[onewhippedpuppy]

The newer bodystyle (2007+) are a huge improvement over the prior model, interior quality is greatly improved and they are much nicer to drive. I had one as a rental for a week and was very impressed, they drive much smaller than they are. I also averaged right at 20 MPG on the highway on a 2011 2wd 5.3 1500 model. Be careful with the option packages, there's a lot of cheap ones that are super basic inside.

Have you considered a Nissan Armada? We just sold my wife's when we bought her a new F150, hers was a 2004 model (first year), SE package, 2wd. We sold it at 110k, it was overall a nearly flawless vehicle. It has more room than the Expedition/Tahoe/Sequoia but is smaller than the Suburban, and does have some creative design touches that the Suburban lacks. The V8 isn't the best MPG but is fantastic, it's super responsive, has lots of power, and sounds like a muscle car. You can easily find a 2004-2007 in your price range, the 2008+ is much nicer inside but also a bit more money. Give it a look if you don't need the immense size of the Suburban, I thought of it as an affordable Sequoia.