Interesting thoughts. For 'everyday' driving I would probably plump for a 4x4 if I could budget for a decent one, pretty much entirely for visibility reasons. Where I live the lighting is very poor at night and generally cramped urban roads mean that an extra bit of sight goes a long way to avoiding hazards (which are more numerous). After driving a Transit for work purposes for a long period of time it always felt really weird hopping into my Mini!
Of course, you also have the fact that many smother speed bumps much better due to their weight, same with potholes, both of which are much bigger concerns for me than they used to be. I suppose many will be decrying the new Countryman but I would guess that it'd be pleasant in the way a Qashqai or Kuga is (the latter I rather like as well).
