I cannot speak to crowding on those specific trains, but I can say that on the vast majority of the sets there is both a "regular" BC car and a long-distance Superliner that provide BC. The long-distance car is a real treat insofar as you get legrests and something like an effective seat pitch of 55" or so...so I'd say that I consider that to be worth the extra cost. Also bear in mind that you get a snack pack (right now it's chips, hummus, a bit of trail mix, and I think some cookies) and a glass of wine with BC as well as a 25% points-earning (and TQP-earning) bonus, so there are enough bells and whistles that I consider it to be well worth the extra $20 or so.