I’ve found the French stuff to be very comfy, sit for hours on long journeys no bother, the rest of the car, no ta.

 

We've had our Q3 for just under 3 years, no issues so far, 15 reg S line Plus 184bhp TDI Quattro. Exactly the same engine as the mk7 gulf GTD.
Its held its value since we bought it, in fact it's worth slightly more. Has Pana roof, heated seats, alcantara with half leather, it's a lovely car for an SUV. And it's hers.... Mot passed on Saturday no advisories. We are happy with it, she loves the damn thing.
I did my homework -they are essentially very reliable when serviced regularly. Plus I have an Obd11 to reset the inspection for free, and can run diagnostics etc.should any fault arise. Quiet, comfortable and gets up the road just fine. Plus it's 4wd when things get slippy.
I picked up a new mountain bike only yesterday for my eldest, and it fitted straight in, seats down and without removing the front bike wheel. Cavernous.
The newer Seat Cupra SUV looks pretty decent and a bit girly
Q3 is I suppose a feminine looking car therefore fairly popular. I don't care much for the badge, it's a fairly well executed thing with loads of legroom and a decent dog wagon. Our friends also have a 21 reg black edition Q3, and they've 2 large spaniels they throw in the boot for outings.
X3 / X5 worth a shout, brother and mum run X3s and love them

Edit ; to add, if I was going new or nearly new, it's likely I'd be tempted by a Kia or Hyundai SUV. They look great and seem to do what's on the tin according to umpteen reviews. Interiors are nicer than they used to be with some tech gubbins if it's what she wants. They are that good, they can't be discounted... Sort of left Ford and Vauxhall well, well behind in my opinion. Ford just don't know what they are in the UK market anymore. Definitely lost their mojo. Big, big mistake dropping the Fiesta

 

I don't really care about look. I want it to be bombproof, comfy, capable of a slog, not expensive to run

Maint will be me I guess lol

Lucky bastard. I've never owned a diesel but this will be one I think.

Vadge do strong diesel's, her mk 6 I think it was, was very reliant on turbo, gutless for first few rpms and easy to stall

 

Audi Q3 isn't going to be vastly different to her Golf GTD Especially the seats. Entirely depends on spec I suppose.

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/q3/reliability

If it was me, i'd be looking at a 2015ish or earlier if in good nick petrol CR-V Something you can spanner at without the need for silly plugin diagnostics and something without the need for Ad Blue or DPF regens.

 

The adblu is just over a tenner for a big bottle, and I put half the tub in and lasts 6 months before it needs a top up. So it's not even an issue. Poverty spec seats , you avoid for sure, and - dpfs are again a complete internet hype for a large amount of cars. The regen on this Q3 is excellent, it's a euro 6 so very very clean. I will therefore defend it to the hilt, I certainly don't think about the dpf lol.. No smoke on start up, or on acceleration. Unlike other euro 5 cars and below which stick choking smoke out on the gas. Spannering is just as simple on a diesel or petrol. Cars these days are littered with annoying sensors. The obd11 is freaking awesome at fault finding and reduces garage visits. Most parts are very easy to change, especially sensors or switches, and I know you've used one Fest. Fords are utterly, utterly terrible diesel's for belching shit. No wonder their range has piddly little petrol engines with sewing machine motors running in the background. Not convinced at all. The Puma is probably the best of the range, which says it all about Ford.
True enough our Q3 gets about 44mpg combined, which newer petrols can achieve but, you'll pay for that luxury on the tag price and a farting 1 litre wheeze blower.
With brands, you kinda stick to what you know - you may well just go Nissan Kwosh again.
I suspect though, with the electric revolution suck in, you may opt for a leccy SUV, which isn't a bad thing if it works for you. My argument is that they still rely on dirty energy, so, aren't as green as made out. And stupid expensive, but that has been done to death. One thing I'd hate, is trawling round the dealers. Buy private and go luxury Jap, or luxury German. Can't go wrong

 

Oh dear. I've bought the very engine you despise. See I've driven those vag lumps and I don't rate them or their reliability. Maybe you got lucky. Porous heads / dpf issues / mpg lies etc etc.

Brand new with warranty is the only way. Or stick with very old - got that covered too.

I did test a Q3 and a Q5 - the Puma is a far nicer thing to drive than those or anything else I tested. My mate has a Tiguan, the DCT is a sack of lurching shit at low speeds. Most things are too big and too heavy and it shows both in handling and economy.

Good to have a choice though. Mine wouldn't include anything from the VW group, no Merc's, no Volvos - they are all over priced and overrated.

YMMV.

If I was buying 2nd hand large SUV it'd be Japanese or nothing.

 

I find the https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/ website useful. People report in the actual mpg they achieve and he gives an avg. He also lists all the issues people have with their cars. This is where you find that for example Volvos are shite quality wise. He also lists the different versions that were available for used cars. Lastly he quite thinks the S is good https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/honda/s2000/

 

I agree with the Volvo comment. Unreliable too.
You're a cynical man, I tell thee !! Haha
You're talking about older cars, and internet hype about 2007 cars with porous heads. That was apparently a bad batch 16 years ago mate, affecting Skoda Seat and most of the VAG range with 2.0 tdi's. It's history now, and a bit comical to suggest 2015 or onwards tdis are going to have a possible porous head ? BS!
That engine in the GTD is a belter, 65.6 mpg average in the Golf for example. I had one brand new in 2015 on lease for 2 years, £199 a month. Just let down by it's harsh seats and small boot, and being epically common. I didn't want to give it back, it was definitely a lukewarm GTi with a faux diff and could be a right laugh for a diesel.
The Q3 has nicer equipment but for carrying bigger things, more relaxed. Oh and it's manual in ours.... Not ideal but we're used to it, it drives like a petrol, like in the Golf. If I was to swap, I'd definitely would get an auto and map out any kind of slushy lag. The 184bhp has no issues with being a sack of spuds dragging it's feet to 2k rpm, but nor do we drive it like we stole it. It's not that kinda car - 750 mile range helps too with our Devon and back trips.
VW dervs are alongside Merc and BMW for moon and back mileage claims - like anything, regular servicing wipes out internet forum BS. It's the finer details of servicing that matter, the parts that aren't usually on service schedules (on older engines for sure). I'm sure you know that. I've cleaned plenty of gummed up EGRs over the years in dirty D's. They aren't like that anymore. Euro 6 diesels are clean things and completely redesigned.
That Puma 1 litre is a clever unit, but alas, low 40s combined is only possible I'm told, which is poor for something supposed to be leaning heavily on hybrid tech. Typical of manufacturers lies on mpg. Ford lie like the others, ohhh yes they do! And it's a thrummy engine on the fast move, strained somewhat, but granted, fairly torquey but a constant whizzing turbo would worry me in terms of its lifespan, not to mention recent fuel pressure issues and overheating with the 1.0 ecoboost range which plagued the Fiesta. Plenty of moans from the Ford lot, not to mention electrical gremlins. Ford have never been perfect at QC. The 42 litre tank could have been better - obviously weight comes into the equation 4-up as well as boot space. We looked at the Puma at the main dealer half a mile down our road, and found it a bit squashed in the back and the plastics a bit tacky in places. It looked a bit cheap. Clever little extra small boot space for dirty wellies, but... hmm.. not a fan of it's looks side on. Bit weird and quirky, nice front, but its front end looking familiar....
We had a 1.7 Puma 20 years ago for 5 years (which was hers when I'd just bought my first s2000) - that was the REAL Puma in my eyes and was flipping fantastic. Not a cotton picking thing went wrong with it (yes, yes, Yamaha lump with Nikasil liners etc ) I guess though we all like different things

 

Your last great puma was a cylinder head gasket blowing, radiator leaking rusting time bomb - that's why there are so few of them left. I don't get this whole VW/Audi fan thing but then i've never understood why people are so fervently adoring about something that's no better than most of the rest of the stuff that's out there. Very little south of 100k is truly special.

If money was no object, i'd be in an old shape NSX and nothing else would get a look in. And if a car didn't need to be many things, it'd be a sensible choice. The roads are a mess, they're too busy, parking spaces are too small and petrol is too expensive. I'm wringing low 40s out of the Fiesta ST with 200bhp. I've driven the Puma around the roads i'll use and in the traffic volumes I deal with - low 50s were where it sat. It's better but it's far from the reasons for choosing it, it just needed to be 'as good'. My other mates Golf GTD is getting low 40s in heavy traffic and the DCT box it is lumbered with is unpleasant in traffic. The Pumas 7 speed automatic was pleasant in traffic and i WANT an automatic because there's so much traffic. Oh and i also want a car with physical climate / fan buttons and dials, none of this digital BS and don't even get me started on the disaster that is the VW group infotainment system! That's almost as sluggish as their DCT box.

You can bang on about modern dervs and Euro6 all you like but the fact remains, if you don't give them a proper run once a week at a steady and sustained speed, you are booking yourself in for expensive DPF issues. ( Mazda CX-5 2.2D particulately bad :P) along with all the associated troubles.

Are Fords the most reliable, no but are any new cars truly reliable, not in my eyes. But this is new, with a new car warranty and after the 26months at 0% ( no other mfr comes close to this without a silly 50% deposit) i can extend that factory warranty for another 3 years /100k miles. That will more than see out any period of time i'll own this. It felt genuinely close to my Fiesta to drive but with better seats, handling and ride not compromised. Nothing from anyone else at this price point matched that feeling.

But as said, if i was after a 2nd hand mid to large SUV to run around in, it'd be a petrol Japanese or Korean, NOT German or European.

 

Take a look at the What Car and JD Power reliability surveys , JLR cars usually the worst of premium brands and top by a mile Lexus not only for out n out reliability but response of dealers when there is a problem

having had an A4 and Passat as my last company cars , no thanks , dealers especially stink !