Buying a Pathfinder

Hi Gang,
1st time poster, so go a little easy on me (not too easy if I ask something ridicously stupid though!).

Upsizing the family and as such am looking at upsizing the car. We've been tossing up the idea of a medium 4x4 compared to a wagon. Having driven cars/utes most of my life I am across the costs of servicing and running these.

However I'd love a 4x4 to take the family camping, do fishing trips, and just to stand out from the other fleet cars on the roads.

Looking around the market I (read wife) seem to like the look of the 2000-2003 Pathfinders. They seem to be in our range of price as well.

Primarily the car would be used for school runs and trips up the highway to the grandparents. I'd hope to get it off onto the dirt tracks a couple of times a year. We are not (at this stage) looking at crossing Big Red or going the back roads to Hermansberg.

Basically I am wondering people could answer the following questions with whatever knowledge or experience they care to share:
1) Is the Pathfinder a reliable car? From what I read here, most sing praise for it. What sort of problems should I look for when buying a secondhand one?
2) I've heard the 00-03 Pathfinder should have its timing belt changed at the 100k service. Can anyone confirm this?
3) In regards to 4x4 in general, how do the running costs stack up against normal sedan/wagons? Obviously I expect them to be higher, but costs of tyres, services, fuel in orders of magnitude from people who are or have run two cars at the same time would be great.

OK, I realise this is pretty broard post, but I'm just trying to do my homework as best I can so I don't get myself in the deep end during these times of economical hardship.

Thanks in advance gang and happy trekking.