^ Mine has a good old throttle cable.

I think the US GD3s also had throttle-by-wire.

 

These sorts of changes are inevitable with 21st century engineering. A DBW throttle controller weighs less, and provides more accurate control over fuel delivery, both of which contribute to gas mileage. Similarly, coil on plug ignition, rather than coil and distributor weighs less and is more accurate (although, possibly, less reliable, given problem reports I have seen across a range of brands of cars and motorcycles).

I have a 1988 Honda motorcycle (carburetors) and a 1999 BMW motorcycle (cable clutch, but EFI). The BMW is arguably the last of the boxers that was owner-friendly for DIY servicing, but some of the things that are required maintenance on the 1999 models have disappeared from needing maintenance with the 2010 models -- which weigh less and deliver about 40% more power.

I'm sure there were some who complained with the switch from cable to hydraulic brakes. I wasn't one of them.

 

I prefere manual over electric things in general, but I'm not against new things. If it's possible to disable it, I won't complain about VSC or ABS, and the feel of the electric steering is pretty good too (even if it lacks a bit of feeling with the road). But the DBW on the fit is horrible.

 

Nimble & fun to drive/paddle shifters
Gas mileage
Auxiliary input
Safety
Storage. My lady & I are artists & travel allot for shows, this is the most versatile car for storage beyond buying a van. I love it!
I love the body.
It's short.