Befriending them has a lot more negatives than positives. If it was something truly of benefit it would generally be regarded as normal and acceptable. Now keeping küffar between the stranger and friend zone is the best place. If we alienate all of the ummah from the non-Muslims this distorts a balance to humanity and is generally unnatural. If we befriend them and take them as close partners they can easily stray us from continuing on towards a better path.

For example its time to pray...but you are with your friend, who respects the fact you pray but not necessarily that it has a time window to do it in. Even the nicest non-Muslim will stray you into excessive time wasting and ideology changing.

Wasnt it Ali (r.a.) who had said Show me who your friends are and I can tell you of that person??? And as we say in America you are who your friends are. Theres no logic to maintaining relations with non-Muslims but completely outcasting ourselves isnt healthy either. Acquaintances seems to me to be the most logical.