It really must make your skin crawl when you realize the best selling vehicles in the U.S. are pickups, year after year.
It does make mine crawl. But I reckon a fair number of those buys are fleet and other work vehicles. Compared to a lot of the world, there is a lot more hauling and tough-vehicle work in the US.
I think in a lot of the world, work-type vehicles are far more specific, not something Ford produces in large quantity. The typical American pickup is versatile because they can be customized to a large degree as well, to the point that a majority of specific-job vehicles are still one of those 250 or 350-class trucks. A lot of Europe, at least, seems to get by on Sprinters and similar vans, and far more specialized vehicles.
But part of the thing too, is the US is still drastically different than much of the world. Infrastructure here, outside of the few major cities, is spread out and requires a lot of pieces moving long distances, including crews and equipment between multiple job sites. A lot of that work simply cannot be done economically in a Sprinter or similar vehicle.
I do hate seeing the number of people who don't do really any kind of hauling driving around massive vehicles, "because it's safer" - but that will take a while to really beat out of people. I don't argue we all need to move to the slowest hybrids to make ever last drop of fuel last as long as possible, but there is something to be said for striving for a least a little bit better economy.