I’m ashamed to even ask this but the hive mind sometimes does give some good answers !
*drops head* I’m keen to change my car (for various reasons) and the two that have caught my eye are both Skodas – a diesel VRs and a 4×4 Superb. Bear in mind our roads here are gash and thus 4×4 is what I have always been used to. I’m moving from an RS4 Avant to whatever i get so I am not expecting the same performance and really, I don’t need it. I quite fancy the Octy sizewise as I don’t need anything massive (wife has an Outback) bu the superb looked well loaded and nicely put together. Both DSG which would be new to me.
I await the usual flaming for asking about skodas !
EDIT: I just reread that and I can tell that I am getting old and sensible.

If you are getting truly old and sensible it has to be the Superb. As it is a bi more upmarket and newer it should hav. Nic interior to stare at as you crawl along.

Not sure about you but I would get a Toyota if were to live in NZ or OZ … but then I also like Skoda so prefer 4×4 Superb for the condition there.

No Toyota thanks. I suppose my criteria is a decent wagon ideally 4×4 but a bit newer and cheaper to run than the RS which while an amzing car rarely gets its legs stretched and has resulted in BP sending me Christmas cards to thank me for my custom ! The VRs looks the ticket but i end up in some places that the all wheel drive is helpful at least twice a week.

Leftfield suggestion for you, and probably won’t be quite such a massive performance shock to you.

How about an A4 avant 3.0TDi Quattro. More torque than your RS4, will do 40mpg average, and still plenty bloody rapid. My Dad had an early A5 3.0TDi Quattro with sport pack and it was a rapid motor, and decently economical. Decent enough as the vRS is, it’s a substantial step down from an RS4. The Superb would just feel dull and boring I suspect. Know what you mean about 4×4 though, I never thought I’d use it at all until I owned a car with it, an old A4 quattro. Economy is 10% worse than FWD for sure, but even just for getting out of muddy fields at bike events let alone crappy weather, it was ace! Though tyres make the biggest difference, a set of 19’s with low profile tyres will be useless in crap conditions.

What’s your budget anyhow? New xDrive 3 series Beemer maybe?

Good points there mboy thanks. I might have a look at the TDi’s then. Not too keen on the beemers and wagons hard to find around here.