How much are you willing to spend on combo and how small of a combo do you want?
Reviews can be handy but don't use them as a whole to make your decision. Let your ears be the final judge.
I haven't tried a Crate amp since I was 16, (20 + years). They were notorious for being pieces of junk with inferior tone back then so I've had no desire to ever try one again, especially since I know there are much better products on the market.
You're best bet is to shop around and look for something used. You'll get the most for your money that way.
Some combo's that I've used with sucess for practice, rehearsals, and gigs:
Fender BXR 100, it's not the best sounding combo on the market, but IMO/IME it is a usable tone due to the 9 band graphic EQ. Line out feature will allow you to run directly into a PA so you can use it for large gigs.
Fender Rumble 100 1x15 or 2x10, For the money I think these are good amps. They get fairly decent bottom end, crisp highs, and decent mid range. They have a 4 band rotary EQ of Bass, Low Mid, High Mid, and Treble. If you tinker around with it you'll be able to get some usable tones from either amp. Also has a line out feature so you can play larger gigs.
Peavey TKO 75 1x15, a real work horse that will last. They only have 75 watts of power but this amp does get quite loud. It has low and high shelving and a graphic eq so you can get usable tones from it. It will get loud enough to do a medium sized gig without PA support though minimally.
Genz Benz M Line 2x10, I only bought this on Saturday so I haven't really had it long enough to recommend it or not. It does sound good (or I wouldn't have bought it) and has some features that I do like though like the line out, 200 watts, and external speaker jacks so if you want to mate it with another 2x10, 1x15, or even 4x10. The midrange portion of the eq on this amp is also parametric, which I am so far finding to be quite nice.
