Every day 4x4

[Tarrel]

Freelanders consistently come out top in off-road capability among the "soft-roaders". Ensure you get one with the TD4 engine (which is most of them), and go for a five door for the luggage space.

If you want more capability in a road-friendly package, go for a Series 2 Disco. Immensely capable and loads of space.

If the reliability issues of Land Rover worry you, you could consider a Subaru Forester. Again, very capable off road and very reliable. The Kia's, hyundai's, etc. look nice but won't give you the off road capability of a Land Rover or Subaru.

I remember reading an off-road comparison test of soft-roaders once. The Nissan X-trail came out very well. Almost as good as the Freelander. No personal experience though.