Loki treats it like his crate. He sleeps or rests his head on the side and looks out the window. He rarely squirms or cries when he is in there unless he needs to pee. To him, car rides are a good time for a nap. We started with the car seat when he was a baby so he never got used to being held in the car. It makes him feel more secure, in fact he pants and shows more nervousness if he is sitting on my lap in the front seat. He actually prefers his seat.
Sammy came to us very scared of the car. She cried and was shaking the whole time during her first car trip with us. She wouldn't even take treats. Her crate made it a little better and cuddling her and wrapping her tight in a blanket helped too. We just took easy, short trips. After a few trips she was much more at ease. I tried putting her in Loki's car seat and she squirmed a little until she realized she was strapped in and couldn't get out. Today she tried out her VERY OWN car seat, of course with big brother Loki right next to her. She looked out the window for a while but otherwise seemed OK. They both slept the whole way home.
Also, it helps to REALLY wear them out first. Go in the car to somewhere fun, like the park. Go for a long walk. Then put them in the seat and let them sleep the whole way home. Let them associate the car with napping
