Wife's car got stolen, soliciting suggestions for yak friendly replacement.

I had good luck with a honda CRV, in the 2000-2003 generation.
price is in the range of your budget, especially in 2WD. It hauled 2 kayaks no problem, with a yakima rack on it.
 if you can find one that has close to 100k on it, be sure the 100k service has been performed. Mine lasted another 100k before we upgraded.

+1  on the CRV !

2002 Subaru outback. 198k and still running

Is that the one you destroyed winning the 2013 AOTY???   

Is that the one you destroyed winning the 2013 AOTY???   

That was a ford focus.

Glad you have the car, bummer the cleanup will have you thinking of this for a long time...

Got the adjuster coming over tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get that detailing thrown in.

Glad you have the car, bummer the cleanup will have you thinking of this for a long time...

Got the adjuster coming over tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get that detailing thrown in.

That would be very nice!

Glad you have the car, bummer the cleanup will have you thinking of this for a long time...

Got the adjuster coming over tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get that detailing thrown in.

That would be very nice!

Huzzah! Got the detailing thrown in, and came in at about half the value of the car, all told. Probably any higher and they'd have totalled it, which would have sucked. Of course when the locksmith came over, he wouldn't do anything as the ignition switch holder was destroyed in the theft.
Just looking for ONE easy fix that I can hire out, but it's not gonna be this one. 

On the positive side, while it'll fall on me to replace the locks (about $50 in parts)/ scavenge the scrap yard for the switch holder (maybe $20), we'll come out ahead in the final tally and it's a pretty simple fix.

Should help pay for the new axles I had to put in the other car yesterday