If I were in the market for a new vehicle today I would look at:

Toyota FJ40 - they look like they can go anywhere and pretty much, they really can. I actually DO off road a lot with my terriers.
Honda Element - they look too practical to ignore, and Honda's just don't seem to break, ever.
Nissan Murano - they look nice too, good milage and still AWD
Subaru Forester - they have the reputation of lasting forever and being trouble free on the way too.

None of the above are terribly expensive and all get reasonable fuel economy. My wife drives a Honda Pilot and loves it. I just got a new work truck, a 2008 Chevy Silverado 2500 extended cab 4wd pickup with the 6 liter monster motor. It's a very nice ride, but not very practical unless you really need a pickup truck.