I’m comfortable doing mechanical work and when my Honda Fit said I had to remove a shitload of parts just to replace a spark plug I said fuck it and traded it in.
Removing the wipers and windshield cowl is generally easy, just takes some extra time. Dealers/mechanics charge for time, not difficulty. So that simple 2hr job can easily be 500-600+. Still something that could be a rewarding Saturday morning project for someone who likes doing DIY type stuff.
In comparison my 80’s Bronco II, I bought it from my neighbor for $300 and my dad told me I’d fix whatever broke myself if I could. Gave me a service manual that had schematics and layouts of just about every part of that car that was serviceable, and the book wasn’t even that thick considering what it detailed. I was able to pin out some repurposed Christmas lights for the dash in a pinch, and we tore down and rebuilt some component from under the hood ourselves though I don’t recall exactly what now.