I like being free to cheap out on transportation and then be able to splurge elsewhere (in my case, fancy tea and opera).

Someone else of my income would prefer the convenience and cost of their own car, and then skip the other luxuries.

Either way, having the option = more freedom.

The argument to this is going to be "but I own my own car," followed by either "I can come and go as I like" or "public transportation isn't very good in my area (or nonexistent).

So then you would say that your car is yours until it breaks down, then you're at the mercy of a shop. Some people can do the work on their own, but gearheads are kind of a dying breed, and also newer cars are designed to fail sooner. The idea of a car that will go for a million miles is decades past, and even those were exceptions, not the rule. Cars cost more to own than ever. Car prices/payments are going up, quality is going down, repair prices are going up, and quantity/availability of parts are going down. The solution to all of this is socialised public transportation. Maybe you pay a little bit to ride, maybe you have to wait a couple minutes at a bus stop, but you aren't responsible when the thing breaks down, the city/community has a fleet and a deal to get parts and repair them and keep most of them operational. So it really reduces a lot of the friction in getting one back on the road. It also creates jobs — drivers, and fleet maintenance.

Of course, Uber and Lyft exist, but they are prohibitively expensive for all but the Uber rich to use regularly. And they come with their own set of problems.