I take issue with your comment about the Koreans' superiority. A trip to the Simpson Desert would disappoint you, with a big majority of vehicles being Japanese. Toyota and Nissan prevail. My last seven vehicles have been Toyota with trouble-free performance. No way will I be changing.
For your specific needs, including serious outback travel, I would also go for a Toyota. But the discussion was about regular compact family cars and in that class the Koreans are ahead of all but the Mazda3.