I have a '91 Geo Tracker 4x4, the model with the full-length metal roof, instead of the Bikini-top model. For me, it is about as good as it gets. It has enough room for me and my gear, plus a passenger, occasionally. Plus, my Tracker gets 28 MPG, allowing me to put on more miles than I could with a different vehicle. It has a 5 speed manual tranny, locking hubs, and a "Stud-Horse-Stout" 4 banger!
A friend has a Tracker that he has modified into a "Coon-Huntin' " rig. It started out as the half-roof model. He removed the soft-top and the rear seat. A wall of plywood was built, from the floor-pan to the end of the half-roof. This resulted in a 2-passenger rig with the rear-seat footwell for gear storage. In the "bed" area, he removed the tailgate, and installed a homemade dog box, custom fit to the dimensions of the bed area. This allows him to haul 2 dogs in seperate compartments. On the top of the box, he built a 6 inch tall fence, and covered the top of the box with indoor/outdoor carpeting. When they get to the backroads, the dog or dogs ride on top of the box, as the rig creeps down the road at 6-8 MPH. The dogs strike scent from on top, and when they bawl, the driver stops, the dogs bail off and the race is on. They can cover a lot of ground this way, and the gas mileage allows him to hunt a lot more than he could otherwise.
I am hoping to find another Tracker that I could modify somewhat like this.