Sounds like fun. I’m not a big fan of light trucks. They used to be a good budget alternative but have gotten surprisingly expensive for their limited amenities. They also get used hard. A little searching here will find strong criticism of Subarus. A shame, as I also like the old Forester. The 4Runner is an obvious choice. I’m surprised you also don’t have the XTerra on the list, or have they not been around long enough? Any Pilot you can afford must have high mileage, but it’s awfully nice. Likewise the similar Toyota Highlander. The Matrix/Vibe of that era may have engines prone to oil sludging. It depends on the engine and how it has been treated. Otherwise, a very appealing vehicle, though the awd version is rare. I also like the little SX4 and per Consumer Reports it is quite reliable. It’s probably the most recent awd car you can afford.
There are many other adequate, uninspired SUVs you haven’t named, Escapes, Explorers, Mariners, Vues, Rodeos, Passports, various Misubishis and many others. I have no idea which have fallen to your price point, but I wouldn’t rule them out. They aren’t all that impressive and don’t have the butch credibility of some of your options, but they also don’t have great resale value, which is good for you. An Escape in decent condition is better than a thrashed 4Runner. When cars get old they all get somewhat unreliable, whoever made them. Maintenance records are good if you can get them, but at your price single owner cars are the exception. If you’re OK with a manual transmission, you can reduce your risks. Automatics are more prone to unpredictable failure and will be too expensive to fix on a car worth so little.
Others have already advised you to avoid Volvos and Audis Heed their advice. If a luxury vehicle has fallen to your price level there is a good reason for it. Wranglers are miserable highway and city vehicles. Almost everyone I know who bought one regretted it. They’re uncomfortable, noisy, inefficient, slow (until recently), and unreliable.
Significant rust is very rare in California. By all means check for it, but odds are you won’t find any unless the car grew up elsewhere. Awd is surprisingly common here (I live in San Francisco). No idea why, given our weather. I suspect the premium for used awd vehicles is less here than most places since hardly anyone actually needs it and it cuts gas mileage. I don’t know what the CHP considers 4wd, but that plus snow tires will avoid chain requirements most of the time, more than fwd plus snow tires. I wouldn’t be too concerned about ground clearance if all your driving is on major paved roads. If the snow is so deep a car with chains can’t get through the road will likely be closed.
Hit Craigslist and have fun. For those who say to look beyond Craigslist, in the Bay Area there isn’t much point. Craigslist is local and so dominant hardly anyone would try to sell a car here without listing it there.