Wow, so sorry to hear about the accident man... Keep up the fight and get better real soon.

As for the replacement car, it might be tough for under $10k, but I'd look for a used Jetta or Passat TDI (diesel). Comfort and luxury on the well loaded ones are comparable (in my opinion) to much more expensive vehicles and fuel mileage and reliability are excellent. Even with the soaring fuel prices these days, diesel is still the more economical option, and if they go much higher, biodiesel will be an even better option (last I checked it retailed for $3.25 - 3.50 /gal).