Looking for advice on buying two entry-level bikes?

Hey everyone, I’m looking for a men's and a women's bike for basic commuting around town. Just looking for something standard with V-brakes and decent Shimano components—whatever you think works. These aren't for me.

Men's—for a guy who's 5'8".
Women's—for a girl who's 5'1".

They'll probably be Mountain Biking bikes just because of the look, but I'm open to other styles if they catch my eye.

I had a really great experience with a Trek 820 in the past, so I was browsing and found something like this:

I'm really not sure what the girl would prefer, so we have more flexibility there regarding the style.

Since we're riding in a city like Chicago, I wouldn't want slick or semi-slick tires; something closer to a 1.9 or 2.0 width would be better.

I won't specify a price because I'm really just looking for the most budget-friendly option that actually gets the job done without being total junk that falls apart on the first turn. Let's say I don't want to spend more than $1333 total. I'm also considering used bikes, so I might scour Craigslist once I have a better idea of what to look for.

Let me know what you think.🙂

Thanks.

Locked.