Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think pretty much every single person who owns a Model S/X would tell you that they're never going back to the old German crew. Tesla enjoys the strongest brand loyalty of any car manufacturer. Apple-like loyalty. Tesla doesn't feel like a toy, it feels like the future. They're years ahead of everybody else in terms of tech that is usable today.
Have you seen this thread [0] that's supposedly about their backend? Doesn't sound like years ahead, it sounds like an overstretched software startup chasing the latest silicon valley trends. How well will their cars work in 20 years? Will they have sorted out the service issues in five years? Besides, when the other car manufacturers starts putting out electric cars with interiors that consists of more than a cost s…
I do not know the actual manufacturing cost comparison between the Tesla big screen and the corresponding set of buttons and other cars, but I think the key difference is a radically minimalist design aesthetic. I suspect both a bunch of buttons or a big screen are sufficiently inexpensive.
The Tesla decision is more similar to Apple's decision, who was not saving money when they put the largest screen ever used on a cell phone, covering most of the front of the first iPhone. Even though in the long run it probably turns out that the big touchscreen is cheaper than a bunch of buttons which individually wear out and must be warrantied etc.