General buying questions, not sure what type car suits my needs

Hi there, I'm looking at buying a second hand car.
This is my first time and all the lingo is confusing
me and I'm just clueless about cars.

I'm looking for a second hand car mainly for road
use, but also capable of going on unsealed roads
with dips to visit my parents. (My 2000 corolla can
do the roads but it's unanimously agreed that a car
such as a lancer would be a bad idea) I also want
to be able to go beach camping and tow the
occasional light trailer.

I've seen plenty of Great Wall x240s for $4-7k but
even with all the awesome features the safety
aspects turned me off of it.
A 2003 Lexus rx330 is also within my price range
and love the extra features, first time with a big car
so reverse camera is super handy. I've read that it's
a 4x4, a AWD but it shouldn't go on 4x4 beaches??
Not wanting to go crazy on the beach just want to
get there.
I've also found a 2008 renault Koleos, but it's a cvt
which is also apparently no good for 4x4 type
things.

Again not wanting to go hard core 4x4. Just
wanting to get to places my corolla couldnt.

Lexus would be my top pick to go for but I'm really  
unsure of it being able to do the trip to my parents/
camping spots.

Any one that actually understands all the car
terminology able to help me out?