Like many car enthusiasts, we have a weird soft spot for the station wagon. Times have been tough for wagon fans, though, as SUVs and crossovers have nearly completely replaced them, and utility vehicles have even started pushing out other body styles, such as sedans. It seems as though the only way to get a wagon is to get a pretty pricey niche German one. At least, that was the case. Now, even though Toyota wouldn't say as much, the Japanese brand pretty much sells not one, but two station wagons: the Crown Signia and the bZ Woodland.Toyota These models have the same long and low proportions as wagons, so we're going to call them that. They're also strangely similar to each other when it comes to size and even price. So, the question is: which one should you get if you're feeling wagon withdrawal? Looking at the details, one is quite a bit more appealing than the other. The Biggest Difference: Powertrains Toyota As similar as these two may look, they differ dramatically in how they make power. The Crown Signia has a hybrid 2.5-liter four-cylinder with a CVT and all-wheel drive. The bZ Woodland is fully electric with a motor at each end providing all-wheel drive. This difference would probably be the main deciding factor for most buyers. If you intend on doing long road trips frequently, or if you don't have a place to charge overnight, the Crown Signia would likely be the default, since you can just fill it up at a gas station in a few minutes like any other combustion car.The Crown Signia has good efficiency and acceptable performance for a combustion vehicle. Combined fuel economy is 38 mpg, and it makes a decent 240 horsepower. It's not the smoothest engine around, and we do wish that the Crown sedan's Hybrid Max powertrain were offered, which is much more potent and refined.ToyotaIf you're open to electric power, though, the bZ Woodland has a huge advantage. Its two electric motors make a whopping 375 hp. And since the bZ Woodland also only weighs 232 pounds more than the Crown Signia, despite having a big battery pack, it's way faster than the Crown. Toyota says it will hit 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds, which is half a second quicker to 60 than the GR Corolla, and 0.2 second behind a manual GR Supra. The Signia? It takes a comparatively glacial 7.1 seconds.But it's not just the power that gives the bZ Woodland an advantage because the SUV also offers refinement. It completely eliminates the rough four-cylinder, and there's no rubber band-like CVT to make it feel unresponsive. Even if the Woodland had the bZ's low-output all-wheel-drive powertrain of its cousin, the Subaru Solterra, which makes 233 hp, we'd still give the nod to the Woodland.ToyotaAs for range and charging, the Woodland offers a maximum driving distance of 281 miles. The figure drops to 260 miles with the optional all-terrain tires. Peak DC charging is 150 kW, which isn't amazing. Toyota says the system can charge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes on a DC fast charger. As such, it's not quite as convenient for long-distance driving. The combined fuel economy equivalent of 117 mpg is certainly appealing, though. These Wagons Can Haul Plenty ToyotaOf course, wagon fans don't just like them for the looks, but for the space those looks provide. The Crown Signia is a bit longer at 194.1 inches to the bZ Woodland's 190.2. The Crown is also a 0.8-inch wider, but the Woodland is 1.9-inch taller. Amazingly, their wheelbases are identical at 112.2 in. One of the few areas where these two really differ is in ground clearance. The Woodland has 8.4 inches, and the Crown Signia has just 6.7 inches. Add in the Woodland's Subaru-derived X-Mode drive modes for low traction conditions, and the Woodland has a real edge off pavement.Joel Stocksdale / CarBuzz / Valnet We're getting off-topic with off-road capability, though. The actual reason for this dimensional discussion is to compare how much these wagons-by-other-names can carry. Just as it has an advantage with rough roads, the Woodland is the winner with cargo space, despite being shorter in length than the Crown. With the seats up, the Woodland has 33.8 cubic feet of volume, and the Crown has 25.8 cubic feet. With the seats down, the Woodland has 74.9 cubic feet, and the Crown has just 68.8 cubic feet. For reference, those maximum values fall on either side of the Toyota RAV4, with the Woodland on the larger side and the Crown on the smaller.Toyota The bZ Woodland also holds its cargo-hauling lead when it comes to towing. The EV can handle 3,500 pounds, and the Crown Signia is limited to 2,700 pounds. Of course, that's not necessarily the whole story, since towing does a number on EV range, so if you're planning on hauling something on a road trip, the Signia could still be more useful, even if you can't tow something as heavy. On the whole, though, the bZ Woodland has a clear advantage in practicality. It even has standard roof rails for fitting a variety of rooftop cargo solutions. Choose Your Flavor: Rugged Or Classy Joel Stocksdale / CarBuzz / ValnetBesides the powertrain, style may be the other main factor in your decision. While the bZ Woodland and Crown Signia are similarly shaped, the details are significantly different. The Woodland is clearly meant to look tougher and ready for dirt roads with its large, unpainted black plastic fenders. It even has trim on the front and rear bumpers meant to look like skid plates. The aforementioned extra ground clearance and 18-inch wheels with fairly chunky tires reinforce the rugged look.Toyota The Crown Signia, on the other hand, is clearly designed for pavement and for elegance. It has simple and clean lines, with very little cladding or extraneous details in the sheet metal. It also boasts flashier 19-inch alloy wheels as standard, and higher trims can have huge 21-inch units.The interiors of these two Toyotas echo their exteriors, but the differences are more of a case of conventional versus unconventional. If you're put off by oddball design decisions, you'd probably prefer the Crown Signia. It has a large 12.3-inch instrument display right in front of the steering wheel, and next to it is a 12.3-inch infotainment screen. It's supported by plenty of physical buttons and toggles for climate controls, too. The bronze metallic accents lend a bit of a premium look, too, and generally, the Signia approaches Lexus interior quality.Toyota The bZ Woodland inherits its funky interior from the regular version, so it has a 7-inch instrument cluster placed high on the dash, roughly where a head-up display would go. It has an oddly small steering wheel so that you can see the instruments over it. The layout works better than you might think, but it is strange and isn't right for everyone. The plastics are also disappointing in some areas. The Woodland does at least get a larger 14-inch touchscreen for infotainment, and while it has fewer hard buttons, the center stack gets some nice temperature knobs for climate control.Toyota That also brings us to the standard and optional features, and the two are extremely close. They're stuffed with standard Toyota safety equipment, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, power-adjustable driver seats, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, and dual-zone automatic climate control. Each comes with a six-speaker sound system.Toyota However, the Crown is ever so slightly better equipped. It has memory for seat settings up front, along with ventilation. Also, when it comes to options, you can get a nicer 11-speaker sound system compared to the 9-speaker option in the Woodland. The only real advantage the Woodland has is dual phone chargers. The bZ Woodland Is A Clear Winner Toyota Between these two models, we would pick the bZ Woodland basically every time. It's vastly more powerful while also being far more refined and efficient than the Crown Signia. It's more spacious. It's more capable on- and off-road and has nearly all the equipment the Crown Signia offers as standard.The final nail in the Crown's coffin is the price. The base bZ Woodland starts at $46,750, including the $1,450 destination charge, which is only $765 more than the Crown Signia, which is $45,985 with a $1,495 destination charge. Not only that, but the Woodland Limited is cheaper than the Crown Signia Limited, with prices of $48,850 and $50,385, respectively.The only reason you might pick the Crown Signia instead is if you really don't like the looks of the bZ Woodland, or if your lifestyle is completely incompatible with EVs. Otherwise, the Woodland is the obvious choice.Source: Toyota