Volvo is a Ford brand nowadays. Check before you presume that the reliability and safety Volvos were known for in the past is still true today.

You may be premature in deciding against the prius. The split back seats fold down to give a nice large space that may be quite comfortable for your dogs. Since the car is a hatchback, you end up with a /very/ spacious interior behind the driver.

As for your height, from what I have read some people like you find the Prius just fine, while others complain it is cramped. It seems to depend how your trunk/legs are proportioned. Again, a couple hour or maybe even a week rental would clarify the question.

Lastly, the Ford SUV hybrid is an Escape, not an Explorer. So far, reliability seems OK, and it is quite a bit less expensive than a HiHy.

R2-E2, 2G Prius.
Highway/City/Husband/Wife MPG: 56.5, as of 12/2005, 26K miles

Jac Nasser, Ford President: "We are planning to launch a hybrid version of
this car [P2000] within this year [1998]. We will also make FCEV available in
2004."