Hello everyone, I'm looking to purchase a Xterra and I have a few questions for you "experts" .

I went and test drove an 2002 EX 5sp with 83k on it today. It appears to be in good condition, drives pretty nice. I did have a couple of concerns though. the breaks sometimes sqweak, (the woman owner said she took it to the dealer to have them looked at, but they said it was just break dust), I noticed the steering is kinda sluggish, but maybe this is normal. I noticed that when i shifted at higher RPM's under WOT, the engine kinda makes a high pitched groan for a second when the clutched is pressed in...is that normal?
The last thing that got my attention was some oil or tranny fuild around where the tranny bolts up to the motor.

What else should I look for when inspecting the vehicle? It appears to be in good shape, the owner seemed to take care of it. It also has a warranty thats good for another year.

She's asking $11k for it, but I know thats way too much, would $9k be reasonable?

Thanks in advance for any input.