Non-electric and under £2000 would be the MG HS, Kia Sportage, Peugeot 408 or a Renault Austral.
The MG HS has the lowest AP and has just been facelifted, the new model is significantly better than the old one. MPG not quite as good as the others, around 3-5mpg less, but that should only be a big issue if you are doing lots of miles. The AP starts at £895 for the SE rising to £1195 for he Trophy.
The Sportage is known to have had issues with its GPF filter, lots of annoyed customers & so far no definitive fix, so be wary there. The outgoing PHEV is cheap, but you’d need to plug it in to get the benefit of the electric miles.
The 408 has a unique dash design where the instruments sit over the steering wheel, which is small and mounted lower than usual, you’d need to try it out, it’s a marmite thing, some folk like it, others hate it.
The Austral’s AP is higher, so it really depends on your budget and the amount of miles you do. Again, like the MG, a fair bit of kit, even in the lower level cars.
In life, it's not who you know that's important, it's how your wife found out.