I have been a proud L322 owner for 15 years (TD6 and TDV 8 4.4), but time caught up with me as I approached my mid 80s and the tin tent had gone - what do I get next?
The L322 is a magnificent car and I have enjoyed them both, but they need a lot of TLC, are expensive to run and maintain and importantly, they are non-ULEZ compliant, so I started to look for a smaller replacement. I soon ruled out EVs and even hybrids can be problematic. I decided on a top spec Mazda CX5 with a 2.0 Skyactive petrol engine and no turbo. Of course, it is unfair to compare this with a FFRR, but it costs about one third the price of a new one. I got a very good discount of bout 4k, paying about £36.5 retail. Mazdas are very well built and finished cars these days and have a good reputation for reliability. It is fast enough for my needs and comes with all mod cons: adaptive cruise, heated and cooled seats, lane assist, a good infotainment system including Apple CarPlay, Bose sound system etc. It is not a FFRR, but it does not fall far short, and of course I miss the uncertainty of wondering what will go wrong next.

Did you consider an Evoque model, and if so, what ruled it out?
I also rate Mazdas, and I like the colour especially, petrol choice sensible IMHO, all-electric too much of a gamble still in regard to residual value and potential cost of battery replacement if it’s a retirement car. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” -where’s the fun in that?

I did consider the Evoque and I drove one once as loan car. I ruled it out on grounds of reliability and cost. I looked at the usual competitors but ruled out anything with a 3 cylinder turbocharged engine or with a DSG or CVT transmission. The CX5 is somewhat “old school” with a non turbo petrol engine and a conventional 6 speed auto, but it has a reputation for rock solid reliability. Actually the engine is pretty high tech with direct injection and a 14:1 compression ratio which makes it sound a bit like a diesel but it delivers 44mpg on mixed driving. The build quality is superb throughout and the only criticism I have is that the ride is a bit firm for my taste having been used to air suspension on a FFRR. 2011 Vogue TDV8 4.4
1992 Mazda Mx5

Looks very smart, sounds like a sensible choice, I like the colour too