1) I get 10' 2x4s in my 2002 Honda Civic all the time. It isn't even a hatchback or anything. Just a standard car. Just fold down the back seats, and angle them in through the trunk. I've also gotten 700 sq ft of wood flooring (although it was nearly scraping the ground under the weight), plywood cut in half, dozens of large chairs (awkard but they fit upside down in the back seat, two at a time), a 32" CRT TV, shelving, my kitchen table (although it is a smaller table), etc. Cars fit a lot more than you think. About the only things on your list that wouldn't fit would be plywood (it would have to be cut to about 38" wide instead of the standard 48") and probably the hutch.
2) With the current price of gas, and the typical 12000 miles per year driving, and a Civic getting 33 MPG vs 18 MPG for an SUV, a driver would save $1060 a year. I could rent a $20 Menards truck every week to move anything big and still be cheaper than the extra cost of gas in the SUV (not to mention the cheaper cost of the vechicle, insurance, etc). I have rented a Menard's truck now and then for drywall or for a sod cutter. It is quick, easy, and cheap.
You aren't thinking about the big picture and all your options.
First off - I cannot fit 2x10x12' in my wife's civic.
Second - I cannot fit 2x8x12' in my wife's civic
Third - your 32" CRT was not as big as the soda fountain machine. It would not have fit in a civic (Hell - I had less than 1" of clearance in my SUV on the sides and NO clearance from bed to roof)
Fourth - The book shelf would not have fit in my wife's civic
Fifth - I do not drive 120000 miles a year
Sixth - There is no Menard's around here
Seventh - Lowes charges $20
plus gas. Their truck gets less MPG than my SUV. The hutch, bookshelves, soda fountain etc were not located locally
I have had my SUV for 19 months and have driven 12,576 miles (Edit: Err...It might be 13,576 - I can't remember but I am about 2,000 miles short of my third oil change that I get every 5,000 miles)). Now it gets tough to compare the exact milage driven because we do take my SUV to go get things that we would have had to rent a vehicle before to do in places up to 100 miles away.
My rough estimate of renting the trucks to go get the various items (going off of Uhaul's MPG and capacity listings. (4) 100 mile trips @ $122 per trip+ 6 [minimum] trips to lowes at $32 per trip) comes to about $700
I will gladly pay $360/year for the convinence of going to Lowes - picking up a single 12' 2x4xwhatever because I measured or cut wrong and not having to rent a vehicle or impose on a friend or being able to instantly know I can snag that $2500 soda fountain machine for $150 because it can fit in my car right then and there [if you
really want you can factor in the savings of the soda machine. Used they go for $2500. I got it for $150. Realistically I would have gone for a smaller one (I am still trying to come up with ideas to use all 8 spouts) for around $600]
Please be assured - I spent a large amount of time going over our plans to see about how much renting would cost. I then went through a large number of SUV reviews seeing what MPG I could get for the type of vehicle I was willing to buy.
So - please take your assumptions that I did not think about the big picture and all the options and STFU