I'm in the 21%. I prefer my phone in a dash mount for navigation. I don't need or want an expensive, outdated head unit that costs an arm and a leg to replace. Give me Bluetooth and analog knobs and I'm happy.
I'm of course with you on the physical knobs and having direct access to the vehicle's functions.
But I absolutely prefer having CarPlay instead of having to stick my phone in a random location, blocking the view, or having to make sure wires don't interfere with anything, or finding a way to have the phone not vibrate, etc. I usually rent my cars, so I can't set up something sturdy and have cables get there nicely.
I also like my phones small, which makes them less than ideal in a car, being sometimes far away (I hate talking to my phones so have to be able to reach them with my hands). The aforementioned vibrations don't help, either.
My dad's Toyota, as well as a Fiesta I rented a while back, were perfect for this. I could stash the phone somewhere out of the way, and have the map or whatever displayed on the big screen of the car, which didn't vibrate and was well-placed.
The dash mount I use doesn't have any of the problems you described. It's easily visible at a glance without obstructing my view of the road or mirrors. Arguably safer than looking down at the head unit would be. The cable routing never got in the way of anything. And no vibration issues either.
My first car didn't even have a battery. I drove it for 2 years, always being careful to park on a hill so I could "pop it". So yeah, leave out the useless 12-volt battery, too. /s LOL
I wonder if cars from 50 years ago came with two wooden ramps that you could place next to the rear wheels and back up onto them before turning the ignition off.
My grandpa used to tell me about hand-cranks to start an engine[1] and maintaining a car prior to antifreeze (had to drain all the water from the radiator in the winter).
But I absolutely prefer having CarPlay instead of having to stick my phone in a random location, blocking the view, or having to make sure wires don't interfere with anything, or finding a way to have the phone not vibrate, etc. I usually rent my cars, so I can't set up something sturdy and have cables get there nicely.
I also like my phones small, which makes them less than ideal in a car, being sometimes far away (I hate talking to my phones so have to be able to reach them with my hands). The aforementioned vibrations don't help, either.
My dad's Toyota, as well as a Fiesta I rented a while back, were perfect for this. I could stash the phone somewhere out of the way, and have the map or whatever displayed on the big screen of the car, which didn't vibrate and was well-placed.