Over the years Japanese made vehicles have earned themselves a reputation when it comes to near bulletproof reliability, nothing highlights this more than the stellar pickups they have produced, not only are they reliable, but durable too.
The current JDM fascination has seen the values of certain cars skyrocket, almost to an unreasonable level in some cases. What this has done to the used market is also pretty interesting, with Japanese made vehicles holding their value better than anything made in North America or Europe.
Pickups have historically held their value, but for some prices have remained reasonable, and if you do buy one of these pickups it will likely outlast you.
10 Nissan Frontier
Proven reliability is something of an understatement, with Nissan holding onto this design for what many would argue was a little too long. It is a simple beast that can haul just about anything, and it will continue to haul it for decades.
Don’t expect creature comforts, don’t expect any comfort at all really, but do expect good mileage and incredible reliability. Just steer clear of the first models which still had a few kinks to get sorted out, anything made after 2010 should be near indestructible.
9 Isuzu D-Max
The global Isuzu pickup platform that first came out in the early 00s was incredible, the range of diesel engines you had to choose from were all torque rich and efficient too.
Not exactly the prettiest and never sold anywhere in North America, these were sold as the Holden Rodeo in Australia. They helped serve as the foundation upon which Chevrolet would build their first global Colorado after GM parted ways with Isuzu.
8 Toyota Pickup
Few can fault the durability of the old Pickup, it has become widely recognized as one of the most durable vehicles ever made.
One small problem with them is, as much as the drivetrain is more or less bombproof, they do have a tendency to return to the earth rather rapidly thanks to pretty thin sheet metal and fairly average rust protection.
7 Isuzu TF
Arguably the pickup with the most different names ever made, consider the TF as a placeholder, as it had a different name for pretty much every market it was sold in. Although it was sold in America as the Pickup and Chevrolet LUV, those never got their diesel powertrains.
Which is a shame, because Isuzu were very much ahead of their time in terms of turbo diesel development. In the 90s, these were the most torque rich pickups you could buy outside of the US, and they became a staple for fleet use worldwide.
6 Toyota Tacoma
Built to replace the aging and admittedly unsafe Pickup for the North American market, the Tacoma grew from strength to strength with each of its generations.
The latest is arguably the best of all, with an array of different packages from sport to comfort to off-roading, they have you covered. Sales are also particularly strong, so the used market has all those optioned pickups floating around already.
5 Mazda BT-50
Essentially, this is a reskinned Ford Ranger, but that is not a bad thing at all. After several generations of the Ranger being a reskinned Mazda, this was the very first that was the other way around.
It is also arguably the best Mazda pickup, getting all the good bits from the Ranger with some Japanese touches here and there. With their split, the latest Mazda will lean on Isuzu and might well be even better, but only time will tell.
4 Toyota Land Cruiser Pickup
It is a fan favorite among terrorists and rebellion leaders for good reason, it is comparably cheap for a paramilitary vehicle and can quite literally go anywhere.
Favored in areas where the roads simply run out, these Land Cruisers have unrivalled reliability and parts availability. Even deep in the middle of who-knows-where, you will find diesel and a starter motor for a Toyota Land Cruiser.
3 Datsun 720
The 720 is getting a bit rare, especially functional examples, but they are not like other classic Japanese cars which are getting pretty expensive, even though they may look a bit like them.
It is a genuinely fun alternative to the JDM classics, it also has proven reliability, still serving as workhorses around the world today.
2 Honda Ridgeline
No, this isn’t exactly the toughest looking used pickup, but the latest generation of the Ridgeline has become a big hit for good reason.
It might be the least affordable of all Japanese pickups because of the demand, but they are really that good, well, as long as you are not planning on going off-road, ever.
1 Toyota Hilux
If the terrorists are driving older Land Cruisers, then the peacekeepers or anti-terror group will likely be driving one of these new-ish Hiluxes.
Far more rugged and substantially less refined than the Tacoma, the global midsize offering from Toyota is still one of the best pickups money can buy. Good diesel engines, excellent reliability and the ability to haul anything under the sun.