Here in NZ I have a Mitsubishi van, 13 years old and never any trouble, but it is really a mobile toolbox.
The family car is a 3litre V6 Toyota Camry automatic, which may go on forever if the electrics don't get any worse. It is capable but boring, and prefers to cruise.
The Mitsi 1.8litre manual that it replaced was getting unreliable at 210,000K, but would eat the Toyota, despite the size difference, on anything but a dead straight road, and it felt safer on that. More flexible suspension, too.
I liked that car, but it was always trying to kill me. "C'mon, let's go FASTER!"