Just did the same thing with the same budget.
Honda's insurance run 15-20% higher than other manufacturers do to cost of parts.
Forget the Korean brands, that year range is when they were still working kinks out.
The trailblazers have not proven as reliable long term as the Jimmy's and blazers, just a though.
If you can afford the fuel, 4.6 explorers will run foreversl...
The Ford escape and Mazda are the same, and suck for running up high miles on, don't believe me, ask around on their forums. Not many hit 200k.
The subarus that are turboed are bulletproof with gorgeous interiors if you shop around. Their naturally aspirated go through headgaskets every 50-80k due to the boxer design. Ironically, high miles accumulated quickly seems to hold off this issue. Naturally aspirated motors just have zero cylinder support, they wobble, boom, leaks.
The crv is bulletproofish, but it sucks on fuel.
The rav4 2.0 is bulletproof but needs timing belt waterpump every 90k. The rav4 2.4 is bulletproof, but needs frequent water pumps...50-100k. Avoid 01-04ish rav4s like the plague, computer issues.
Jeeps are fun, but they aren't the greatest reliability wise outside of the 4.0.
The 4runners are great if maintained just poor MPG. Driving slow and the 2.7 fixes that to some degree.
The 2005+ grand vitara are gorgeous mini suvs, buy drink fuel like a suburban. Also with Suzuki bankrupt in this US, nearly any accident is a total.
Sidekicks and trackers are cheap, bumpy, require timing belts and water pumps every 50k...but parts are retarded cheap. Built on a truck frame. Slow. But... true 4wd with transfer case, rear wheel drive, andi use mine to drag trees all over the property. Best part is 28-30 MPG stock.
Sequoias and gx470s are an option in that price range, but fuel hurts. Offset by low low maintenance.
The exterra is also a decent rig, but their aren't many with high miles.
I ignored German brands and the huge domestics... if you can afford to DD either uoi don't need my advice.
Honestly...gx470 or4runner for the win.
