Email Fail - Recommendations

I am fed up with the Cox E-mail "upgrade" to support all of this annoying advertising while destroying the functionality of the e-mail system that I have used for decades without a problem. Now I have tremendous problems and the online help is no help because they can't fix a system that cannot handle the load of this upgrade. Just at a loss as to what to do as cannot delete the emails en masse and I receive hundreds every single day. It's a mess and they cannot give any estimate of when it will be fixed. My frustration is forcing me to look at other email options - considering gmail - and perhaps other options for internet and cable as we have had all services with Cox forever. Never used any other service provider. Never price shopped. Any suggestions?