Likewise.
I was looking for ample space in the back and was thinking of the Skoda Superb. Then sat in the Skoda Octavia Estate and couldn’t believe how spacious it was. So I downgraded from a heavy car with 365BHP to a Skoda Octavia vRS Estate with 245BHP. Two years later I still look forward to going for drive in it. Around town and not breaking the law I found the vRS so much more engaging to drive compared to the E92 M3 with V8 and 420BHP!
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I had a Tiguan TDI a few years ago . It was a Sport , an absurd description. as the only thing sporting about it was an absurdly hard ride which some misguided folk equate with sporty. On the right winter tyres , it was very capable in snow , running uphill on the 1 in 5 single track road to my then home , even with 6" of fresh snow . It was also excellent on the very rough farm and forest tracks I use when fishing .
The seats were too hard . there was an unpleasant drone at motorway speeds - 70-80mph , it was too big for me and it was thirsty, rarely getting over 40mpg . The two mechanically similar Yetis I’ve had since have been night and day better in every way but sadly the Yeti successor is nearly as big as the rest of the bloated horrors on the road.
So far as grip is concerned , somebody asked about summer tyres on a 4wd versus winters on a front wheel drive car . I can vouch from direct experience that the winter tyre shod 2 wd will leave most 4wds for dead in snow , with ground clearance the only limiting factor in deep snow . 4wd on summers just means all 4 wheels spin uselessly , and not just two. . The exception is anything with very narrow tyres -like an old Defender , Suzuki etc. That said , my old Citroen 2CV 6 on meaty 125 x 15 Michelin Xs would go anywhere , in any conditions.
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@John_Aston , I totally agree re winter tyres. Drives me mad when people justify 4wd by saying they need it for snow, then leave summer tyres on all year around. From experience in Vw golfs and even a RWD BMW I’d take two driven wheels and winter tyres vs 4WD and summers any day !
Good call on the xc60 earlier in the thread. It’s good value (last time I looked) compared to its smaller relative the xc40 which is otherwise a great option but neither car is cheap. I looked around a year ago and nearly new made more sense.
The new KONA N is getting some excellent reviews. Really got my eye on that, and thankfully, given its price, the Mrs seems to like the idea of it too 
I reckon when the semiconductor chip stuff calms down and the car’s been out a bit, you’d see £4K easily off that as a pre reg.
…and it’s a lovely 196g KM^-1 CO2 pumper. Awesome 
I’ve put a deposit down on a 20,000 mile XC60, very impressed with the quality, ride, room, refinement, and huge amount of safety kit!
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Am I correct in my understanding that you cannot get the XC40/XC60 in 4WD with a Petrol engine and a Manual gearbox?
I don’t know much about Volvos, but when I searched for this combination on AutoTrader there were 0 matches.
I must admit, where I live I hear ‘scrape’ ‘scrape’ ‘scrape’ as 90% of cars plough over speed bumps and bottom out their cars, accelerating to the next one, slamming on their brakes, to scrape and bottom out at the next one, to then sit for 2 mins with their foot on the brake pedal at lights, sometimes tooing and froing on clutch control.
I think ‘gone are the days when I’m buying a car with miles on it by some other owner’
You’re probably right there are very few manual xc60 available. But went with an auto in the end as it’s a lot better than the VW Dsg box