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?
I’m by no means obsessed with it, but once you go beyond your basic economy cars, I do expect some nicer plastics, panels, and dash materials.
I don’t mind harder plastics on the bottom of door panels or areas that might get more abuse, that makes sense. But at the prices cars go for now, I expect decent materials that are fitted together well