For many of us, the preference isn't down to liking the commute itself but because we choose to work in a different town to where we live. In my case I like living in a rural village even if it means a 1.5 hour commute into London each morning. It's still worth it for the tranquility I get on evenings and weekends. Plus the commute still works out significantly cheaper than buying a comparable place closer to the city.

So while I don't like the commute, I do still prefer it to living closer to London.