Currently have a minivan
I don't know how much to expect from a comm that's so dead it's never even been alive, but I'll try anyway.
I love my car, but it's not long for this world. Thinking about what I want to get next. The reasons I have the minivan I do are storage capacity with decent fuel economy (FE) and a brand with long term reliability. The reason I'm asking here is because I wouldn't mind getting something a little smaller. Honestly, I kind of want a PT Cruiser, but I'm exploring the idea of something newer (built within the last 10 years), maybe even brand new. That and I don't think they pass the reliability test.
I don't really want an SUV because FE and there's always less interior space than you'd think. Don't want a truck because FE and I want the storage to be climate controlled. Would be interested in a hatchback, is Subaru my only real option? Also, I can't do full electric because I don't have a place to plug it in. Could I get a plug in hybrid to just plug in away from home? I may end up getting another minivan though.
TL;DR I'm looking for
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Good fuel economy (hybrid preferred)
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Internal storage capacity (climate controlled)
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Affordable (within reason)
What are my options?
Have you considered full electric? There's very little scheduled maintenance to be done, so you don't have to hope the previous owner took proper care of it.
Things to consider: Can you charge at home? How many miles per day do you drive (Average? Maximum?) Do you need to be able to make any long road trips?
I've had an electric car with a 100 mile range for a few years and it's been great. I think a car with 200+ would be preferable if it was the only car available for me to use, though.
A lot here, but I'd normally say get what you want. However, I'd probably say the PT cruiser is an exception. They were terrible cars and they shouldn't have been. Seriously, they made hundreds of thousands of them and you hardly see them anymore. So don't get that.
If you want a hatchback, Subaru's are fine, also consider Mazda, or Hyundai. All decent cars I can personally attest to. If avoid a hybrid if internal space is a concern, hybrids are kind of the worst compromise, you still have all those components for the ICE engine, plus bow you're taking up space for the EV motor and battery, which usually ends up in the trunk.
Either get an EV, or just get an ICE.
Even if you don't have a place to plug in, consider a used Model Y. Their interior space is really pretty incredible for their size, they are basically a hatchback, they have almost no maintenance and frankly meet most of your demands.
I think once you get immersed in what it takes to drive an EV you'll find charging points everywhere.
You can do a plugin hybrid and plug in away from home, but they usually have a fairly limited range in full electric mode (30-60 miles/50-100 kilometers), so I don’t know if that buys you much. You can generally only charge those at level 1 or 2 chargers also, while most of the attention has been on adding DC fast charging (if you look around you might be surprised by how many level 2 chargers are in random parking lots, though).
I suppose one idea you haven’t mentioned if you want something smaller than a minivan is one of those smaller work vans, like a Ford Transit Connect or Nissan NV200. It was less common but many of those were available with seats in the back. A lot of them have been discontinued but you might find one on the used market.
There are very few hatchbacks or station wagons in the North American market. Subaru is one option, Volkswagen another, or some Volvos depending on your budget, might need to look strictly at used. Kia and Hyundai have some small options like the Kia Soul which can actually hold a surprising amount with the back seats down, if you don’t need a second row.
Or you could simply consider another minivan. Most of the newer ones are hybrid or have a hybrid option.