I agree that the condition of a SOHC V6 would be a factor IF that year had them, but let's get real. It's now a 20 year old vehicle so it's past the type of normal early failure issues present on many vehicles and at this point anything could fail and everything should be looked at carefully.
In particular look at the big ticket items. Engine noises, smooth/reliable shifting, 4WD problems (if 4WD is needed), even little things (if important where you live) like needing new A/C compressor can come near doubling your costs, or the sum of intermediate cost things like half worn out vs completely worn out tires, rusted out exhaust, check engine light indicating it may need new sensor(s), rotting hoses/belts/spark plug wires (general engine bay conditions can mean everything is about to go out), suspension problems, severe rust, etc.
Point being, at this vehicle age it's pretty easy for typical wear out items (on any vehicle of this complexity, we're not talking about a Honda Civic!) to equal or exceed the purchase price if you're not heavily into finding cheap parts and DIY repair. On the other hand, then you have the problem areas fixed and expected to last a while.
