I think the formula overcomplicates things. The clear winner on paper when I was looking in 2002 was the Passat TDI estate. Then I took one for a long drive and scrubbed it off the list because I just didn't like it. Then I did the same in a Volvo S60 and had to have one. Still got it; still happy.
Everyone has personal dealbreakers and you don't always know what they're going to be. For a family bus in 2008 we wanted something with three separate seats in the back; Citroen's C4 Grand Picasso looked like a good bet, but I drove it and hated the dozy semi-auto gearbox and the speedometer in Milton Keynes, so off the list it went.
I reckon you should shortlist carefully, decide what you like best and go for it if you can afford it. If you can't justify the cost, repeat the process with the next on the list. Formulas work well on objective data; using them with arbitrary values merely offers the illusion of science.
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