The CPU is now on par with the rest of the industry, keyboard issues largely resolved and the TouchBar is incredibly useful for developers. Look at the recent update from IntelliJ to see some of the future potential. Contextual buttons that completely change depending on what is selected is something nobody could ever remember with Fn keys e.g. refactoring specific buttons when a method is highlighted.
I'm guessing you don't use vim.
The rest of the TouchBar changes depending on context but the escape key remains fixed. So just like how I don't mind having soft-keys on my iPhone I don't mind it on my MacBook.
If muscle memory is that engrained within the user that he or she cannot utilize any of the aforementioned alternatives, nor adapt to the difference in feel of the touch bar, then your choices are either an older iteration of the hardware, or switch completely. Claiming that, "you don't use vim," if you enjoy the new MBPs is, however, off the mark, IMO.
Using touchbar shortcuts breaks that consistency for me.