IMO, one of the absolute best deals out there right now, are 2000-2003 Mercedes E320 Wagons. MBZ has it's share of high maintenance and/or unreliable vehicles, but the W210's from this time period are not amongst them.
Reliability is top notch. They don't drive like crossovers or SUV's - they handle beautifully. Visibility is excellent. Few vehicles offer greater safety. The back folds down perfectly flat, resulting in massive amounts of storage, or sleeping space - we carry stuff up top in a cargo carrier, and sleep in the back quite comfortably at rest stops. Do-it-yourself maintenance is easy and cheap. Creature comforts are up there with most new vehicles. If you need it, the 4-Matic AWD option is every bit as good as a Subuaru, and results in a minimal mileage hit. Gas mileage is very respectable for a car this size...on my last road trip, with a cargo carrier on top going 75 on I-5, I averaged 26.5 MPG - the cargo carrier results in a 1.5 MPG hit. Ours is AWD - a 2WD wagon would get another 1.5-2 MPG.
These vehicles sold for upwards of $60K new - picked ours up last year for $14K, in excellent shape with low miles.
The down sides: Finding one that hasn't been abused, might take a while. Unlike MBZ sedans, many of which can be found in spotless condition with great service records, the wagons are typically kid/dog haulers. I looked at 10 or so, over a period of a couple months before finding the right one. They also require premium fuel, negating some of the decent mileage figures.