Cognitive load. Good operator experience, user interface, you want the operator of the vehicle to require the least amount of thinking to know about the vehicle. It’s critical data they’ll need an emergency is, and in emergencies, people’s cognitive abilities go down quite a bit.

Just think about how you turn the radio down to find an address on the street, multiply that times a thousand. That’s how people think in an emergency

My car has both digital and analog on the dash.

The position of the needle on the dial is easier to see with peripheral vision, versus numbers.

Some cars have a digital speedo HUD displayed on the windshield. I find it too distracting.