First things first. Congratz.
Now onto serious business...
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Audi A4 Estate. I can pick a 4 year example up for less than £12k now. Solid, reliable good looking and the 2.0TDI is very economical.
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Solid, reliable and good looking they are. Economical they are not. I had a 2009 143 BHP that only averaged 40 mpg. Then swapped it for a 2012 177 BHP that only averaged 37. Neither figure is even remotely respectable for a 2.0 TDI.
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Vauxhall Insignia. I think they look decent and offer allot for the bang....but it's a Vauxhall (this still might be the dark horse)
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This will depreciate faster than the speed of light. Vauxhalls always do. You get cracking deals when you go past a VX showroom. 6 month old insignia with 10k off. Well, there you go, its lost 10k in 6 months.
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Volvo V50. I've never driven or owned a Volvo in my life - but reading reviews, they seem quite a safe bet. Cheap to run and maintain and they look pretty nice. But it's a Volvo!
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I actually quite like Volvos, and did look at them. They aren't as good on the depreciation as BMW, Merc or Audi though. You will notice this if you look at PCP. 3 series, C-class and A4's are cheaper per month than Passats, Mondeos, Volvos etc... Its all about depreciation with your PCP.
That said, I would seriously look at the XC60. Lovely motor, and not as big as the likes of RR's, Q7's etc.. (Thats what the XC90 is for).
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BMW E91. Saw a 100k mile E91 LCI 320d (177bhp) up for sale for around £7,500 a few weeks ago. I think it would be ideal. Still looks great and will do everything I need...but and it's a big but - My last 2 E90's (2005 models) started giving me some gip after they reached 100k miles. They weren't just small issues - we're talking clutches, massive oil leaks etc. They were 3.0 Litre diesels though. How reliable are the 2.0d engines in the LCI models?
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I now have a E91 335d. It is barely big enough for us with one kid. No way will it be comfortable enough with 2. Don't go this route. A 5 series may well cut it though.
Went to look at X5's the other day, and even they dont have massive boots.
So, you could spend serious coin and get something really nice. But you said its mainly for the wife, and she doesn't really care.
I would get a Kia Sportage. Its a nice looking machine, Kia have come a long way recently, and its got a 7 year / 100k warranty. Load it up with a few choice toys and you'll be laughing. Heck, its only replacing a Mazda anyway.
Of course, I have been looking at X5's myself, and when I get back from this trip, I will be checking out Range Rovers. But then my wife know I have a small dick, so need a big car to compensate. Kudos to you for being the other way round.