I think a long commute on public transport is very different than a long commute in the car. The first I could see doing when I was younger without a family. Driving a long commute though is, IMHO, a miserable way to spend your time and money.
For a spell I had a 50min commute with an average speed of around 40mph. It was a pleasant drive, mostly rural roads.
If I had to grind my way into a major city in traffic and averaging 20-25mph (with a worst case significantly slower) for those same 50min I would go insane.
These days I have a 25 mile commute from a rural area to the suburbs and it's 55mph most of the way, very little traffic, pretty scenery and very relaxing (except in the middle of a snowstorm!).