My wife and I been looking for a new vehicle for the past few weeks and have also found that there are slim pickings for a pin hauler with good gas mileage. What we have found is that oddly enough the midsize vehicles generally have less vertical space than the compact versions. Here is what we have looked at so far.
Acura - Test drove the 2017 RDX. Plenty of pickup and probably the smoothest ride I have ever driven. Well laid out dashboard with a lot of nice features. The back seats do not fold down flat and unsure if I could get a machine in the back. Even if I could, not sure how easy it would be to load and unload it. From a driving perspective, this is our favorite. However, I would like to be able to fit my Hobbit in the back.
Toyota - Test drove the 2017 Rav4, both gas and hybrid. The interior is not quite as nice as the RDX, but not bad. Space does not appear to be an issue. The hybrid seats don't fold flat, but the shortest height I measured was 28 inches and that is way at the front, so that should not be an issue. It also has the best mileage. I do agree with the reviews that it is not very fun to drive. The brakes feel kinda sluggish and it felt like it was pushing the engine to get up to speed on the on ramp. It claims that it can tow a few thousand pounds, but I question that since it felt like I was pushing it while empty. I would love it if I could trade a couple MPG for a V6.
Honda - Test drove the 2016 CR-V. Very similar in space and feel to the Rav4. However the electronics look like they were an afterthought. The UI looks horrible and there are no physical buttons, all touchscreen. Supposedly the 2017 fixed this, but we'll have to see. Also looked at the 2016 Pilot. Looked nice, but felt a little big.
Lexus - Looked at the NX and RX, but both were too short and the rest were outside what we are looking to spend.
Ford - Looked at the 2017 Edge and Escape. The Edge looked good, but the opening might be pushing it (barely 31"). The Escape measured 32" and I figure that a little buffer isn't bad. Test drove the Escape and it did have a bit more pickup than the CR-V and Rav4 due to the turbo, but it also has worse gas mileage.
Still on the list to check out are Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe Sport, BMW X3, Cadillac XT5, Mercedes GLC, and Infiniti QX60. I also saw that the 2017 Highlanders come out in two weeks and the 300 HP V6 Hybrid at 28 MPG looks promising.
I took some measurements of my Hobbit with the head folded down so I can build a model out of cardboard to take to dealerships to see if it will actually fit.