You should be able to pick up a really nice used tuner for $300-$500.
The fmtunerinfo web site has (subjective) rankings of what the best tuners are and information about typical sale prices.
While the tuner itself is important, even more important is getting a good signal to it. Use some of your budget on a good roof mounted antenna.
I have an Onkyo T9090 II that I enjoy every day and with a good signal it comes close to CD in terms of sound quality. I paid $200 for it.
The fmtunerinfo web site has (subjective) rankings of what the best tuners are and information about typical sale prices.
While the tuner itself is important, even more important is getting a good signal to it. Use some of your budget on a good roof mounted antenna.
I have an Onkyo T9090 II that I enjoy every day and with a good signal it comes close to CD in terms of sound quality. I paid $200 for it.