Make sure you hea the engine start from cold, some noises from the engine can disappear when it is warmed up. Check that the appropriate lights come on when you turn the ignition on (oil, battery, ABS, EML) as it is often a cheap way to hide the problem by removing the bulb. On the V6 check that the exhaust and downpipes don't blow under pressure as they are expensive to replace (as I found out to my displeasure, about £450 a side for the downpipe and quoted £720 for the exhaust fitted). Check that the speedo/instrument panel works from cold when driving without the side lights on as this is a common problem.
Other than that I would say that it is the normal checks for any car, but I would agree, if you look after it you will get lots of fun and the economy is nowhere near that bad when compared to other 4x4s with similar sized engines

'99 3.2V6 Auto Limited.
Some day it will be how I want it to be...