I've had my car (a
2003 Chevrolet Malibu) for 2 years now. I've attempted to trade it in twice, but given how much I drive the car (it currently has 85,000 miles on it, and I deliver pizzas), it's worth about half of what I owe on it. In addition, though still under warranty, it has cost me a small fortune in deductibles to fix shit that has gone wrong on it. Given that I've replaced so much on it (and it had to have a major tranny repair at 40,000 miles), hopefully, I'm good for awhile.
I'm leaning towards a Jeep Wrangler or Subaru as my next new car...they have both in the UK, don't they? Good cars...and perfect for what you're looking for.