Yeah, that's a personal preference of aviation guys like us. But for most people who just want to fly for cheap, they don't care much if it's a 2-5-2 or 3-3-3 or 3-4-3. At 18in 11-abreast, that's as wide as standard economy gets. If you want more, go for premium econ or business class.
Depends on sector length. Couple of hours, 5-abreast OK. 8-12 hours, you'll have someone going nuts, or at least unruly and difficult for cabin crew, on every flight. It could very easily be me, and I don't drink any more, even.