I like my Mini-14. Reliable as hell, and stainless/synthetic gives it more utility than most rifles IMO. Why deal with rust when technology fixed that YEARS AGO? Sometimes I really wonder why gun buyers get any "working gun" in anything but stainless (and yes it can be black, too). And I'm a "walnut and blue" guy.
The SKS isn't the deal it used to be. It's also a good deal heavier than the Mini. But I like the SKS.
The Saiga, unmodified, is a gawd-awful rifle, unbalanced, with no "pointability" to it. It may be cheap and reliable, but it's awful. Turn it into an AK and it becomes a lot more tractable (though I'm no big fan of AK ergos).
Nobody's mentioned the Kel-Tec SU-16. I think it deserves a serious look, especially the shorter versions.