You're not obsessive. I would not even consider buying a new car without side airbags. When I bought my '98 Camry XLE in 1997, it had side airbags. One reason I just bought a new car is to get the new, improved side airbags. I didn't need a new car - my XLE had 115k miles and was still like new - but I wanted the safety improvements of a new car. I definitely hear you on this issue.