anything as refined as my w202 for less than 6k?

[sawman]

So over the last 6 months I have covered the 6k miles in my 1998 c280. Its a great old bus, even though its a bit rusty in typical merc style. It has just passed its MOT, just needing a lightbulb, but it will probably need a bit of work for the next one (couple of advisorys).

The merc is a great cruiser - smooth, quiet and refined. A recent trip in a friends A3 tdi reminded me how noisy some cars are, to be honest I couldnt live with the racket of the A3. My (recently sold) morgan was pretty noisy, but got away with it cos the noise was nice, and the car's character fitted it.

So the question is; If I were to move the merc on, what could I replace it with that would be as good a car for the daily 70mile round trip (mostly on dull dual carriageway) commute?
I don't really care how many doors, but an estate or hatch is probably handy.
The main criteria being:
quiet
refined
smooth
reliable and under 6k