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There are several reasons why manufacturers have moved to buttons. The first is that many people simply don't know how to start a car properly with a key. They turn the key too long and I have heard the grinding noice more often than not. A push button makes a perfect start. The second is that we are trying to move away from keys all together. In a collission you may hit your knee against the key. This is also the reason why the M5 now has keyless start and we have that small hole between the cupholders to store the key in. Some of you may not even have located it yet.
As far as the fuel saving start/stop is concerned, together with the turbo technology, the car has been developed to have much lower emissions. In my country this is rewarded with less tax on the purchase price. The new M5 is therefore about 30,000 Euro cheaper than the old E60 M5. In Europe you can't set that system to OFF all the time (in D mode), where in the States you can.
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