[87Skier]

My 1996 Suburban is reaching the end of its life, and I'm thinking about upgrading to a newer vehicle.

I don't care for the 4L60E transmissions, so I've decided I'm going with something 2007 and newer. Wife wants an SUV of some sort but doesn't care if it's a Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, Escalade (I think Avalanche variants are a no). I do some occasional towing, mostly a boat, but occasionally a car trailer, so I need something truck based. She also wants heated seats, leather, and maybe a back-up camera. 4 wd is a must.

Originally I set out to buy a Tahoe or Suburban for around $13k with ideally less than 125,000 miles. I've found a few out there, but I also saw quite a few Escalades for not a lot more money. So I've been seriously considering a Cadillac Escalade.

So, what do you guys think? Do you own a newer Tahoe, Suburban, or Escalade? How do you like them? Is the ride quality/comfort significantly better in the Cadillac? How is the build quality in these vehicles? Is there anything I should watch out for? Is the 6.2L better or worse than the 5.3L? If it were your money, how would you spend it?

I just want to hear your opinion, you won't offend me!