Why there fun to drive, are bigger and more room inside. Trucks are better especially in the snow, same with suvs.
The flip side of increased interior room is exterior width, poor site lines, increased weight, increased energy waste, increased danger to pedestrians, increased road wear…
Never seen a pick-up in New York or San Francisco. They're everywhere in Wyoming. No, you don't need it around town. But if you're hauling a snowmobile or going off road, even only a few times a year, the trade-off can be worth it.
I don't drive a truck. But calling a subjective preference "objectively worse" is reductive.
Sure, a truck might be the best vehicle for your use case. It's probably the best vehicle for farmers, for example. But you could do all that with a 1970'd Ford F-150 just fine. Why does the 2023 F-150 have to be so much bigger, while not even gaining a lot cargo space?
I agree that pickups have grown ridiculously large.