on the other hand the lack of mirrors require me to pay more attention in order to be aware of what's behind and beside me.

Having not really learned to drive until after I'd been biking for years, I'm much more comfortable looking around and keeping track of what's around me on a bike than I am looking in a car's mirrors. The car itself, as an enclosed space with walls and stuff, makes me feel half-blind even when I do look in the mirrors. I don't know if I can hear better on a bike; I do frequently listen to my iPod, which might not be a good idea, but which makes a 40-minute commute a lot more fun.