Replacing a V70

[Skyedriver]

Had Volvo's (740, loads of 940's and a 960) since 2003. Loved them (well most of them) used and abused them and they just did everything asked. If they needed any repairs it was straight forward, I could do it myself.

Two and a half years ago I sold my last 940 and bought a V70 D4. I absolutely hate it. Wife loves it, it does near 50mpg Diesel, VED is £35/year but I hate it. (*TL:DR Reasons below).

So I've two alternatives:
Keep it and buy something else for me to use over the winters/tip runs/parking at Tesco etc (budget up to about £5K) or sell the V70 and but something equivalent that I like (budget up to about £8K?).
Criteria: probably an estate (two dogs), low VED, high MPG, comfortable on a 500 mile round trip, manual gearbox, suitable for home servicing, proper handbrake (lever and cable NO electric handbrake.

Third alternative is I use one of my (currently) two modern classics year round and she drives the V70.

What would the PH collective suggest please.

• Reasons to hate the V70:

The turning circle wouldn't embarrass an oil tanker, you can't dip the oil, computerised everything which requires dealer/indie attention, the electric boot lid doesn't open as high so I catch my head and worst of all it has an electric handbrake which I regularly beat at the uphill lights on the bridge near home. Gentle pull away, handbrake stays on, even if I reach down to the difficult to see lever to disengage the damn thing, it stays on just long enough to stall the bloody engine. I've tried for near 30 months to get it right and yet again it caught me again today.

Edited by Skyedriver on Wednesday 22 January 17:08