[bluGill]

In the US there isn't much choice. There are a few Japanese and Korean cars - but even those brands put effort into appealing to auto enthusiasts.

Remember, if you need a widget that you don't otherwise care about knowing someone who does care about them recommends something is a very important factor in your decision. The realistic difference between a car/suv of similar size between GM, Toyota, or VW (random choice of brands but covering the 3 geographical regions) is minimal: the non-enthusiast will be happy in any of them.

[dredmorbius]

Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and Kia all appeal primarily to the strictly-utilitarian car owner, with the Accord and Civic (Honda) and Corolla and Camry (Toyota) being classically "boring" but highly-practical, dependable, and efficient vehicles. There are even more pragmatic offerings in the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent, and Kia Rio. These are small, arguably ugly, but very versatile options.

There's simply nothing comparable currently produced by an American marque, though there were the Chevy Spark (Korean-built) and Ford Fiesta (Spain), both have been discontinued.