that weight and true utility you never needed another vehicle or got stuck in the snow.
This is proper testing vs the reviews people do nowadays. Some folks aren’t even allowed to drive the car off the lot yet they give you their full opinion of the car 🤣
3:56 "Heat controls are simple , efficient , work well, but look too plain..."
um... what the hell kind of criticism is that? it's controls.....
besides a volvo 940, this is the ultimate station wagon
Had a 94 with the 5.7L . The grandkids loved the wayback seat.
I was going to comment that this is the perfect car to take you to the cottage, but in my case, this would be the cottage, too. Love it, couch and all.
I love wagons. I own and daily a 1988 MB 300 TE. 7 passengers it's awesome
This is awesome! With some low profile wide tires, blacked out and a tuned engine and suspension. I could sleep in it, carry 8 passengers...
My family had this exact station wagon. Father drove it 15 years ago
Man, a sheet of plywood! Wish I could do that now with my people mover (2016 Toyota Venza). My best friends dad had one of these, and we took it across the border (Toronto to Buffalo) as it was a great people mover. I was one of the only ones who was fine in the rear facing seat, as others got nauseous.
I remember when this new b body style came out almost bought one 18k new in spring of 91 but I decided to keep my 77 impala at the time good video love motor week then and now
You could get these with the slightly detuned Corvette 350ci V8.
Awesome video!! I have a Chevy celebrity wagon myself
10 sec 0-60mph in 1991 = Brisk acceleration
10 sec 0-60mph in 2020 = Dangerously slow and undriveable (according to the internet)
It only makes 255 foot pounds 😂
@@flight2k5 This was the top Camaro powerplant in 1982... lol. Minus 5 hp
I own a 92 and it's a beast on the interstates
William Sholly I’m sure it is 🙄
@@flight2k5 Says the Prius driver😆😆😆😆
I have a Roadmaster wagon! I love these cars!!
Got my 93 Roadmaster version a week ago. Love it.
These were fucking awesome! Well built, durable, comfortable, roomy, easy to work on and they got decent fuel economy. And holy shit these were fun to slide around with on snowy roads :D Bring back the full size body on frame V8 cars!
Always loved the wagons! I even have a Ford Flex that's about as close to a wagon as you can still get now days. I'd love to have a classic car but I hurt too much for that anymore. I had a 1977 Volare wagon back in my 20s that I had to sell because my girl hated it. I should have kept the car and told her to hit the road! I tried to get one like the one in this video but they wanted too much for it at the time. Back when I was a teen, all I wanted was one of these... I ended up with a Chevy G20 cargo van...lol