Ride up in the front car, as there is no driver and you can look out of the front of the train.
But, yes, it is surprisingly expensive even by the everything's expensive there standards.
Cars we will always have with us, but they really are the enemy of nice walkable cities. If cheaper transit can get get people out of their cars, then local authorities really should consider lowering the price. The congestion costs, broadly defined, in major cities are huge at peak periods and getting more drivers off the road benefits everyone, especially drivers.
