Glos Guy. Am from the same bad-joke Skoda generation as you. However, when I needed a car of the Superb type, I test drove everything in sight. Passats, Big Vauxhalls, already dismissed the Mondeo (had one. Useless). The Superb just stood out as miles better than any of them. Smooth as silk on the road. Pretty quick (with dieselgate or 2L petrol.) Comfy as a good living room, Space for everything. Pity Mrs Glos Guy is against them. Although, the models on scheme now seem pretty underpowered. Reckon. given your needs, the 3-series is best way to go. Renewed my Motability car in March this year. If the 3-series had been on list then, I’d have had it; no question. Choice came down to Alfa Giulia and Mini Cooper S. Couldn’t bear to watch the Alfa sitting virtually unused on the drive (don’t drive very far now) and went for Mini – the maddest shopping trolley ever.
Yes, if the car was just for me, of those available on the scheme at present it would be the 3 Series Touring. I’ve had 3 of them over the years (320d’s) and they were only bettered by my beloved 5 Series that I sold at the beginning of this year, as we no longer needed two cars given that we are now retired and my wife no longer drives. The sole issue will be whether or not my wife can get in and out of it OK. That’s why I’m so keen to hear from wheelchair users on how they find transferring to / from a normal car compared to an SUV. We will find out for ourselves when we go and look at the cars early next year, but I’m impatient!