In my experience – I commuted from Silverlake to West Side for almost two years and have sat in three hour traffic – being chauffeured is _dramatically_ better. It kind of goes:

driving yourself < driving with a companion < being chauffeured

Driving requires constant focus, especially in stop-and-go traffic, and it can be downright exhausting. Driving with a friend makes it a little better, but you're still 'in it together' and it can still be exhausting. Sitting in the backseat while someone drives you, while maybe not that best use of your time, allows you to shut off your active brain and focus on something else: reading, napping, working on a laptop, etc.

The truth is that talking on the phone, podcasts, audio books -- these didn't really make my commute more bearable in the long run; and my theory is that you're not really able to shut off your focus on the road. That focus is what's exhausting.