That depends how you look at it, though. To my mind, the extra walking distance with public transport is generally a plus, since it serves as a decent baseline

That depends how you look at it, though. To my mind, the extra walking distance with public transport is generally a plus, since it serves as a decent baseline of physical activity. Even a small amount of added walking can have a significant health benefit. If you add carrying groceries and walking uphill to that the effect quickly adds up. If I had a car or (god forbid) a personal driver I'm willing to bet I'd be significantly heavier and in worse shape, and consequently all the more unhappy in general.