Just out of curiousity (car recs)

[hrj]

So, just out of curiosity, if I decided not to go through all the stupid hassle** that is evidently necessary to obtain the Prius of my dreams, what would people recommend that I buy? It has to have the following characteristics:

* Good fuel efficiency (duh!) - I may not commute, but I do like my occasional road trip.
* Cargo space sufficient to transport my SCA camping gear or (on separate occasions) a large folk harp. This means no sedans and preferably something in the wagon family. (I squeezed things into a Camry hatchback when I had to, but it was way too tight.)
* Reliable; good maintenance and service from the dealer.
* Must come in at least one non-boring color (and models in that color must actually be available for purchase).
* Ideally, should have navigation system and hands-free phone set-up.

** I put in my official request at the Toyota.com web site to have a Prius built to my specs. They forward this to your designated local dealership. The dealership sent e-mail #1 saying they'd follow up shortly with a quote. They sent e-mail #2 with no quote, but a suggestion that if I specified a second and third choice of color it would speed things up. I responded noting that if I were willing to accept a second or third choice of color I would already own a new Prius, and would they please give me a quote for the car I actually want to buy, please.

Comments

[nedlnthred.livejournal.com]

I'm going to throw out another option here. I bought a used Nissan Altima and I love it. I got it with 50K miles on it and have put on another 50K and it's still going strong. Yes, it's a sedan, but it has a hole in the trunk that allows me to easily pack my pavilion and the week's gear for Pennsic. Or a lot of stuff from IKEA or Home Despot. It gets great mileage but still has guts and is pleasant to drive. And it's comfortable for carrying people, too.

I've been pondering my next car as well, but I just saw a new Altima hybrid on the street, so I think that will be it. It's not a sports car, but it suits all my other needs so well...