Vinyl is used because it’s pretty weatherproof, easy to work with, and works well in most climates. In certain desert areas in the US, houses can get hot enough for vinyl to melt and sag, but that’s more common when there’s been a fire near the house. Given that the siding is over the vapor barrier, exterior insulation (either extruded polystyrene foam or polyisocyanurate foam) and exterior cladding, it’s mostly there for keeping moisture off the cladding, etc., and for appearance. Wood/timber siding requires more maintenance than vinyl does; you need to paint wood regularly, or else you risk it rotting out. Timber homes also tend to have less insulation, which is becoming more of a problem as climate change speeds up. (We replaced the rotted-out siding on our house with concrete fiberboard siding; it installs and looks like wood siding, but can’t rot.) Masonry homes in general, but especially masonry that’s a load-bearing component (rather than a facing on a timber-framed building) is very expensive compared to vinyl, and maintenance–tuck pointing–can get quite expensive. That said, properly done masonry construction can last centuries.

Vinyl doesn’t rot, so in addition to being inexpensive, it’s popular in areas with high humidity. It does break down over time under constant exposure to UV light, so it doesn’t last forever. Then it’s just a big pile of plastic trash.