2008 Suzuki Forenza Wagon

or those looking for more luggage space and versatility in a well-rounded family car, they should check out the Forenza wagon.

With already respectable levels of safety, power and fuel economy in sedan form, the wagon adds 6.9 cubic feet more luggage space, which grows a further 42.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down.

This makes total luggage capacity for the sedan 12.4 cubic feet and for the wagon 19.3. With rear seats folded, the wagon's hold expands to a whopping total of 61.8 cubic feet.

Bulky items are easier to stow through the wagon's large hatch opening.

And another plus, albeit small, for the wagon is two cubic feet more passenger space.

There are costs for these extras, however. The Forenza wagon is priced $900 higher than its sedan counterpart and adds about 100 pounds to the weight of the vehicle.

The Giugiaro-styled Forenza wagon is motivated by the same engine as the sedan, a 2.0-liter 16-valve four-cylinder with 127 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque. A standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic transmission puts the power to the pavement.

Fuel economy is rated by the EPA at 19 mpg city and 27 highway, just slightly lower than the sedan's.

The Forenza wagon's standard features include four-wheel disc brakes, dual front and side airbags, a tire pressure monitoring system, six-speaker CD stereo, air conditioning, 15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers, and power amenities (windows, door locks and heated exterior mirrors).

For $400, the Convenience Package adds steering wheel-mounted audio controls and remote keyless entry with security system.

For $2,100, the Popular Package includes the two items from the Convenience Package and adds the four-speed automatic transmission, fog lights and a power sunroof.

Anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake-force distribution are available only with the Convenience Package.