Car Buying Help

I'm looking to get a car some time this summer before I head off to grad school. I need something large enough to haul my indispensable piles of junk, reliable enough to make the drive from southern California to eastern Kansas (about 1800 miles +/-), and with halfway decent gas mileage. A measure of offroad capability would be a plus, though I know that doesn't typically go hand on hand with good gas mileage. 2WD with decent ground clearance would be enough. I'm on a student budget, so I'm hoping to keep it under $2k, though I'll probably be able to go a bit higher if I have to. Any suggestions for what might fit the bill?