When I first got my Model 3, I couldn't stand the touch screen.
I'm still not a fan. The UI is objectively terrible in many situations. That said, I can honestly say that it's not that big of a deal for me.
Lack of tactile feedback is a big deal though.
But, it's sort of moot. Interactions that require I be looking at the screen and carefully touching icons are typically the kinds of things I'd want to do while parked anyhow. Tinkering with settings, for example, or entering an address for navigation.
A lot of interactions you might do in a "normal" car are also reduced or eliminated. For example, I often need to adjust vents and turn knobs for climate control while driving in my "normal" car. Even though I can tell it to set the air temp to a specific value, it still needs intervention frequently to feel right.
In the Model 3, the climate control just works. If I set it to 70F, it feels like 70F. It's a thing I find myself never even thinking about.
> Lack of a dedicated on/off/volume knob for the soundsystem is such a dealbreaker for me.
The steering wheel has a scroll wheel that can control volume and pause audio. The sound system is never really off though. The car still emits warning sounds through the sound system, for example.
In practice, the scroll wheel thing has worked just fine for me. I've not tried to see what happens when the AM/FM radio is playing; I suspect "pausing" that would either do nothing or mute the audio.
Before getting used to it, the Model 3 seems comically devoid of controls, and it seems ridiculous. But with use, it start to feel totally normal. At least that's my experience.
For what it's worth, I was on the fence about Tesla for ages. I wouldn't have one now if I hadn't inherited it from a family member. I probably wouldn't buy one today, even after having grown to love the Model 3.
That said, I would jump at a much more economical version of the Model 3. One that's just an EV. It doesn't need a glass roof, heated leather seats, folding mirrors, robotic door handles, etc. It just needs to be like the cheapest Kia money can buy, except with a Tesla powertrain.