Car or train better from tokyo to kyoto?

Looking at how much the time and price difference between these 2 alternatives.

Train is better straight forward and within 3 hours
If you have no plans to go to other places on the way.

If you go by car you pay rental, toll, gasoline.
But you can stop where ever you want
Travel time 7 till 8 hours if you are lucky

If you with a big group car can be an option to share cost

For time difference use google maps
For price difference as well plus a toll way and gasoline price calculator.

But unless you plan a lot of stops in smaller places along the route , Shinkansen is going to be so much faster, comfortable, easier...

Japan is the country of trains. And cars are only good for remote areas where you couldnft reasonably arrive by public transport or transferring between remote areas. Neither Tokyo nor Kyoto qualify as remote.

Also consider that youfd need to pay for parking in all cities. Only in smaller cities, village will it be free.

Driving itself apart from being slow isnft bad in Japan. And frankly even driving in the center of Tokyo or Kyoto isnft a bad experience (unlike maybe in the center if NYC or Rome). Traffic is doable and doesnft get stuck for hours on end. But itfs not faster than public transport.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

Which is better? Train.
Which is easier? Train.
Which is cheaper - depends on number travelling and a host of other factors, but driving one way, and a one-way drop-off fee, tolls, parking and a lot of missed sightseeing time (you lose a day) - less clear.

Getting from Tokyo to Kyoto by train is easy. You have to take the Shinkansen Hikari bullet train from either Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station in central Tokyo and arrive at Kyoto Station. A standard Tokyo to Kyoto trip takes close to 2 hours and 40 minutes, taking the Hikari Shinkansen.

The standard one-way fare costs 13,080 yen for non-reserved seats and 13,500 yen for reserved.

Source: https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/tokyo-to-kyoto-and-osaka

The fewer stops hence faster Nozomi which runs about every 10 minutes also cost the same in unreserved seats though reserved seats cost slightly more than Hikari. However Nozomi has only 3 unreserved cars vs 5 in Hikari https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2018_tokaido.html