Of course, you state your case over & over about how you don't value the extra goodies. We very much get it. You might not exactly stand alone, but my point is there are some who like the extra features. Just another side of the same coin, that's all. No need to go on waving that flag. It's as if you feel the need to defend it. That's cool - it's your thing. I very much understand your position and will explain why next.
Let's take a look at stripped down transportation as an example of just how much everyone likes having extra added features. Take my old Jeep CJ-7 for an example. That Jeep has no anti-lock brakes and no traction control ASC system. For safety it has no airbags, no protective hard top and no hard doors - the top and doors are vinyl coated canvas if I even have them on. It has no shoulder seatbelts - only lap belts for all four seating positions (may have been the last year for lap belts?) Beyond seating there is nothing to lean on for rest & comfort. The notion of 'needing' an armrest is laughable in comparison. The seats are black vinyl that'll scorch your tushy bottomsides on a hot summer day. Cloth seat fabric just won't do! When they wore out the original low-back front seats were replaced with high-back seats from Leon Rosser - a big step up in safety right? (I forgot - neither the original low-backs or the replacement high-back seats are buckets. There is no side bolsters to help keep anyone from sliding off. No fast cornering here. Really illustrates how much of this era I take for granted without considering its impact until get behind the wheel and start rolling.)
This CJ-7 came with manual steering - I switched to power steering via a local junkyard find when the manual gearbox wore out. It has a four-speed standard transmission, a step up from a three-speed. The 4.2L/258 cubic inch straight-six engine still sports a Carter BBD two-barrel carburetor (the automatic choke is problematic though - sure makes me appreciate modern fuel injection.) The manual brakes are at least hydraulic haha. Speaking of which I changed the clutch linkage to hydraulic when the mechanical bellcrank linkage wore out. It came with electronic ignition but the original distributor was worn out and wobbly so it was replaced with a newer HEI aftermarket unit of GM design. And there's not a single computer to be found on it. The HEI distributor is the most electronic thing to be found on it, and it is an electromechanical device.
And I love it even more than my Mirage. It's my forever car. The Mirage, despite all my respect and adoration for it, is not. In the summer time the Jeep is my daily driver. In the end, they're both tools to get something done.
So yeah, I get nostalgia though I suspect my range of 'features' goes a little further back. And it makes me appreciate how today's cars have progressed.
Think back to all the cars you've driven that have more features than this truly Basic Transportation and how much you appreciate having them, whether they are for safety, reliability, or ease of operation. Its a safe bet all those cars & trucks had a roof & doors haha. What are these advancements and features worth to someone? What are they worth to you? We've come a long way, right? That's all.
Best wishes.
The Keyless Operating System (KOS) also has a slot for the transponder - fyi. Also, let's not forget that the conventional hardware key also has a transponder. It costs a lot less, that's for sure.