Good choice to get the new car for YOU, DG! You deserve it.
See, maybe all the bad luck was just a cosmic ploy to get you into a sleek new ride.

My humble opinion would be to concentrate on a vehicle that makes bike transport, and other cargo transport, dead easy. No climbing or stuffing or tying down - just throwing it inside and forgetting about it. Not only easier on the body but more theft-proof.

Since I lived out in the boonies a good part of my life, and usually had to buy well-used cars, I've driven an assortment of full-size vans, trucks, mini-vans, and a few regular cars too. Right now I have a Grand Marquis to accommodate long-distance driving --- it has a huge trunk, is very comfy and reliable and gets 26-29 mpg ---- BUT I absolutely hate bike racks, and whenever I need to haul anything bigger than the trunk, I'm stuck. I'd gladly trade for a van, mini-van, or small pickup. Oh, for the days when I could just toss a few bikes in the back of the van, shut the door and take off, instead of fighting with the rack and trying to keep the bikes from scratching/denting each other, or worrying about somebody stealing bikes & rack in one piece....

[Edit: P.S., if you're really thinking about camping, a regular full-size van can be fitted out with lots of very nice camping extras like a real bed, stove, fridge and still have tons of room for bikes and gear. Mine got 20+ mpg around town. You can attach a retractable shade too, and even have a screen room. This sounds really decadent until you're out camping in bad or buggy weather, then you start feeling pretty good about your setup. Avoid the conversions though, they're gas hogs extraordinaire]