Looking for a family car to replace our Mazda 3 for a growing family, and I hate SUVs.

Currently have a manual Mazda 3 SP25 that’s been fantastic, but with two young kids, two dogs (medium + large), car seats, prams, and me being 6’3”, we’re starting to outgrow it.

This will be our primary family car, mainly driven by my wife, so reliability, safety and comfort are the priorities. We also own a Prado that handles towing, camping, off-road trips and general “big car” duties, so we don’t need another giant vehicle.

Must-haves:

* Reliable and safe
* Automatic
* Enough rear seat room for car seats while a 6’3” driver can sit comfortably
* Boot large enough for family luggage or dogs
* Comfortable and quiet on coarse-chip rural highways
* Not overloaded with intrusive driver-assistance systems
* Wife-approved

Nice-to-haves:

* Good fuel economy (hybrid/PHEV a bonus)
* Memory seats (I’m tall, wife is short)
* Decent performance (don’t want a complete slug compared to the Mazda)
* Open to European cars but have mostly owned Japanese vehicles

Budget: Ideally AUD $20-40k, but flexible.

Cars we’ve considered/test-driven:

* Mazda 6 Wagon – ruled out, rear seat wasn’t as roomy as expected
* WRX Sportswagon – surprisingly spacious, great to drive, but expensive and unsure about long-term ownership costs
* Passat B8 – loved the space and driving experience, worried about reliability
* Volvo V60/V90/XC60 – look fantastic but concerned about maintenance and local support, parent company Geely.
* Golf Wagon – practical, but lower trims are uninspiring
* BMW 530d/530e Touring – seem ideal, but rare and expensive in Australia
* Mercedes E400/E220d Wagon (S213) – currently a front-runner, haven’t driven one yet
* VFII commodore - getting a bit on the old side, definitely have considered them, bit thirsty
* RAV4 Hybrid/PHEV – sensible choice GOAT of SUVs, but expensive and I really don’t want an SUV
* Forester Hybrid – practical but doesn’t excite either of us

What else should I be looking at in the Australian market? Wagons, preferred SUVs considered if I get desperate.