I personally prefer tactile interfaces on everything — cars, home appliances, tools , etc. But producers are not to blame here. Consumers are buying these products based on appearance and not usability. The flashy-but-useless UI trend will continue until consumers purchasing decisions change.
If VW produced a 90s style interior today, would anyone buy it? Yes it would be more usable and safer , but it wouldn’t sell.
This is a good point. Some of us would want different products. Is there just not enough of us or is this a situation similar to the instant fashion where someone else just decides what is "best for the people"?
Some markets are big enough to support these niches . My Gaggia Espresso machine built today could easily be mistaken for a 1950s product.
Cars suffer from a few issues. The biggest one is regulatory . It’s prohibitive for any manufacturer to break from the trend. A 1990s-style vehicle would be illegal today because of DOT & EPA mandates. And auto makers try to employ re-usable components that are DOT certified.
If VW produced a 90s style interior today, would anyone buy it? Yes it would be more usable and safer , but it wouldn’t sell.