What's the deal with small "big" vehicles?

When I say small, I don't just mean slightly smaller than mid-sized vehicles. I'm talking about SUV's/pickups/etc. that are so small, they can barely haul any more cargo than a typical sedan.

I was putting my kid into her car seat the other day in a store parking lot when some broad abruptly pulled into the empty stall right next to where I was standing, having to swerve slightly to avoid hitting me. Then she immediately got out of the car and made a beeline to the store entrance on foot.

Bitch was driving a tiny SUV contraption that looked like it had about as much utility use as a large sedan. The damn thing was farting out obnoxious emissions into my face (the tail pipe was facing right at me) that wafted into my car, while sounding like the bathroom sounds of an ultra HTC having a blowout hurricane of a pooping incident that would make even Thunderpants himself stand in shock and awe.