I'm really tired of this "hurr-durr Hilux indestructible" meme. They used it because they were there and available. In areas with limited supply chain infrastructure there is very much a network effect when it comes to machines that need a pretty substantial supply chain. It would have been the S10 war or the Ranger war had GM or Ford been the dominant manufacturer in that region. Toyota does not make cars that are magically immune to the laws of physics. They degrade with use like everything else and eventually suffer mechanical failure.

Okay, drop a building on a Ford Ranger and clear the rubble away and try to drive it away after. That is, after you've drowned it in the ocean and set it on fire.

https://www.drivingline.com/articles/top-gear-tries-to-kill-...

When I wrote my original comment I was this >< close to proactively responding to the top gear crap that every fanboy seems to think was handed down from god.

Top gear is automotive themed entertainment not a documentary. Anyone who has ever worked on cars knows this. You can bet there was a lot of off camera hackery to get the truck running each time. It didn't just drive away.

I used to pull these trucks (well, all sorts of vehicles) apart for a living. If you pulled the same stunt 10x with 90s Hiluxes and 90s Rangers you'd have more Rangers driving away in one piece because they have a better (taller web specifically) frame and that was the the weak point (at least in topgear's test it was).