An interview is a two-way process. I typically find out a lot about the company and the people I'll be working with. Even a 30 minutes phone call is as much for me to be able to filter them out.
I get where you're coming from, and am in a similar position. On the other hand, I've used a coding test to drop a company before (completed the test and refused to submit it, told them the test gave me enough information to know I didn't want to work there). It gives you a hint as to what they think is important technically.