Brief update re change of car - Rebecca {P}
I went for a BMW 320D Touring Auto in the end. Not the one I'd first seen (was too late if you remember).

Picked it up last Thursday and left the Picasso behind (yayyy!)

Drove it from Hampshire to the Cotswolds and back over the weekend and apparently averaged 44mpg which will do me fine. The kids like it too (always a bonus) and this one has black leather - another bonus.

Job done. Thank you (as ever) for advice.
Brief update re change of car - Roger Jones
Good result. And the kids like it too? Well done.

Feed the leather with the right stuff (i.e. the leather lotion from any of the leading car-cleaning products companies) every six months and it will either last a lifetime or be a big plus point when you sell the car. Keep sharp objects well away from it. When I sold it, the only damage in my nine-year-old Golf VR6 leather was a scratch caused by a dry cleaner's wire hanger hook. -- yup, a dangerous item.