New car shopping

I believe the non- starting bit is only if you leave the smart key stuff on. Turn that off when you go away for trips. Don't know *how* true that is, but better safe than sorry.
As far as size, I'd say try it. There is plenty of leg room, but obviously that could compromise rear leg room.

 

My salesman was 6'5" and he did not have a problem in the front seats, however, he did mention he had to slouch to sit in the back seats due to the hump of the cabin being over the front seats so his head hit the top in the back seats.

The car can be left for at least 6 weeks with no problem. Just shut off the RF smart key transmitter (small button under your steering wheel). To get in the car when you get back just use the remote buttons.

I am not sure what the Honda Civic was categorized but it is much bigger than the Civic and comparable to the Accord in size.

 

The aux battery (12V lead acid, like in a regular car, but smaller) is used to power the locks, lights, etc. when the car's not on. There is always some drain and due to its small size, not using the car for an extended period can drain it too far. Two weeks is definately safe, many have reported four weeks with no problems, and after that is iffy. Turning off SKS and leaving headlight switch off reduces the drain.

The good news is that battery doesn't actually start the engine, just powers the electronics to put the car in ready for the big friction battery to come online. So if your battery is dead you only need a small amount of juice to start the car, any portable jumpstarter, even a tiny one, will work. People have put together all kinds of devices with small batteries for jumps. Also, you can disconnect the battery if you're away for a long period (eliminate the trickle drain), use a solar battery charger or battery tender to keep the battery topped off. Starting the car for a short period (~20mins) every few weeks also keeps the battery full.. it charges quickly from the traction battery thru the converter, not the engine itself, so the engine doesn't have to run nor the car be driven, just be in "READY"

If you look around you will find more info than you ever would possibly want to know about the subject. Again, unless you're leaving the car for 4+ weeks it's not an issue. If you are and don't plan ahead, the worst that happens is you need a small amount of juice, much less than a regular jumpstart, so you have lots of options.

(I have a 12V plug on my cordless air compressor that I hook directly to the battery if need be...thou truthfully I've never gone dead, except on purpose to test my backup system)

 

I plan on buying for a family of 4, as it does have pretty much the same interior space as a mid-size...

You shouldn't have to pay a premium, though you may have to wait a while...where are you located, Mr. Dickinson?

 

That varies by region and dealership. In Connecticut, of the 9 dealerships I contacted, 4 were charging premiums. Of course, they immediately lost any chance of a sale with me. The other 5 are doing MSRP only.

Here's a fairly new resource for this kind of information: http://www.hybridcars.com/pricepulse/index.php

It will only get better when more people contribute their market experiences as well, helping to steer new buyers to decent dealers.