The Japanese minitruck is a lot cheaper than the American truck, both in purchase and in use. If you buy a purpose built vehicle for work and personal use (or, even better: use public transit for the latter) in Japan you likely spend less than you do buying just a large pickup in the United States.
A 2023 F150 in the US starts at $33k. A 2023 Mitsubishi Minicab in Japan starts at $12k. You can almost buy three of them. The F150 has a fuel efficiency of 20mpg. The Mitsubishi Minicab has a fuel efficiency of 39mpg US. On top of that, maintenance will be cheaper with a smaller and cheaper vehicle.
It’s also worth noting that large vehicles incur social costs external to the consumer. A larger vehicle wears down roads quicker, requiring more government subsidy or higher taxes for road maintenance. A larger vehicle takes up more space, requiring wider roads and larger parking spaces, which makes infrastructure more expensive and sprawling; the latter makes cities less walkable.
A larger vehicle has a bigger environmental impact, negatively impacting health - leading to more spending on health care - and to a larger burden on the climate - requiring more spending on green energy and carbon offsets. A larger vehicle is less safe in collisions, leading to more deaths and graver injuries, again requiring more spending on health care.
Granted, the United States has remarkably poor infrastructure and civil planning for a rich country, making it difficult for its citizens to rely on superior modes of transport, and incentivizing bad transport outcomes. I certainly don’t blame any American for deciding to buy an American car; the country is just designed around them.