In my experience a 4 door pickup with a shell over the back offers the most for the money. It'll be several thousand dollars less even with the expense of the shell and will have a much higher re-sale value down the road. You give up nothing in fuel mileage or comfort.
I gave up on SUV's years ago and have gone this route on my last 3 trucks. I'm currently driving a Tacoma, don't know if the kennels will fit the smaller bed or not, but they certainly would have fit the F-150's I owned previously.
Easiest way to learn is right here. I suffered through a Tahoe for about a year, hated it. Got a 1/2t extended cab, and traded for a crew cab within six months. Still have the crew cab.
