Comfort and Convenience
Comfort preferences are personal: cabin temperature is the clearest example, since one person's pleasant warmth is another's stuffiness. On a shared commute that difference shows up quickly, which is why such settings are usually negotiated rather than fixed.
Safety and Driver Assistance
Learning where the basic controls sit is worth doing while parked, not mid-journey. Hazard lights, demisting and the horn are things drivers reach for suddenly, and a stationary minute beforehand is when that reach gets rehearsed.
Multimedia and Connectivity
Arriving with a phone that still holds charge is its own commuting concern. If a car offers a power socket, short trips become top-up time - a separate matter from whether calls or music pass through the car.