Not necessarily trying to derail or stray away from Kenwood or the models mentioned, but there are several other analog radios which can be had new for a fraction of the cost of some of the higher tier stuff mentioned in the thread. Just an example, something like an Icom F-5021 or F-6021 can be had for approx $275 each. Not high tier (doesn't sound like that's needed), 45/50 watts (plenty of power for most situations), bulletproof, and the radios are barely bigger than the size of a sandwich.
Again, not trying to steer you away from your original post, but if you're on a tight budget and need good analog radios that don't take up a lot of space, you can do it (installed) for well under a thousand dollars.
On a side note, I have nearly all the models discussed in this thread in service (including the 4 deck VM7000's, APX8500's, etc.), and they are all great and have their place IMO. But it sounds like you need something simple, bulletproof, small, and cheap. Based on that, I'd go for the smaller analog rigs I mentioned or something comparable. Good luck.