I agree Subaru is good. The Ford Escape rocks, especially the V6. Peppy, reliable, and relatively good on gas. One I'd definitely stay away from is the Chevy Equinox... unless you are good with making lemonade. Sorry if anyone here owns one.
I've owned 3 Jeep Cherokees and loved every one of them, especially the GC.
You can carry a canoe on any car... I carried a 16' jon boat and motor back and forth to the lake on a Toyota Celica one summer
Good luck!