Economy published in advertisements and sales literature is usually the best that the said vehicle can accomplish, like a steady 56mph or a vicar driving round town. Who in the real world drives round like that? Cartainly not my local vicar! He had a 3 litre Ford Capri and used every one of those 3,000 cubic centimeters. Best thing you can do to minimise fuel costs is improve your observation, so if you see red lights or slowing traffic way ahead, ease off the gas now. Not only will you use less fuel but your brake pads will last longer. Also, as you get down to a quarter of a tankful left, check the prices as you drive to work so you know which is the cheapest to fill up at on your way home. Sounds simple but judging by the hundreds who fill up at the rip off forecourts many are either blind, stupid or both. And there is some good news re fuel prices. It was announced here today that one of Ireland's retailers is to cut prices at the pumps by 5 cent per litre as the cost of a barrel of crude stabilises.

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.

I used exactly the dryer balls OP posted at the top. They were noisy, and after awhile (probably more than a year), the nubs started coming off. I bought some wool ones - 3 in a package and larger then those above. I love them. No noise, they reduce static. DH still won't forego the fabric softener, but I do sometimes. When I got my new washer and dryer a couple months back, they took away my broken dryer. The next day while sitting at work I panicked as I realized I left my wool dryer balls in the dryer that they took away. DH flew in from somewhere that afternoon and went to the appliance store for me and whew, they still had the dryer and gave my balls back! I was a happy camper!

We're looking at SUVs right now. I have to say if you are having trouble with low seats, I can totally agree since I currently have both a Ford Fusion and a Hyundai Santa Fe! The Fusion is a pain in the b**t to get out of easily, whereas I'm 5'6" (with short legs) and can slide in/out of the SFe without a problem. I would agree with those that say check out the smaller utes - but also important are the height of the door opening, and how high the vehicle's ground clearance is. Subaru models tend to be high, for example, even on the smaller models, because they are aimed at serious AWD users. My SFe is 7.3" on ground clearance. I would not recommend the Ford Flex; it's basically a mini-van. Unless you have a real need to haul 7 people regularly there is no reason to own it. I happen to love that boxy styling, but for 2 people it is ridiculous overkill. Best for families who are hauling a soccer team around, LOL. We are currently looking at the Ford Edge and the clearance is slightly over 9". Getting into that car is definitely close to the 'pull yourself up' scenario for me. For my DH, who is 5'10", no problem. It's nowhere near as bad as a Nissan Titan, for example, but even without being told you know that Edge is taller than the SFe when getting into it, either as driver or second row passenger. Sometimes ground clearance stats can be hard to find. The Escape has a 7.8" clearance. The Hyundai/Kia have 7.3". RAV-4 is 6.3". CR-V is 6.8". As others have stated, there is no substitute for actually seeing the car and sitting in it. No need to even take a test drive, if you don't want to. The Ford Escape, Kia Sportage, Toyota RAV-4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Chevy Equinox, Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-5, and Hyundai Tucson all compete in this market. You should note that many smaller models are going to CVT trannies, and you may either like or dislike them. I live in an area with hills and I find the power lag is too severe with a small engine. Don't dismiss U.S. mfgs. Due to the strong dollar, the price increases on Japanese and German cars are making a noticeable difference. The 2017 equivalent of my old Hyundai SFe costs $4K more than I was quoted on the top-of-the-line Ford Edge. Back in 2003 when I was buying the SFe, it was the other way around! I would not recommend the GMC Terrain, Volkswagen Tiguan, or any Jeep or Mitsubishi model. The GMC is little different than the Chevy but priced higher, and the other three have very poor reliability records. If you are going after a luxury level small SUV, the list on Kelly Blue Book is at: http://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/luxury-compact-crossover-suv-buyers-guide-new/2000011021/ Happy hunting!