If you want reliabilty above all else, by a smaller margin than the past it is still Toyota. You won't be able to get an AWD car (the battery powered Prius is a very weak AWD car as when the battery goes dead in heavy snow - you are reduced to two wheel drive). My neighbor owns one and has to make sure the battery is still charged coming home and climbing our mountain because he cannot make it in heavy snow with a dead battery and snow tires). However an SUV with AWD is very possible. I would look at a three year old RAV4. They are below $20,000 for 2015 (about $15,000 in my area) and with 20,000 to 30,000 miles. You will not beat that in reliablity or cost.
Like I said, others come close but I don't think anyone on this board is going to tell you another brand is more reliable. Your old brand, Subaru, is not bad either but some do burn oil (about 10% of those sold after 50,000). Mine does burn some (2013 Legacy) but it has dropped from a quart every 4000 miles to about a quarter of a quart every 4000 miles as I approach 90,000 miles. Nothing wrong with the car (zero problems) I just have to monitor the oil consumption and add on the occasion I have to. I have the H6 engine so no trouble with accleration, but as you already know, Subaru is going to CVT everywhere (Jatco transmission from Renault/Nissan).
Manual tranmission is going to be really tough. For example, today, only 6 SUVs still offer a manual: Subaru Crosstrek, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, Mini Cooper Countryman, Kia Soul, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Compass. The only one I could say is reliable is the Subaru from that perspective. You are pretty much limited to that brand if you want a used one with a manual. It is still pretty reliable, just not quite as good at Toyota.
I would not go with Nissan as the alliance with Renault did not help their reliablity. It is not terrible but not as good as Subaru or Toyota.
Best of luck in your search!
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