I guess it's different if you live in a place with really shit weather or if you live in the country. You do honestly need 4x4 or something with decent power behind it if you live out in the sticks, because you'll be miles from the nearest emergency services and the weather might fuck over the roads/your property entirely. It's helpful to have more storage space for stocking emergency supplies, too.
You can tell who needs a truck/suv/jeep/whatever vs who has one for status by checking the bottom/quarter panels of the truck. If it has mud on the bottom, they probably need their truck. You don't usually get caked mud on the bottom of a truck with city driving.