There are a lot of options out there, so please do you research. ***WARNING! I AM GOING TO OFFER MY OPINION. ***
As you may know or not know I was in your situation a few months ago. I test drove the Mazda 3 and 6. The Mazda 3 was way too small and the interior felt bland and cheap. The 6 on the other hand, was a blast to drive but it felt way too much like the SVT. I wanted to move away from that so that was a turn-off.
I settled on the Passat and I feel the car is great. Yeah, it is a little underpowered and the suspension is weak. All that can be fixed though.
