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?
My Lexus doesn’t have a single piece of hard plastic in it, not even the A B or C pillars, or even all the way under the dashboard or under the console lid, seriously not a single piece. All soft touch panels.
NOW, would the majority of people notice that? Probably not, but the auto industry has made it seem that cars with materials like that are to be perceived as “fancy” and upscale (I fell for it and agree lol). The people pushing on all that stuff are reviewers and if it’s not up to spec, prepare for “middling interior quality” comments from them.