Badger6

Direct comparison, which is tricky now that Ulty and DA don’t have mechanical shifting tiers, the Di2 is generally about half of a McDonalds cheeseburger heavier. Add in disc brakes and it might look like for a lot more money Shimano is selling is 200 extra grams…until you realize that this model year’s CF frames are 500g lighter than 5 years ago, and CF hoops and lighter hubs are leading to everyday wheel sets that clock in under 1600g, where getting under 2000g a few years ago was unobtanium. YMMV, but in my estimation despite the minimal weight penalty for Di2, it’s not turning our bikes into scale tippers.

This is all subjective. What I will say is that after riding on 11-speed Ultegra and GRX for 6 years, it never misses a shift, and is as fast or slow to move up and down the cassette as I set it to be. 12-speed is reportedly even smoother…maybe I’ll rebuild my SL7 with it, or just wait for the SL8...

Once properly adjusted, using the very straightforward instructions for doing this from Shimano, which have gotten simpler with each generation, it requires no further adjustment or maintenance, other than cleaning the drivetrain. Electric cables don’t stretch or freeze up in their housings.

To varying degrees, it meets your criteria. But, at the end of the day, it is not a “must have”. Cables and mechanical derailleurs will work just fine, and unless you’re lining up in Denmark this morning for Stage 3, those can serve your needs perfectly fine. For hobbyists, Di2 is a luxury…one which I will never forgo for the rest of my riding life, but it isn’t necessary.