I understand and agree with the way PD handled the implementation of the car damage in the game.
At first, when you start playing the game, the difficulty lies in getting used to driving properly, cleanly. You get penalties in special events for bumping into cars or leaving the track. Those events are made to teach you how to drive the many types of racing styles the game offers.
As you reach higher levels, car damage adds that repair aspect to the mix, which makes you waste a huge chunk of your hard earned money on what basically is nothing more than your carelessness and lack of finesse. Basically, if you're at level 40, you shouldn't still be bumping in other cars to help you go through a corner.
It's an interesting design choice. Sure, some may be impatient to see how that car damage looks and feels like, and will cry no matter what. But as a game design, where it's intended to add to the difficulty curve, it's a very smart choice.
