I have been thinking about this recently in relation to the complex and unwieldy nature of modern car UI (especially in electric cars).
It's so bad that it is keeping me from buying a car that I need.
The conclusion that I have come to is:
Sophisticated consumers are very different than aspirational consumers - and there are always many, many more aspirational consumers.
Therefore, catering to aspirational consumers at the expense of sophisticated ones is a rational economic choice.
An aspirational consumer will put up with all manner of deficiencies and gimmickry because they perceive them as being emblematic of their consumer achievement.
In cruder terms:
They are so happy to be driving a "luxury" car that they don't notice the garbage that came with it. Meanwhile, after decades of luxury car purchases, I just want the shifter to be intelligible ...