It has no additional flavor other than adding sweetness. I would rather have no syrup than “fake” pancake syrup (e.g. Ms Butterworths).
I much prefer maple syrup. Of course it is expensive, so the Log Cabin table syrup is a good substitute that still has actual flavor and is affordable.
Edit: Also if you still want maple flavor for cheaper, a mix of half maple and half cane works good, like the stuff at Cracker Barrel. It doesn’t deserve the hate.
The real trick is to mix them together, you can alter the ratio depending on preference.
One time one of my chefs did a tasting for some of the staff with a range of syrups from colored sugar syrup up to rich dark maple. The secret only he and I (the one who bought everything) knew was that they were all just different blends of the two extremes.
Most people tended toward around 30% maple since it tasted like real maple and didn’t have the bitter taste of more pure maple.
Bitter taste of maple syrup? It has like 1000 grams of sugar, how is it bitter?