I like the battery rundown protection feature also. It will save a lot of batteries and alternators, not to mention the frustration of finding that the car won't start and having to jump start it. Also, any battery that's run down to the point where it won't start the car should ideally be charged with a battery charger at a slow rate. Alternators hit the battery with a strong charge and in many cases the battery won't ever recover unless it's charged more slowly. A car battery that's never deep discharged can last a very long time. I've had them go 10 years before. Leaving the lights on to the point where the battery is stone dead -- not even enough voltage to produce a glimmer of light in the headlights -- will essentially ruin its chance of a long life. I'm not necessarily saying run out and get a new battery if that happens, but at least charge it with a charger and don't just let the alternator do it. And realize that the lifespan of the battery is cut every time that happens. Here's what a good battery can do for you: Last March I had the alternator fail in my Blazer. I was 70 miles from home. It was night, so I had to have the headlights on. I had a Wal-Mart EverStart battery about 1 1/2 years old, never deep discharged. I turned off all accessories except the lights and started heading toward home. I made it 69 3/4 miles -- it finally quit when I was on my road and could almost see my house. I think that's pretty good for headlights on and no alternator. So now that battery has been somewhat deep discharged, but nowhere near as bad as leaving the headlights on, because those will just keep sapping power until it's down to nothing. The Blazer's computer apparently shuts things down when the system voltage hits about 10 or 11, because it was showing 11 on my tester when I got home; probably under load that would be 10 or maybe less. (First it shuts off the overdrive in the transmission, then the ABS, and finally the ignition system.) According to the charger, it was at 41 percent. So I charged it with the charger, replaced the alternator, and that battery is still in there, doing okay. But it may not last as long as it would have if that hadn't happened. (On the instructions that came with the replacement alternator, they said if the alternator has failed and the battery is run down, it is not just recommended but is absolutely necessary to charge it with a charger and not just expect the alternator to bring it up, because doing that will shorten the life of the alternator.)

We ended up with the Honda Civic EX. We looked again at the Corolla, but they checked and told us there wasn't a white Corolla in a 5 state area with ABS and side airbags. They said they had never seen one at all with stability control. ??? We had an offer of a white Honda LX without side airbags for $15,200 with 1.9% interest. There was no white LX with sidebags anywhere in the state. We almost took the one without the sidebags, but we really want the side airbags. They didn't have a white EX with sidebags, but they found one at a dealer 300 miles away. They wanted $400. over invoice. Too much I though and we left after 3 hours. They called me at home and knocked $100. off. Still too much. They called back and offered invoice. I took it. They are still of course getting a dealers holdback and I am sure there is more. The EX also has ABS brakes, sunroof, and a few extra bell and whistles. We are paying $17,475 with 1.9%. I hope this is fair. What do you think?

My car's job is to get me from here to there, and back, without a lot of hassle: as long as it does that, it stays. Plus ... without it costing an arm and a leg to do it: I have other important places to use my money. For those of you who like the small ones and have a yearning for a bit sporty and with some get-up-and-go ... ... have you considered Mazda? They have had some performance qualifications, and, lacking the rep of the Hondas, Toyotas, etc., can often be obtained ("used", that is) for a much lower price for the same level of car. Mine is over a quarter my age ... and I'm no spring chicken: it's 24, has cost me some money, lately, and may be about to cost me some more, so I'm wondering how much longer that it may go, with something over 180,000 mi. on its odometer. I'd like to get a standard tranny, as, being scarce and undesirable, they're cheaper - and use something like 6 - 10% less gas than automatics (which is a concern, not only for scarcity of the resource and pocketbook, but environmental reasons). Plus, unless someone is ready to crawl up my tailpipe, I not only shut off the engine and coast to signal lights that just turned yellow ... but am inclined to do it when travelling downhill, as well. As some of you know ... over seven years ago when I was travelling in my little Dodge "Colt" out from my townhouse in town to sleep in uncle's house prior to its sale after his death, to make the place look lived-in, often it was late at night and the road untravelled ... and I found that I could coast for over 16 of the 20 km. going out there (but the return journey was usually during the day, with more traffic, and coasting was much reduced). After the Mazda got hit enough to crookedify a wheel a few years ago, not too long after I got it ... I spent more to repair it than I'd paid ... but it takes a lot of resources to dig ore, smelt and manufacture a new vehicle, along with the petroleum-sourced plastic that they put into them ... ... and repairing requires few scarce resources and fuel/energy, is mostly work-related. ole joyful

I know your situation exactly but you can't really take suggestions since their comfort won't be your comfort and people who haven't had the surgery you (and I) have had won't have a ratzsnot worth of experience or idea of what you need. Chairs that some people find extremely comfortable, you will find approaching painful to sit on for a while. I'm sure you've found that some chairs you USED to find very comfortable are very uncomfortable to you now. Head to some used car lots and talk to someone and find one who'll work with you and let you literally sit down in each vehicle. Ask friends and relatives to sit in their vehicles. But you're probably going to have another issue, that you can stand it for a certain period of time but after a while you have to fidget. I know what you're going through. Good luck.