New cars are primarily bought by comparatively wealthier people or fleet sales. Less well off people might occasionally buy newer cars, but it’s more common to buy them second hand after 5-10 years of careful ownership. The $40k truck has historically depreciated by around 40% during that 5 year period, by which point it’s worth about $24k. Better examples may be worth more, worse examples less (although perhaps a poorer buy). Large examples of this come through age - in the US, the median new car buyer is in their 50s, whereas the median American is in their 30s.
Put simply, yes, the average new car is unaffordable for the average American, but how much of a problem is that?
Out of buyers in the market for a new car, this is clearly close to the affordable side of the range, no matter how ridiculous that might sound.