On car's being softwareless is not exactly a thing I'm look for at least if software is free, community accessible and well peer reviewed and I can modify it without need super-complex and expensive stuff. The problem "modern" design: for instance ABS really save life in some conditions, like on dry od rain-wet roads. However kill's you on icy roads. In "ancient" cars there is a button to deactivate ABS when you want. Now it disappear. Modern cars have small stereocam and other sensors that try to look around and eventually act on brakes, for instance if you fall asleep driving and you are about to crush into an obstacle the start to shake steering wheel and soft break, if you still not react strongly brake the car, light up 4-way directions etc. Really useful however if you deliberately choose to crush on an object, for instance to avoid a group of children you simply can't. If you deliberately choose to go offroad because you see a big trailer full of kerosene or other combustible about to crash and explode at your side you can't. For that kind of driving aids, for now, we have normally a button to disable them. But it's probably the same story for ABS, at first deactivable after always on.

I here nth time the story that on planes and ships you can deactivate autopilots and pretty any feature because pilots, maritime personnel etc are properly trained while drivers tend to be not much but that's an absurdity the correct, logic, acceptable answer is "add training". Not much difficult. Thinking that a software can be better than a human is a thing we already heard in the past with Microsoft and I think we all agree that's not a good idea...

How are they different with regards to the stuff we were talking about - specifically, the centralized spying and such?

I've used a Wiko Lubi for a year. It seems to have the architecture as a 3310: it has a basic burned-in OS, without any apps or updates, and has a few basic tools like a calculator and calendar, besides the phone calls and SMSs. In what way does it not fit with a classic model?

If your complaint is the exact same models don't keep getting produced, then sure, but that wasn't the discussion I thought we were having.

Regarding cars I won't comment any further, since I don't know the market well.

If you still have ancient Nokia try only the feeling of their physical keys, the simplicity of their classic menu compared to those modern "devices"...