I do agree with you that simplicity is nice but I also remember the cars of the early 80’s when I started driving in Maine that were a pain to start in the winter. It seemed that every car had a special technique that only the owner knew that would get a cold car started. But now it seems that these new cars with all these sensors start reliably every time regardless of how cold it is.
Also I remember going in to Providence, RI as a kid in the 70’s with my dad and wondering why it was so dark over the city when it was sunny elsewhere. There was that much smog. I’m sure other large cities were the same back then. The sensors have help solve that too.