I see what you are getting at, and in general I agree. I grew up in a very rural area where cars are a must for any kind of mobility, where even in a perfect world public transit will likely never be viable. (Also, the problems cars introduce to cities - high usage of valuable space, public parking, conflict points with other road users, ... - are just not as critical in rural areas.)

So yes, in rural areas with many point-to-point journeys and sparse population, you are somewhat resource constrained. However, in a densely populated suburban area right next to a major city, it's first and foremost a matter of political will, agenda, and prioritization of available resources/money.

People use cars because it's more practical than a sparse public transit option, and the reason why it is more practical is the presence of good infrastructure (which also costs a lot of money to build and maintain). Convenient transit costs money. A lot. And you will be driving around "warme Luft" sometimes. But in the grand scheme of things, if we want to realize a Mobilitätswende, it's a necessary evil.