[Paul K]

I am not sure exactly what your needs are, but how about an FJ Cruiser? There are a couple of us here that own them (Jim Cesiro is another that springs to mind).

Plusses...

240 HP.
20 mpg
Tows a decent amount, (I'd have to look it up to see how much)
Looks great
$30K
It's a Toyota
Very capable off road
Not bad at all on road (Once you put decent rubber on it)

Minuses

PITA rear seat access (not a problem for us)
Too 'cute' for some
Not many gizmos (No heated seats, asstd. other toys)
Rear visibility isn't great (Never been a problem for me)
Not many color choices (Mine is silver and looks great but I don't care for the other colors)

I suggest you go for a test drive just for the heck of it- I was very impressed!

Cheers,

Paul.