Like you say, the drivetrain, chassis and pretty much everything on this truck has been around a very long time. I know on my FILs 2017 Frontier crew cab, long bed/wheel base 4x4, all the mechanicals have a means to drain/fill. The 5spd AT still has a dipstick, etc. The engine bay is packed tight. The interior fit/finish/feel is to me, like an early 1990s Nissan, which is a great thing IMO.
The bads as you probably know are, it gets full sized V8 powered truck fuel economy, there isn't a lot of legroom if you're a tall driver and the turning radius is horrific.
The reason why my retired FIL bought his used (ex rental) in 2018 was, they had such good luck with them as work vehicles where he worked, he loves them.