[cma]

104 key mechanical keyboards have 104 buttons and may go for $30. Maybe it is the knobs? But you can get a midi keyboard with 8 knobs, 49 keys, 12 pressure sensitive pads for ~$100 (but maybe it wouldn't last in car cabin heat).

[greyhair]

Those keyboards don't have the same environmental requirements. Automotive environmental is hard. Temperature extremes, high and low, plus humidity extremes.

There are also reliability expectations. If I need defrost because the windshield just fogged over, it better activate when I turn that knob on my sixteen year old car. And so far, it always has.

[hulitu]

Can it work at -40 C or 85 C ? Can it work after it was in a salted atmosphere for 100 hours ? And then in a sandy atmosphere for 100 hours ?

[cma]

You can get an in-dash CD player with 2 knobs and 10 buttons for $45 or something, and it stands up to cabin temperature and humidity cycles.

[Joker_vD]

Okay, remind me to never leave a keyboard in a front seat of a car, apparently it can't survive in there.