Depends on where you work in the city. We bought a nice home within walking distance of the Cranford train, so I don't have any idea about the parking lot situation. But there is a new 6 story parking lot adjacent to the station as well so if you can't get a spot in the lot you can spend $600 to park in the garage all day (
Parking | The Township of Cranford, NJ).
But I figured out with the most recent rate hike that it's cheaper for me to transfer to the PATH train in Newark and get dropped off at 14th street to walk to the office on 18th street. I leave home about 10 after, catch the 8:17 and am in the office by 9:20 or so if I walk straight there. Home is a little longer, as I account for PATH delays to make sure I don't miss the 6:33 in Newark, but I head out around 5:45 and walk through the door a little before 7.
I'd say that while there are delays, it's usually on the Newark to NYP section, which effects every train on the line anyway. The nice thing about Cranford is the option to take an express bus for when things happen at NYP. Get up to 42nd Street and you can use your monthly train pass to get on a 113X bus that literally runs directly to Cranford with no stops. Having the bus is a great option when you work later as well, as it turns into a 30-40 minute trip when the traffic isn't around.
Are there delays? Certainly. Would I say they're more than any other means of travel? Certainly not. have I missed my transfer? Absolutely. Do I make it greater than 95% of the time? Absolutely.
There's always going to be someone who brings up the direct, either by the new tunnel or by taking away an existing direct line. I hold out hope that it'll happen, but I'm not planning on it anytime less than a decade away. But, they do provide direct trains at off hours, so I've been pleasantly surprised by NJT before. But yes, you'll want to budget 2 hours a day for commute.