All I want or need in my car is a motor that runs, a key to start it, brakes to stop it, an AC to cool it, a heater to warm it, a transmission to do whatever a transmission does, and, I suppose, tires to keep it rolling.
All that other stuff just runs up the cost and costs more to repair.
Agreed, but when I bought my 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid new, I first made fun of some of the safety features because I thought they were useless & just drove the price of the car up. But after becoming familiar with their use, I am grateful for them. They are especially useful for us older drivers who have slower reaction times & reflexes & less-clear vision. A few of them:
Lane Watch - lets you know when you start to drift & your tires touch the painted lines of the next lane. The steering wheel vibrates & if you cross into the next lane, the steering wheel will actually move & return you back to your lane, along with a loud grinding noise. It can prevent an accident if a driver falls asleep at the wheel.
The outside mirrors let you know if there is a vehicle in the next lane in your blind spot. When you signal for a lane change, a light in the mirror blinks bright orange to let you know a car in the next lane is too close. If you start to change lanes, it starts beeping. Our older necks don't turn as well or as far as young people's.
Heads Up Display - (HUD) Instead of looking at the speedometer, which requires you to take your eyes off the road, you can display the speed, compass & street name at the bottom of the windshield. It is a hologram & the display does not interfere with your complete view out of the windshield. And the height of the display is adjustable.
Brake Hold - Once your car is stopped, the car won't move until you touch the accelerator, even if you take your foot off the brake. A great feature for older drivers who don't have 100% feeling in their feet due to age & neuropathy. Great protection for pedestrians crossing in front of you when stopped. Also useful when stopped on a hill; no need to keep pressing the brake pedal to prevent the car from rolling back.
Automatic Braking - If you are parking & about to bump into something, the car brakes automatically. Especially useful when trying to park in tight areas with limited space. The car will also calculate stopping distance & automatically brake if it senses an accident is about to occur or a pedestrian is about to be hit.
When a pedestrian walks by my car very close to the front or rear or sides (where they may not be visible to the driver) , arrows appear on the display. Very useful when trying to back out of a parking space at a crowded market.
A display on the dash lets you know if anyone (like a child in a car seat) is in the rear seat when you shut off the car. Prevents those hot car deaths.
My car won't move unless all doors are closed. I like this feature because of what happened when I was 8 years old. My mom & I left the market & she wasn't paying attention. She started to drive off while I was still getting into the car & she ran over my foot. Luckily, only my foot. And luckily no serious injury - just a purple area on my foot with a tire tread mark on it. Could have been much worse.
And most of these features can be turned off if desired.