In summary, if I understand the comments correctly ...
Auto s/s systems:
- add more cost due to having more components like extra cooling pumps, more transmission components, bigger starters, etc
- add more complexity in systems integration
- add more cost at time of replacement
- add more confusion for the average home-garage mechanic because there's more to troubleshoot when something goes wrong
I understand and agree these systems work well; they achieve their intended task. For vehicles which are driven every day in long operational patterns (deliveries, boring commutes in slow traffic, etc), I can understand where companies want the maximization of fuel economy and they frankly care little about the mindset of the driver, nor the long-term costs because they're likely to get rid of the vehicle before these systems have major failures.
But there's also things down the road which make some of us weary, including me. I'm ol' skool; I subscribe to the KISS theory (keep is simple, stupid).
And there's me, personally, who has worked from home since the pandemic hit, and I have put a whopping 2k miles on my car in 14 months (mostly highway driving which means very few stop/start opportunities). How much fuel would it save me to have these expensive, integrated systems in place when the car is sitting in the garage most of the time? How much fuel does it save me when 90% of my miles are extended steady-state operation?
Then there's the inconvenience issues. I've been in cars with auto s/s. When it's hot outside and humid, and having the a/c shut down, it's downright annoying and uncomfortable. Sure, you can defeat the auto s/s system by turning it off. But doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose???
Like many other things in life, auto s/s makes sense in some situations, but not all situations. Reminds me of the conversations surrounding EVs. They, too, have a good application in some situations, but not all situations.
Auto s/s is a band-aide for a wound I don't have. It doesn't save me any significant amount of money. It adds to my purchase costs and long-term complexity issues at repair time. It probably makes sense for some folks, and that's fine for them. But not for me.