I also switched from Pixel 7 Pro and agree with all your points here.
battery life was a big issue on pixel 7 pro for me since I tended to use my phone a lot through the day. The heat problem was really annoying but it has pretty much vanished with the 8 pro.
It's my first Pixel, I switched from a Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G, and there have been some transition aches. I ran into the Android Auto issue this week where the phone would connect to my car for a few seconds then disconnect for a minute repeatedly, and I miss Smart Lock options like keeping my phone unlocked while on home Wi-Fi or while connected to a trusted device. Any Pixel vets know of a similar function on the device? (Edit: Found it! They changed the feature name to Extend Unlock and hid it in the privacy settings.)
Echoing another comment, the phone runs very cool and the camera is excellent. The battery lasts about as long as the Note 20 Ultra's under heavy use: if I'm running ReVanced or Twitch all day, it needs a charge around dinner time. I haven't yet adjusted to using the assistant (never touched Bixby on the old phone, either) so I can't speak to all the AI features added in.
Overall, felt some buyer's remorse early on, but I think I'll come to appreciate the Pixel 8 Pro as I get used to it and optimize it for my usage.
No luck there, though I tried again at your suggestion and the other commenter's (edit: found it in the settings as "Extend Unlock" instead of "Smart Lock")
I'm coming from a P6 Pro and it's definitely a lot better, but not gone. I was browsing the web on Firefox for like an hour on a drive, and running kinestop to prevent car sickness. I also had poor cell signal (mountains). My P8 Pro did end up thermal throttling and I wasn't even charging. Had to take the case off to cool it.
I can, however, charge while running Android Auto which is not something I could do with the P6 Pro