A lot of people feel the 3.0 motors exert less stress on the trans, causing it to last longer. However, one would think that the the trans is different between the two models.

Mrbmwx5 said that the 01s have better transmissions than the later years -- not sure why he said that.

If you do a search on the subject you will find lots of info.

My advice would be to try and find a car that has been gently driven.