When you can’t get what you want, you teach yourself to want what you can get and then preach to everyone else that they should want it too. This applies to many other things too beyond just cars.
It’s not that the criticism of private cars isn’t valid, but not having one because you can’t afford it isn’t virtuous. It’s only virtuous when you could easily have one but choose not to.
I own a car, ive lived rurally and needed it. I still hate the massive over built direction trucks and SUVs have gone and i absolutely hate over built car infrastructure and that transit barely exists. I hate the massive impacts these factors have on our planet and our cities. I hate that pedestrian injuries and deaths are increasing.