Believe me, the market would prefer the older, smaller, steel framed trucks than the newer aluminum ones. But they're no longer an option, new.

EPA regulation and govt overreach/ unintended consequences are what led to these design changes, not market demand.

The blue-book price for my 12 year old steel-framed truck has gone up every year since I bought it used.

>before they turned into a political/biological/emotional statement piece

The anti-truck crowd, which supported all the regulations that led to the current state of vehicle design, are the ones that made this a political/emotional issue, whether they realize it or not.