I agree with you regarding the Isuzu pickup. I drove mine off the lot brand new and it ran superbly until it rotted in half from these New England salty roads. Had I wanted to live dangerously I would have kept it a few years more. Having made it through 50+ months in hazardous fire areas I decided not to tempt fate.
My 1992 went over 300,000 miles with only brakes, oil changes, a fuel pump, 2 batteries, 2 sets of wires, cap and plugs, and an exhaust system. Oh, and two sets of tires.