I’ve noticed that many car reviewers spend a good amount of time pointing out whether or not they like the texture/feel of materials on the interior of the car. Does the average person actually care about this aspect of their car, or is it just a point of interest for some niche group of car enthusiasts? I’ve driven shitboxes and I’ve driven luxury cars, and I have never cared about or even noticed the feel or quality of the material on the dash and the steering wheel. I guess maybe the steering wheel material could make some people uncomfortable depending on what it’s made of, but come on, the dashboard? Who ever strokes their hand against their dashboard just to feel what the texture is like?
Yes. That’s where you can get a sense of how serious the manufacturer is about some things. Take a look at the interior of a Citroen C1 and put it against a Nissan Micro for instance. These things matter. A lot of people don’t really notice it, but do notice why some cars ‘feel’ more luxurious. I always thought of it to be kind of nagging, until I had a Lexus CT200h (with leather knee pads on the middle console) and traded it in for a Mitsubishi Outlander (with … well… seats.)