You’re right. We did a day-trip to Rye a year or two ago (to walk the Rye & Camber Tramway). Unusually we took HS1, or what is still to me CTRL, to Ashford, and it was remarked to me how utterly boring that part of journey was.
Sure it’s useful for getting places quickly, although I tend to find that once beyond Ashford this advantage rapidly diminishes, and doesn’t really exist at all on the Faversham route. However in all honesty at the end of the day it’s still a case of getting on a train at an origin and getting off at a destination, half an hour extra on a pleasant and comfortable Electrostar which at certain times of day may well be pretty empty for most of the journey (especially on the Ashford routes) is no bother at all.
Indeed. You get a better view of the Wealden countryside between Ashford and London via the Tonbridge route as well.