I can tell you exactly why, in middle America at least. Buying a Toyota means you prioritize reliability and getting work done. Buying a Ford or Chevy (invariably a large cabin, premium leather comfort model wearing a pickup truck as a costume) means you prioritize image. Sure you might get work done with it - though I know way too many who don't - but it wasn't what you set out to purchase. It has to be American, it has to be big and have a fancy grille silhouette, and it has to be nice and cushy to sit in.