Far and away the best/most reliable vehicle I've ever owned is my 2011 Silverado 2500 HD (that I bought new, still have now, and will be buried in). I have a 2007 Tahoe that serves as a DD/MTB vehicle and has 167k on the clock all stock drivetrain and is awesome (and in theory, it's "the worst" having a AFM 5.3 and a 4L60E). I have a 2012 CTS-V that makes right at 700 RWHP on a fully stock longblock, stock clutch, stock trans, stock rear diff, stock axle shafts etc. with very light mods (intake, bigger heat exchanger for the intercooler, pulley, injectors, long tube headers, catted x-pipe, tune). I've had countless other GMs as well as LS motors in a ton of other vehicles. GM sucks, okay... why are 9 out of 10 engine swaps a GM engine ("LS")?
I had a Toyota product ('06 Lexus IS250) that was bought back as a lemon, I had a Land Rover ('06 Range Rover Sport Supercharged) that was nearly flawless past 100k mi (and I towed with it, camped/wheeled with it, even AutoX'ed it). No brand is perfect, but they all have high and low points. I could play the same game and say "Ford sucks..." and point at 6.0/6.4 PSDs, Gen 1 EcoBoost V6s, 5.4 Tritons, etc. etc. That said, if I was buying a brand new truck to build out for Overlanding it'd be a 7.3 gas F350 (yes, a Ford). I don't say "Ford sucks" I say "a lot of Fords suck." Pick a brand, and I can give you a list of terrible vehicles I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole, and I'm sure at least a few I'd love to own.
Pick the right vehicle and it won't "suck." I've picked right (my Silverado) and wrong (the Lexus).
Back on topic: no, I don't think the early 'tacos deserve their reputation. And that's based on many friends having them and having a lot of the same issue as you (frame rot, multiple engine replacements, etc.). I have a buddy with a 3rd Gen 4 Runner (more or less the same vehicle) that always brags about how he has 300k+ miles and how dependable it is... but he's on his 3rd motor, a clutch or two, had to rebuild the rear axle, etc. It's just like the 4.0L I6 Jeep engine (yes, I've had those too) that everyone says is the most bulletproof motor ever. Yet, the 4.0 actually has a lot of issues (lifter issues causing the famous tick/knock, constantly cracking exhaust manifolds, can't keep a rear main seal in them, etc.). The thing is, the 1st Gen 'tacos and most of the 4.0L Jeeps (think XJ, TJ... not ZJ/WJ so much) are so beloved people will keep fixing them and end up with half a million miles on them. That doesn't make the engine itself reliable, it makes the platform worth continued investment.
-TJ
