Lots of extended Test Drives will definitely be needed next time around. For me, going from a Vauxhall GTC to a Golf GT just meant an upgrade in the quality of the vehicle + an extra 10 hp, but ease of access, style and height of the seats, door weight and opening angle, etc. remained pretty much the same. An SUV would/will be a whole new ball game.
Even though I’m only 1 year into the 3 year Lease on the GT (which I love – I may have mentioned this before), I always keep an up-to-date list of alternates in case things change radically and I need to move fast changing my vehicle. At the moment the List contains (in no particular order) the Merc GLA, VW T-Roc, Mazda CX30, SEAT Ateca, SEAT Arona, Nissan Qashqai and the Audi Q2. A couple of those are probably bigger than I need, but I just like the look of them. I certainly don’t need something of Kodiak or X-Trail proportions.
Who knows – I might even end up with an e-Nero. 🙂