A group of African children performed at our city auditorium a few years ago. Some of them were interviewed during the performance. They were amazed that Americans actual built buildings for their vehicles. If you are coming from a large family living in a one or two room hut, a garage for your car may seem excessive. Then again, not owning a car may account for the lack of garages there, too.
I can't get both of my vehicles in my two car garage, because I have to much other junk. Even with a large storage shed, I can't fit everything in. It's my Mirage that gets left out the most!
A heated garage is nice to have. In our area, outdoor wood burning boilers are somewhat common. Some will run the heated water lines in their garage floor, & it does a great job of heating their house/garage.
I have never had an engine block heater on a vehicle before my Mirage. It wasn't very expensive & easy to add. I don't use mine that much, but you do notice a difference when it is used on those extremely cold days.