We'd almost always choose an estate car over an SUV, simply because they tend to be nicer to drive and make better use of their footprint in terms of interior space.

With your budget we'd go for a Volvo V90, which offers an exceptional cabin, very comfortable seats, good ride comfort and a cavernous boot. We'd steer clear of R-Design specification which has a slightly firmer ride, but you should find a choice of diesel or petrol versions within your budget, and if you look hard enough you may find the PHEV version too which would be ideal to keep fuel costs down in city driving. They also hold their value well too.