Are you a tall man? Yes, a step van offers an advantage of being able to stand in it. Something it sounds like your Suburban is giving you a back ache about.
Are you in in urban, or hilly environment? The one with the automatic is for you. Once lost a clutch in rush hour with jerks pulled up 2" off my bumper on a steep hill - had to get the cops to re-route traffic to back me off the hill to get towed.
Do you have a big rainy/snow season? Both are good for you. In a pick-up everything is soaked.
Only residential? A diesel wakes up the neighbors in the morning.
You work on it yourself? The step van has better enginge access. Most you can sit in the drivers seat and work on it, but not much to do to a diesel until it really breaks...
Parking ain't great with either if you only park in garages. But in high-rise I often get loading dock parking off to the side or nearby street parking, any garage with space available is blocks away anyway.
Roof top ladders? They make swing-down ladder racks for taller trucks.
I drive a Savanna, but next one just might be a 10' box conversion Cut-Away, or a Step Van. Maybe a Sprinter...
