Considering 2016 Chev Tahoe 5.3
 

I think there are some Chevy experts here.
My 2006 Tahoe is starting to look pretty bad. Needs a paint job and rear axle bearings.
I might be able to get a 2016 Tahoe LTZ from a family member with 60k miles.
The trans is a 6 speed and the engine has AFM, SIDI and VVT. The block that year is aluminum.
SIDI = direct injection
VVT = variable valve timing

It has all the things I don't really want but this year seems to have very good reliability scores.

Any comments?

I had an 06 Tahoe Z71 which was a great vehicle. I traded it for a 17 Tahoe Premier in 2021. It has the 5.3 with AFM and 6 speed transmission. It has more bells and whistles than the 06.
It's been pretty reliable, we drove to Florida twice this year and we're driving to Arizona in January
Just change the oil frequently because of the AFM.

You own the last good year of gm truck.

AFM is garbage. Take some time to read up on it. I gave it a shot with a ‘13 suburban and will never own another gm product.

I have read that the 4.8 liter Vortec isn't a bad engine as long as you are not towing.
Simple and doesn't have the cylinder deactivation feature.

Yes I agree. I have the last good year.
I've read a bunch regarding AFM and I agree it is an issue. Frequent oil changes seems to help. I would plan to install some sort of AFM delete reprogramming.
The 6 speed has a good reputation.
SIDI - direct injection and build up is an issue
VVT - nothing popping up much on issues
There are probably 20 other issues that come up that might be difficult to diagnose and fix. Then there's the - I don't relish diagnosing and fixing things like I used to.

VVT is terrible. If the oil is changed every 3-5000 miles it probably will not fail. If that does not happen, it will fail. This is from friends that work at the Chevy dealer, not personal experience.

Thanks for that. I now currently change at 5k, but could go to 4k if I get the 2016.

I am not a fan of the 10k oil change, as recommended on my 3.4 Cayman and my C6. 5k for me. Sold the Cayman at 90+k miles running great but did burn a quart between changes. The C6 is at 92k and and uses no oil.

Searching the internet regarding what is likely to go wrong with a 2016 Tahoe is depressing.
AFM is at the top of the list. This has created a whole industry dedicated to deleting the AFM feature. This has been going on since 2007 - closing in on 20 years of crap. Can a known issue be successfully redesigned in 20 years - apparently not.