Just to close this thread down with some sort of resolution, we have now put a deposit down on a new (to us) car. Decided in the end not to go the lease route given the dead money / pension implications with the way the scheme is structured here in the UK. So, what did we decide on? "We", that is my darling wife, decided on a Mercedes C-Class Estate. (OK, it's not a VeeDub Stig, but at least it's German?) She fell in love with the colour (!) and the panoramic sunroof.
In fairness this will be her third Merc, so she knows and loves the marque and having test driven it, I have to admit it's a nice ride and has the full complement of toys. There will be enough room in the back for the dogs and I'm actually looking forward to her picking it up next week.
(PS: The Landy now seems to have developed a torque converter fault, so the decision to get rid seems like a no-brainer.)