We had similar logic, we felt an older but better-built 5er in our budget range was a better buy that a newer one that was cheaply constructed. We saw some newer 5ers that were selling used for north of $100k, which was too much for us.
We wound up with a 2008 Heartland Big Country, and while not at the level of brands like HitchHiker, etc., it does an aluminum frame, good tank capacities, and very well made overall.
It's going to need some cosmetic updates and new electronics\, but we can used what we saved on the purchase to fund some remodeling. We had fun making over the Lance and looking forward to doing this 5er.
From what I know, motorhomes (either A or C) work best if you travel a lot and make a lot of stops. A 5er is better for extended stays. Of course this is a broad generalization, YMMV.
