I used to think the same thing. And then one day I was just standing there along the rails watching the cars just go by. My friend joined me in this observation and we observed kid after kid after kid having the time of their life, living in their best life... driving a car. Smiling kid after smiling kid.
So at that point I stopped being an advocate for its removal. It's probably doing a better job of providing joy to its intended audience than most attractions in the Magic Kingdom. I do wish we would get a more better version of it, but I do understand why it's kept.