Short and to the point:

1. Isuzu isn't out of the car building business, they just don't deal in gasoline vehicles in the USA. I won't debate the bad business decisions for the US. They are well known.

2. Bang for buck out of the box...I'd vote for a 3.0L Montero or Raider, put on A/T tires of choice and drive the hell out of it. It will be upgradeable if and when you come to the decision to do so. Gearing is slightly better in the stock Monteros, and you'll likely enjoy the power put out by the 3 liter. It is NOT a 2.6!

3. Yes, Mitsubishi is still here in the AWD market for now. The number of off-road rigs are drastically reduced, but they ARE still here.

Good luck with the search!