Is there a difference between "I went by car" and "I went in a car"?

Question

Yes, but when we say "I went by bus" we don't drive the bus ourselves.

Answer 1

I went by car means you travelled by car and i went in a car could mean you just sat in a car

Answer 2

Yes. When you say I went by car it means you drove the
car somewhere.When you say I went in a car it could mean that you stayed inside the car either waiting for someone,listen to music etc.

Answer 3

It should be I travelled by car. But I know a lot say I went by car inferring they travelled. I went in a car just sounds as if you got inside a car but not particularly to travel.

Answer 4

I went by car implies you went some where in a car
I went in a car, implies you went in a car to listen to the radio, look at the colour of the interior, smell the air freshener, ect ect.

Answer 5

Depends how you look at it.

"I went by car" I guess, is saying that you are travelling for sure, but "I went in a car" could just mean you sat in it.

I guess it doesn't really matter that much, they kinda mean the same thing

Answer 6

You cound travel by car from Berlin to Paris. You could have went in a car in Paris cause you didn't know where the restroom was.

Answer 7

You could say that they are the same , if you drove it yourself you would most likely say, I went in my car, or I went in my friends / fathers car. they all are discriptive ways that explains your mode of travel to get to a destination.

Answer 8

I would say by car if I'm the driver and in a car if it's the car of someone else...

Answer 9

I went by car answers the question "how did you get there?" although it would normally be answered by "we drove" or "I drove".
I went in a car answers the question "how did you travel?"

unless you've peed in the car in which case it's definitely went in! lol!

Answer 10

yep.... the first says you travelled by car the second says you went into a car but does not say you travelled in it