Need good performance in the snow? Just about any FWD car on the road has six inches of ground clearance. Fitted with four dedicated snow tires, FWD is every bit as good in the winter as AWD.
Wake up to more than 8" of snow depth? Call in sick. Or take the four-wheeler.
No sense guzzling gas all year because you wanted to be prepared for the two days a year that extra ground clearance would be helpful. Or buy a Subaru Outback if you must.
Need to move a fishing boat, some furniture, sheets of plywood, and some four wheelers? Get a Prius. A 2004 will fit within your budget, and it should be good to tow 1000lbs, same as just about any compact car on the market.
You already know what makes one vehicle more efficient than another: better aerodynamics, lighter weight, smaller engine, stick shift, fewer driven wheels. If you're actually looking for a fuel efficient vehicle, you know what to do.
I don't think you can formulate the problem in a way that makes the macho truck you want to own the rational, low-cost choice.