houm_WA makes a good point, final model year for the DII. I drove a 94 DI since I was 16 and sold it in the process of getting my D3 last year. Wish I had held onto it because I didn't sell for that much. They are great trucks
Anyway, i was in the same position as you. I cruised ebay motors for like 6 months. I tried to get a newer model year (ended up getting 08 HSE). I was willing to sacrifice mileage, as I heard the later model years are more reliable (mine had 92K when I bought), in terms of suspension issues etc. Had a couple inspected with lemonsquad, turns out the main guy used to be a LR mechanic and they provide lots of pictures. The one thing I wish I had waited for was the heavy duty package (rear locker), though as you will learn, good driving can do a lot to make up for not having one.
good luck with your search