Strange that you don't appear to mind spending a LOT of money - £30k - on buying a new car but are concerned about paying extra to maintain a Honda over other makes, when it's highly likely that an German car with a 'premium feel' will likely be at least as expensive or more so to look after.

The difference (assuming whatever you bought was equally reliable - which it won't be, at least over the longer term) would likely only be £100 - £150pa on servicing over cheaper brands if done at a main dealer.

I'm not saying go for a Honda - especially if you're not keen on them for other reasons (having a poor quality local dealer would be one), but you need to consider the overall ownership experience and cost over the time you'll own the car, not just the annual cost, especially when factoring in how much you pay for the car, depreciation, insurance, etc.

Questions:

1. Approx. performance requirements.

2. Do you prefer a comfortable ride over handling?

Whilst better performing/handling cars are more expensive to buy and insure, they also experience (to many) 'hidden' extra costs because, for example, they are fitted with larger, low profile tyres which are more susceptible to damage, wear quicker and cost a lot more than higher profile tyres. Similarly with the bigger alloy wheels.

A few cars come with 'lux' variants but which can be specced with reasonable profile tyres, but a lot less than 15-20 years ago.

As a result, the suspension takes more of the strain, which also wears more quickly and thus costs more to maintain over the ownership period.

3. Boot space and (heavy) load lugging requirements.

4. Do you have any aversion to diesels or live near an are you need to regularly drive into that may ban diesels (even Euro 6 ones) within the likely ownership period?

5. You approx age and are there any factors that may seriously jack up the price of insurance for you - location (roughly - you don't have to be exact), job type, recent-ish fault claims history, etc.

Insurance premiums have been going up a LOT recently, more EVs than ordinary cars, but there's a reasonable possibility that your next premium (even on your existing car) might go up as much as 50%. A brand new or nearly new car costing £30k could make your insurance cost double, maybe more, in the current inflationary climate.

6. How long are you likely to keep the car. This will impact on the ownership costs, given the other factors.