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Get a Fit if you're used to Hondas. They're pretty much made for the job of sipping fuel, carting basses and wedging into parking spaces ......unless you are willing to do the research and find trustworthy TDI knowlegeable mechanics (not so easy) and understand a few different things about the maintenance process. In Germany driving a TDI is a no brainer and most places work on em. Here, Honda is the no brainer. Technology and funwise? TDI hands down. Also the wagons go for a premium! Bass will fit in a Golf or Beetle with 'armrest' removed. Definitely get a stick!! The manual tranny will last much longer and need less upkeep! Visit Fred's TDI page & learn.
Love it...drove an old VW rabbit for years, also a Ford wagon from my 1rst teacher and a Plymouth Horizon. Only thing about a PU bed is stiff ride and no climate control. Not so great for a delicate bass like mine. Some basses are more robust than others. I'd say really good foam with a sheet pinned an top of it over the futon. Pickups do have the benefit of being great for off road.I seem to always drive old beaters, (cheapness, insurance, worry factor etc...)
If you live in a mild climate, a toyota pickup, with a camper shell and an old futon makes a great combo, reliable and cheap. I also had an old 4runner, which was great until the rear power window quit. Then I was stuck running around in the winter with no window, as you have to open it to drop the tailgate. Bad idea.
I've also used a VW rabbit, VW jetta, Toyota minivan, honda civic coupe, volvo 240 wagon, Nissan Pathfinder, and a ford Aerostar. I think the most important thing you can do is to get an old couch cushion or similar, and use it under the button to keep the neck suspended, and provide some shock absorption. (Don't do this if you put the bass in the front seat....
My pal just got a Honda Fit. He can put his DB, a small drum kit, a guitar and an amp, and 3 people in there, plus it has an aux input for an ipod!
That's got my vote for the best transpo for a gigging musician, and as soon as I can get one for 2k, i'll be on it!
Another good thing to do is secure the bass when on long trips so that worrying about your bass when you need to make an avoidance maneuver doesn't cause an accident. In general the better cased and packed your bass is the safer you are on the road. When I was young I rolled my Plymouth Horizon end over end and I swear what was going through my head as I was very possibly about to die was "my bass will never be the same"! I was luckier than the bass but it did go back together OK! Driving beaters can be really fun and pain free, and there is a wide selection of models that are good. I think the Fit is about the most versatile useful for cheap new car out there for a bassist, but I would never trade my '01 TDI for one (even though I could today!!) 
I hear you we are on our 3rd so far, almost a millon kilometers between them, I just hope I can keep picking them up
I normally don't post like this, but I need a break from the admin hat today
Toyota Matrix. 3 of us bassists in the Austin Symphony drive the same color blue Matrix (finding the right one after a gig is fun). The Matrix is perfect - not quite as much room as a PT probably, but fits a 4/4 size bass and stool + 1 passenger fine, over 30mpg, and it's a Toyota
No civic hybrid hatch as of yet. There were rumors of a Fit Hybrid but none exist yet. We'll see. We're lucky the Prius II has a hatch. Big auto doesn't like risk and sedans are much safer bets. The larger SUV hybrids like the Escape are not as good mileage as their soon to be arriving diesel counterparts like the Tiguan. Hybrids are excellent 'city cars'. I'll take a small used Civic over an SUV Escape hybrid. Civic is a much better and more efficient city vehicle.
