No time for real posting, as I feared. Car shopping took far longer than I would have like, but in the end we did buy a replacement car. A 2009 Toyota Corolla that still under power train warranty until 2016, and full warranty until next March next year.
I test drove a Prius and I love how quiet and smooth the car is but man a man of my height cannot be comfortable in that compartment.
I was afraid that might be the situation for some of the “efficient” cars. They are really going to have to address interior space in these cars if they want to appeal to a broad market.