Tokyo has a similar number of cars per capita to NYC (~450) - which is still almost 50% less than the U.S. average (~830). The size of the cars also makes an enormous difference to safety (pedestrian and driver) as well as environmental and road maintenance costs.
> Except people overwhelming DO choose cars. This isn't because they've been hoodwinked into it.
From my perspective it's not "hoodwinked" so much as 70 years of car dependent infrastructure development and car companies practicing capitalism. Most Americans don't think twice about it. Maybe we would if we had a viable alternative... Ironically, developing for cars was supposed to make us more free, but now it's the only option in most of the US.
Notjustbikes has an interesting video about car size in America - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN7mSXMruEo TLDR: they're getting bigger, more expensive, and less safe, with little extra utility.