We're looking for a new car, but unfortunately there's nothing between "sedan" and "minivan" that we want. We have three kids and a minivan, and we hardly use the extra seats or storage. It's still working fine (it's a mid-2000s Sienna), but my wife and I hate driving it, it has terrible gas mileage (20-ish MPG), we don't need the space 99% of the time, and we never need the storage space and people space simultaneously.

What I want is:

• AWD
• >30mpg, ideally 35+
• flip-up third row (will be used like 1-2x/year, if that)
• >30 cubic feet storage w/ third row unused (Prius is super close)
• as small as possible
• if I have to get an SUV, at least 1500lbs towing capacity (prefer >3000lbs)

If they still made them, a station wagon would absolutely fit the bill. But now, I can't have that, so I'm stuck in SUV-land.

So my plan is to completely abandon the third row and get a compact hybrid SUV. If we buy new, it'll be a Rav4 hybrid (the CR-V hybrid has a dinky 1000 lbs towing capacity, and if I have to get an SUV, I want the option). If we buy used, it'll probably be a Ford Escape hybrid, not because it's good, but because it's cheap and good enough (Escape and Rav4 can both do 1500lbs towing). I don't want either, but since there's pretty much nothing in the sedan w/ storage space market (and I want more than suitcase storage, we camp quite a bit), I'm essentially being forced to get an SUV.

I hate SUVs, but I guess that's what we're getting. I'll probably get an EV for the second car (currently a Prius), if only for the convenience of never having to fill up gas again.