I bought one and while I with they had a version that was compact sized instead of midsized, your hot take is terrible.
It is expensive, but my cars prior to it were a used 1992 Civic si I owned from 2001 till 2014, then I drove our 2005 Camry from 2014 till Dec 2022.
When buying a new car I wanted two primary things: a decent AWD ride and a bed I could put nasty stuff in and hose out after, like mulch and dirt. Something that did not work with enclosed spaces. I tried a few light trucks and they handled poorly or seemed cheaply made. The Tacoma has apparently needed to continue growing and is almost a full size now, too tall. The Ridgeline was the smallest one that seemed well made, had a decent ride, and has a bed I could hose out.
It sits lower than other trucks, so I generally feel small compared to other trucks. No idea why you think it is huge. Don't think I am hot shit, just someone who couldn't find a well made light truck and settled for the closest thing.
On a side note, it works perfectly fine as a truck and nobody buys trucks to seat 8 people.