Hi HPW, I ended up with a 2010 Ford Escape (I got to know it when working in the jail!) final decision was that it was top of the line with loads of rebates and a retire- your-ride program (designed to get older less efficient vehicles off the road) ($7,000 total) my short list had three similar vehicles. My daughter and grande daughter both have the newer versions. AWD was a must because of our weather and location.
BUT Doreen has only been in it twice! it isn't the most accessible for anyone with mobility issues! So we use the 2001 Ford Windstar van as our primary vehicle as the seats are quite high and the floor is level and no ledge, no foot-well, tailgate opens fully to access her folding walker, again a level floor and no edge to lift over, the floor level is a major factor depending on your wife's mobility! lots of room for the groceries.
The Vauxhall Zafira is not available here,(I Googled it) but I'd look at it's accessability befor performance (within reason) will you need ramps etc, would a trailer be practical! open/ closed, plenty for you to think about. Are there any government programs you can access?
Vic