Hatchback Shopping

We recently bought a Toyota Prius plug in - I absolutely love it, the gas mileage is fantastic, because it runs on both battery and gas we hardly ever need to fill up. Charging the battery uses about as much electricity as charging a cell phone. we went to the Toyota dealership we did not plan on buying a Prius, I was thinking more of an SUV but after test driving it and learning about the gas mileage we went with it and I am glad that we did. It is hatchback. We live in New England and get a lot of snow, I was worried about it's performance in the snow because it is not 4 wheel drive, it pleasantly surprised me during the last 2 snow storms, I did not have any problems with it in the snow.

So, if you like going to the gas station this car is not for you!

I like Subaru Outback and Subaru Tribeca

My husband bought a used (2006, i think) Mazda 3 hatchback last year and is very pleased with it. However, I find it a bit too light to drive. Perhaps our other car is sluggish or unresponsive but in comparison, this seems TOO responsive; I feel like it's very jumpy when I drive it. Maybe that's the zoom zoom? :)

My parents inherited my great uncle's Vibe when he died. It has turned out to be a great little car. It also sits significantly higher than my mom's volvo s60- when she had foot surgery, me/my dad drove her to appt's in the Vibe because it was much easier for her to get in and out of.
I think the Kia Soul is still super weird looking, no offense.
My mom once told me that she read somewhere that the Pontiac Vibe was the least stolen vehicle in the United States, so that's something :)

Ford has a new one on the market, I can't remember the name, but the latch for the hatchback is by the bumper and you open it with your foot. I haven't looked at them but thought it would be great when your hands are full.

I was in the same boat as you a month or so ago. I was driving a 2005 Pontiac Vibe. I LOVED it! It was small and zippy and got great gas mileage and fit SO much in the hatch! I wanted something similar. I ended up getting a Nissan Versa. I love it! It’s smaller than my Vibe was and I haven’t gotten to test out how much it can haul. But it drives great and it’s really comfortable. I love it! Good luck in your car shopping!