The thing with pick up trucks is that they're actually really fucking practical. For people who want to be self reliant and can afford one, they're a no brainer. You've got one vehicle that can function as a car, a van, a camper van (with a demountable pod) or tow a trailer. They can go off road, and they've got enough power to help other people out if they've got into a sticky situation.

Environmentalists can protest all they want but people, particularly outside of cities, do need them for very valid reasons. Inside of cities, yes you're not taking it off-road regularly, but you could well need one if you do lots of DIY projects, spend time out in the country regularly on weekends, or just don't want to be reliant on other people or renting a van every time you want to move something large or buy furniture. Smaller versions, because they really are too big for UK parking spaces, are catching on this side of the pond but primarily because of tax advantages rather than practicality reasons.