Russell, do check out 4-post lifts too. I know a lot of folks think that you need a 2-post to do any real work but most will never be doing much more than basic maintenance. Other than taking the body off of a frame, I bet there's nothing you can't do with a 4-post that has a rolling jack (or even just jack trays).
Bendpak's HD-9-B (their 4-post 9K lift - which is the one I have) allows for ramp widths of 37" or 43", more than enough to drop any ****** or engine out the bottom. For most cars the engine/****** are coming out on the top so having a 4-post lift working in conjunction with an engine hoist will work (no different than what you'd be doing if you used a 2-post).
Anyway, you're right in that a 2-post will most likely turn your 2-car garage into a one car, especially if you set it up so that you can pull axle shafts out on each side. That's why I think a 4-post is the best of both worlds for a lot of folks. You can use it for parking and yet wheel it out to the center of the garage, if/when the need arises to do some serious repairs/upgrades.
Get a rolling air jack (like an RJ45) and getting the suspension off the ramps will be as effortless as driving the car on the ramps. I did the front brakes on my friends Camry recently and I bet it took me a whole 5 minutes to drive on the ramps, chalk the rear tires, lift the car to a very comfortable height (about 4'), and then extend the side arms on the RJ45, and then lift the front end off the drive on ramps. I've got the 220 pump so lifting half way up takes almost 30 seconds. The RJ45 extends all the way up in about the same time. Seriously, at first you'll spend more time just trying to figure out where the jacking points are on the car your lifting.
Finally, to solve the height issue, all you need is a low profile stool with decent casters that will allow you to sit on it and comfortably roll around under your car. Measure you're height while sitting (with your head held up high), the height of your car, and add a foot for a lowered stool and I bet you will see that you can quite comfortably work under a 4-post lift. Plus, if you have a high enough garage door, you can get the wheel caster kit and just wheel the whole thing out onto the driveway and raise it as high as you want.
The low rise lift simply provide convenience and stability over the jack+jack-stands but not a whole lot more functionality.