"Efficiency" killed good automotive design

"Efficiency" has consumed the automotive industry. Perhaps "brainwashed" is a better word. And while efficiency an important measurable & should certainly be the driving-force of SOME models... it doesn't have to be the primary regulating factor in ALL models. So while we all want an efficient vehicle... what's it costing us? And why is there little-to-no tolerance for some common-sense compromise & simplification??