Thanks for all the advice,head v heart is very true,l would love to throw caution to the wind and buy a decent high seating crossover but with retirement looming l do worry about the costs of running a bigger car.
We are very happy with Mrs F's Peugeot 2008 1.2 puretech auto, which is only slightly bigger than the cars you mention. It now has a reliable powertrain, the Aisin EAT6 box is excellent, and there appear to be lots of two year old bargains to be had with minimal mileage, as they have just brought out a new model. £12,000 should buy you a good one (ours, new in Oct 2019, has just depreciated by nearly £5000...gulp!) and at your annual mileage it'll be ten years old before you get around a mere 50,000 miles on the clock.
But running a big car need not be more expensive if you choose wisely. If they are at the top of the range, it is likely that the manufacturer will have built it carefully with first class materials and labour. Like you, my car only does around 3000 miles a year, so seven years ago, with retirement approaching, I paid £12,000 for an eight year old Audi A8. It is now fifteen years old, and beyond oil, water, tyres and some front brake pads, the only garage costs have been sway bar drop links, and £225 for the air suspension compressor repair. (Had I been able to remove the front bumper myself, it would only have been £25! )
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