We currently drive a Mercedes-Benz SLK and a Fiesta but with both of these cars I am now experiencing back/leg pain after driving for an hour or so. Earlier in year we holidayed in the USA where we drove long distances in a Jeep 4x4, which caused me no discomfort at all. In view of this we are considering buying an SUV. Even though we live in a very rural area we don't plan to go off-road, and the only possible justification for having four wheel drive would be for snow covered lanes, for typically two or three weeks each year. We do around 17,000 miles a year in the Fiesta and 7000 in the SLK and we would be looking to buy a diesel of 12 to 18 months old. Although I really like the performance and economy of the X3 the initial outlay looks a bit steep. Does the X3 justify its price tag, and can you suggest any other alternative SUVs, about the size of the X3 with reasonable performance that we should consider?