I always think of those small 4X4’s (or imitation 4X4’s) as pointless. It’s not as big as a large saloon car and doesn’t have the off-road capabilities of a large 4X4.
Personally I’d go for a new Mondeo or a 2 year old BMW 520 diesel. I’m in the market for the same sort of car and I have the same sort of budget and they are the cars I am looking at. The BMW is a slightly nicer car to drive but the Mondeo has a lower cost of ownership (servicing, parts etc are much cheaper than any of the German or French cars) and it’s huge; bigger than the old Granada/Scorpio. The Mazda 6 was the next choice. VW and Skoda are not nearly as good a drive as Ford and, as with French cars, the cost of parts is very high.
Nissan have gone to the dogs since the French bought them and I find Toyota boring to look at, sit in, and drive.