Twenty years ago you might have had a point. Today, not so much and I do speak from 90K miles of driving in an Accord Hybrid.
You have a point. My commuter vehicle was (still own it) a 2015 Lexus RX350. Those are available as a hybrid, same vehicle. It is "ok" for comfort for a full-size man. It's not like my Tundra....
I cannot and will not recommend any "car", sedan, compact, etc., for interstate commuting, especially through major metro areas. I harp on this, but crime and behavior of other drivers today make these vehicles very dangerous. I know this is action-movie-like, but I have been stuck/hampered by two separate interstate-blocking "peaceful protests". It's not a very comforting feeling, even if you have plenty of tools to assist you defending yourself. I assure you that a mid-size SUV is at least more comfortable, more confident, more capable of being able to handle a decent wreck or evading hoards of people, debris, etc., in a life-or-death situation. If you're commuting through a large city today and choose to bury your head in the sand regarding what really goes on in these areas, so be it.