Much as we have had SUVs for some years now, I think it’s a great shame that so many regular height cars are disappearing from our roads. If we have to move away from SUVs (due to my wife struggling with the transfer from a wheelchair) then we would get an estate (probably a BMW 5 Series Touring). I’d get petrol though. Our current BMW X1 2.0i petrol delivers 10% better MPG than our previous 2.0 TDi Tiguan, so factor in the massive price premium for diesel these days and it’s costing us much less to run, not that we chose it on that basis as we expected the opposite.
My elderly mother-in-law has recently stopped driving at 86 years of age. Her 1998 Passat 1.8i 20v Estate lasted her until the end of her driving career and still drove well at 25 years old!