The only actual SW I owned was a '72 Chevrolet Kingswood, with the disappearing tailgate. I got it in '78, and kept it a couple years. Didn't pay much for it, so shouldn't have expected much. It evidently had been damaged in a serious accident, and not repaired properly. The tailgate leaked, and ice formed in the well it was supposed to slide down into, preventing it from working correctly in cold weather. It ran OK, but the alignment wasn't right, so tires didn't wear evenly. The estimate I got for correcting this was well over what I'd paid for it, so got rid of it.
In '95 I got a new Ford Explorer, which I drove until 2013 (and 400,000 miles); definitely the best vehicle I've ever owned. I then got a '12 Escape, which I currently have.
The nicest SW I ever rode in was a '72 Mercury Colony Park, in Light Green. It belonged to my mom's friend Sue, and we went with them to St. Louis in Oct. '71, a few weeks after they bought it.
Another one I liked was the '72 and later Ford Gran Torino. My Uncle Ken & Aunt Margaret got a new '72 when we were visiting them in Los Angeles in July of that year. I went with my uncle to the Ford dealer when he bought it, then we toured Beverly Hills and Hollywood on the way back to their house.