You are describing a very inefficient train ;)

IIRC the USA doesn't really do trains. Also, trains have public seating, which means they Can't Have Nice Things thanks to various anonymous assholes - in comparison, most people don't wreck their own car.

How much of that is the perception of anonymous assholes vs the real thing? American passenger trains used to have open sleeper cars, but not anymore, which is kinda sad because I don't want to have to choose between coach (uncomfortable) and roomette (expensive) on the LA/Chicago route.

> IIRC the USA doesn't really do trains

the US does a lot of trains, but generally for short distances on commuter corridors, and municipal light rail. we don't do high speed passenger rail, which is probably what you're thinking of.

No trains stop outside my house though ;)

Car seats are uncomfortable.

If a car could drive itself then you wouldn't need the rather-awkward driver's seat (plus the required visibility for driving), and you might be able to squeeze in an actual bed or couch-like thing.

Really? Compared to cattle class in an airline ..?

What the sibling said about noise and vibration, plus the fact that you are in the seat for less time (the rest of the time spent in airports, walking from point to point, standing in line, etc.), plus the fact that you can get up and walk around at any time (I always get aisle seats).

Yes, at least for me, it's not just the size, it's also the vibration. And while the noise is usually louder in the plane, its nature is somehow worse in the car.

Probably because jet engines operate smoothly at constant RPM so the sound is monotonous and gets tuned out quickly, whereas car engines operate roughly at low and wildly varying RPMs. It also depends on the car--a Toyota Yaris with a 4 speed auto (lol in 2016) would pretty awful, where as a Lexus LS600h with V8 and CVT would be very pleasant.

This comment is simply incorrect.

You can choose from literally hundreds of car seats when purchasing a vehicle, and I have never, ONCE been in a car seat less comfortable than the standard airline economy seats which, despite coming from different manufacturers across different airlines, are universally terrible. Flat as a board so you put pressure on your tailbone, no support anywhere, just terrible. I'd rather sit on a park bench.

Give me the option of paying $200 per ticket to sit in my car's seats on an airplane, I'd do it every time.

When comparing an 8-hour drive to an 8-hour door-2-door plane trip, only about 3-4hrs is actually spent in that economy class seat. And for all the discomfort of the seat, you can get up and stretch and walk around without crashing the vehicle.