New (replacement) windows: vinyl vs. wood?

All the existing windows in the house are wood, some about 25 years old and some a whole lot older. We now have to replace 4 of the old ones on the sunny side of the house.

We’ve almost resigned ourselves to going with vinyl for the new ones because of the cost of wood. Vinyl looks like junk to me. But I’m not going to let the presence of vinyl windows ruin my life; if I have to cave, I will.

But first we need to know this:

Which is the better choice for the long term?

(And can you really paint the vinyl?)

If we have to replace the vinyl ones in ten or even twenty years, we’ve more than doubled the cost and might as well go with wood.

I see this previous question, but I’d like a fresh set of opinions, please.