1200 utes make good daily drivers if they are regularly maintained. I travel about 15km each way every day and very rarely experience any problems. Being such a small vehicle they're great in peak hour traffic.

The reliability of ANY car is entirely dependant on condition & maintainance. Age has NO BEARING on reliability whatsoever, however, older vehicles ar often in poor or run down condition & this is what can cause problems.
There are vehicles out there that are now aproaching 100 years of age, that are maintained extremely well & provide 100% reliability, while some neglected & abused three year old cars couldn't be trusted to drive around the block.

Reliability is completely in the hands of the owner.

it would be perfect

looking to get my first vehicle.... and want a dato 1200 ute. my old man rekons im wasteing my money buying a vehicle so old even tho im after a engineered ute with a CA and prepared to pay 10 to 15000. how would it go as a daily driver back and from work each day 40km?