Is your wife going to be the primary driver? I'd love to have one, but my wife would hate it. Lots of women drive Jeeps because of looks or being convertibles. Choosing between an unlimited and an escape is like choosing between a malibu and a Cadillac CTS. I'm not saying which is the Jeep, what I mean is they are two totally different vehicles.
I wouldn't be worried about buying an unlimited in a reliability sense. They'll be as good as anything else, better if you fall in love with them and take care of them. But they are NOT a glorified minivan, unlike most "crossovers".