I would love recommendations on a car that can work well for hauling kids and their stuff (i.e. has decent trunk space), but also would work well for a long-ish stop-go commute in heavy traffic. We will only have a single car, as there are also public transit options nearby - but they don't always work well. We have two kids, but haven't made a final decision on whether we want to try for a third, so I'd like something that could fit three across in case we ultimately need it. I can definitely see the advantages of a minivan for hauling kids, but seems less ideal from a gas mileage, etc perspective for a daily commuter.

Thank you!