I expect you already know that not everyone is as enamored by the cars in their driveway as you are OP. Many owners just want a reliable, safe ride and don’t care about how many cylinders it has. But if you prefer a car w/a faster 0-60 time, why not get one? That’s your choice. 8 cylinder engine cars of the 1960’s and 70’s weren’t always faster than 4 or 6 cylinder cars of the modern era. In many cases the 8 cylinder cars of yesteryear were slower in fact. And if it isn’t fast that you want necessarily, you just want 8 cylinders, take a look at this, there’s still plenty to choose from.
I would say a Suburban is transport for an ordinary family
The vast majority of older cars had no better driving character than modern cars. Plenty of great cars at reasonable prices now: Mustang, Camaro, Miata, Mazda3, GTI, and others.
@Hollywood1974 - I have a 2004 T’bird that I enjoy. 4, 6, 8, 10 cylinders really make no difference. It is about power to weight ratios. A 4 cylinder motor in a lightweight car with good suspension can be fast and lots of fun. Torque is also very important. Big displacement motors have more torque, but small motors with turbochargers can also generate a ton of torque over 1,800 rpm. So, bigger isn’t always better anymore.
My wife bought a new '82 Camaro back in early 1983. The car was not sold by the dealership because it had a 4 cylinder engine with a five speed. It was an odd duck but it was actually fun to drive.
The 2013 Rav4 with the 2.5 engine feels as powerful as the 02 GMC Sierra with the 4.8 engine. The AWD Rav is 200 pounds lighter than the 4WD Sierra if I remember correctly. The fuel economy is a lot better with the Rav. The dashboard is horrid but that’s Toyota or what is happening everywhere these days. IPADS have fewer options.