For the money, the Subaru Outback. My wife has one and we love it. It is much more of a station wagon than an SUV.
thanks for the recommendation. I was on the fence with Mitsubishi, mainly because I never read about them being in the top tier of quality auto companies. How reliable would you say the Outlander is? I'm gonna mention this to the wife tonight and see what she says.
You could also consider a Skoda Octavia wagon. They make one which is a similar size to the VW Jetta wagon and if you get a diesel, you'll get good mileage. The plus side is you'll get a lot of crossover with Audi and VW parts and design, but a car that is cheaper because it is assembled in the Czech Republic.