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I am looking for a modern wagon or SUV that has the following features: dual air con, fold flat seats if a wagon, good cup holders, good reliability, iPod connectivity, fuel efficiency. I am looking at 2.5L Mazda Atenza and Legacy wagons 2010 or so, I like the Octavia wagons and Grand Cherokees but Euro maintenance costs worry me. Are there any options around $12-15k that are more efficient than the Mazda or Subaru, while still looking good? We currently have a Vitz and a Cefiro wagon, and take the Vitz on trips as it's cheaper on gas, which seems a bit ridiculous. Many thanks for your help.

Whether or not you will be able to find something meeting all your criteria is hard to say.
The Mazda Atenza and Subaru Legacy may meet most of the creature comfort aspects, but clearly, neither of these will come close to your Vitz for fuel economy.
The Subaru (being All Wheel Drive) is likely to use more fuel than the Mazda and as a long-term reliability prospect, the Mazda is probably the better option.
The Grand Cherokee is a known gas-guzzler, however the Octavia has a very good reputation for fuel economy and may not be as expensive on maintenance as you think.
Still, all things considered, I think it's hard to go past the Mazda Atenza/Mazda6, and it's probably the one I'd suggest.

Hi, thanks for the really useful info you provided to my wagon enquiry. I wonder if you could tell me a bit more about the Octavia vs Atenza comparison please? I'm aware the Atenza is nearly bulletproof in terms of functionality and reliability, but for some reason I'm drawn the the Octavia as a more interesting option that is efficient, also a friend has the diesel VRS and says it's a great drive and goes like the clappers when you want it to. Could you tell me about the long term costs of this car, roughly how much the difference is annually to keep one running compared to a Japanese car, whether it has ipod compatibility and it's general user friendliness as a daily driver? Sorry one more question - how hard is it to import a Euro from England? A dealer recently told me that's how they get their cars and I suspect I could save thousands doing this myself. Many thanks for your time and advice.

The Octavia is not an overly complex vehicle, so general servicing and maintenance should not be much more than an equivalent Japanese car. It may pay to consider a Mechanical Breakdown Policy as while the Skoda has a fairly good reputation for reliability, if a major component such as the DSG transmission should fail, it would be an expensive repair.
Importing fron the UK is not all that difficult, but you should be aware of the risks. For example, under-body corrosion or corroded components are not uncommon, due to salt on the roads in winter. Also, unless you're importing a high value vehicle, there may not be much advantage once you've paid freight, insurance, GST and NZ compliance costs, so make sure you do lots of homework before you commit.
If you do find a vehicle you are considering in the UK, you can submit an Import Enquiry Form, and our team will be able to guide you through the process and confirm whether or not the vehicle you are considering will meet NZ standards. This is particularly important, as you don't want to get a vehicle here and find it can't be registered.
As for iPod connectivity, like Bluetooth phone/music device connectivity, it would be hard to find a car today without this feature, and yes, the Octavia should have this feature. One thing worth noting though (as with all Volkswagen Group product) is that if you wish to connect via cable, you will need VWs adaptor cable, as a standard Apple/USB cable won't fit.

Another vehicle you probably want to consider is Nissan Wingroad nz new version post 2007 model. Cost under 10k but a car offers good seating position, excellent fuel economy( long trips averages about 15-16km per litre). On the low side has cvt but our work vehicle done 220+ks and still drives like new. Service is the key i suppose :)

Not wishing to contradict what I said about the Wingroad in reply to your previous post Sunvi, you are right about servicing definitely being the key to get the best out of any car (as you've proved with your BMW). 220,000km from a CVT (or any transmission) is excellent, so keep up the maintenance!