I was lamenting that also recently.
I had a Toyota SR-5 longbed, loved that truck , small trucks today are not small.
Or cheap.
Compact pickups were vehicles for young men and were priced about the same as the manufacturer’s entry-level car. In the 80s, a base 2WD Ranger was only about $500 more than an Escort. Today, a Tacoma is $10,000 more than a Corolla.