You are having a terminology problem, not a technology problem. Lanes in this context is the wrong word. When you import you typically create a single audio event on a single track. The track in essence is a “lane”, but that isn’t how it is referenced in the Cubase compoing terminology. See below.
IMO a lane is a lane is a lane (take is a take is a take) and not sure why the takes have to be put into a folder before they can be comped… it’s still an audio file even if I stack them I should be able to select the lanes option and have them laned?
yes, a lane is a lane and a take is a take, but they are two different things and do two different things and so the editing options are different. An audio event is created as a unique “track” when you import an audio file. So, when you import your two piano files, you get two “lanes”, in this case they are unique tracks. To comp “tracks” you use group editing.
Takes are part of the loop/punch recording system, applied to a single “track”. Each loop or punch will add an additional “lane” to the same “track”. Comping for single track multi-pass recording is done by activating the “lanes” view.
So, really there are multiple scenarios for comping, and they have some unique verbiage to distinguish them. And, rightfully so, IMO.
EDIT: You can enable record on multiple tracks and each will get its own set of take lanes.