Additional things to think about:
How much space is available for the tank. If you have 2" plumbing, anything 350 lbs (26" Pentair Sand Dollar) is 1.5" plumbing inside the filter. This kills the potential benefit of having 2" plumbing. That brings you to a 500 lb sand filter with a 30" tank or more. Can the pad support it's weight and is there enough room for it?
I almost never change sand without a very good reason. I do suck off an inch or two off the top and refill my own every 4-5 years. The main body of the sand bed is always clean.
DE filters tend to get taller when going up in size as opposed to sand filters, which get fatter.
DE filters need to be disassembled and cleaned/soaked periodically. It's not hard, just a PITA.
Cartridge filters suffer the same PITA job requirements as DE filter.
Initial Costs: DE Most, Sand Middle, Cartridge Least
Typical recurring cost order DE Most (DE or DE substitute and replacement parts) Cartridge (Filter Cartridges) Sand
Ease of Use: Cartridge (simplest except for the PITA chore), Sand, DE(Tied with Sand Except for the PITA Chore)
Water Clarity DE Best Sand (Some premium medias claim better filtering than plain filter sand), Cartridge
The claims of alternative sand medias of being able to filter as small a particle as a DE filter may be true but they cost substantially more and in 99.95% of the pools I have serviced, no one could tell the difference.
In your case, a 350 Lb 26" Pentair Sand Dollar will do the job just fine. You may need a couple flat patio blocks to extend the equipment pad as the base of a sand filter is significantly larger. It comes with the MPV. The Sta-Rite Cristal-Flo is the same filter except for the name and the color.
Don't go with a Hayward S244T 300 lb sand filter. The center pipe inside has a history of collapsing because the walls are thin. The Pentair uses Schedule 40 pressure rated pipe which is significantly stronger and won't collapse. If it did, it's easily repairable. I have never heard of it happening but I am sure someone has won the unlucky lottery there once by doing something silly.
HTH
Scott