Ok, I need advice on a new car! Hubs and I are looking to replace a 2002 E150 Conversion Van. He is a serious musician who hauled around a band and pulled a trailer full of major gear for 10 yrs. He has gone solo and doesn't need that much towing capacity/cargo space, so we are downsizing. My car is an old Golf we will replace soonish, probably with a used Prius.
What we do need: plenty of cargo space for live sound gear and 2-3 passengers. It needs to withstand heavy gear hauling on longer trips but we do not need to tow. Under $12,000, under 100,000 miles, and a low MPG rating for the class. High safety rating would be awesome because we have a tiny tot.
So far we have narrowed down to CRV, Ford Escape, and Mazda CX-5, 2005-2010 range. We would love an Escape Hybrid but they are nearly impossible to find around here.We have also looked at Subaru wagons but they are out of our price range locally for the specs we want.
Just want to make sure we aren't missing anything obvious before we start shopping around. Are there any hatchback sedans with a helluva lotta cargo space that we should not overlook?
Anyone know whether KBB ratings for 5-year cost of ownership are legit? TIA!