Keyless Cars?

Anyone else have a car with no keys? My rental last week (Nissan Altima) had no keys, only a fob. If you were close to the car and had the fob, you could get in. You just pushed a button to start. I had a rental Harley with the same system once.

At first I thought it was odd, but then I kinda liked it. Sure, you can't get a spare key made, but for most modern cars you have to drop $300 at the dealer for a integrated key and fob thingy anyway. I kept taking out the fob to unlock the doors, even though I didn't need to!

The Volt is that way. Just have the fob in my pocket. I've actualy got in the car, went to put the key in and then was like, "oh, right."

Have it on my Prius. Weirded me out for a while but now I'm used to it.

I think this is actually one of the cooler innovations in modern cars although I have yet to actually use a car with it. Walk up, get in, start car, drive.

Just don't think about the hackers who'll be able to do the same thing.

fiance's volvo C30 is like that, but there is a spot on the dash where you can put the "key" in every time if you wanted, otherwise there is a little knob you turn when you're in the car just like a key.

My MINI Cooper S had it. I was fairly neutral to it. Neat parlor trick, but not mindblowing. Just took a little getting used to...push once and release for accessory on only, push and hold to start, etc...

I had a rental Jeep with that once. It was bizarre to begin with, but then I liked it. I just kept the fob in my back pocket. On that particular vehicle, I unlocked and locked the doors with a small button on the handle.

It's all good until it quits working. Case in point: Wife's 2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited with "Smart-Key." No start. Display says "Depress brake pedal" or some such. Naturally, that's what she was doing. Still no start. She calls me in the middle of an enjoyable visit to Tractor Supply. I drop everything and go "rescue" her. Twiddled with it for awhile, and it mysteriously starts.

Got home and googled it. They all do that. Defective brake switch.

Car was traded in a few days later. Leaving the wife stranded with the kids was the last straw for this car, which has been nothing but trouble since new--mostly recurrent transmission issues. Warranty was nearing it's end, and I would never consider another Hyundai.

One of these days, I document it with it's own topic. Sorry to ramble on here.

I'm also not a fan. It "fixes" a problem that was non-existent to begin with and in the process introduces a bunch more failure points.

Thumbs DOWN.

What happens if the battery is dead?

Wife has a '08 Highlander with the 'Smart Key' FOB. This one has a key inside the FOB to use if the FOB batteries are almost dead. This allows you to get into the car. Then, supposedly, you hold the FOB against the start button. Should have enough power at that range to sense the FOB. Then start the car by pushing the start button.. The car will also let you know when the FOB battery is low.

It is nice to walk up to the and have it unlock as soon as you touch the door handle. The puddle lights illuminated too which is very nice when it's dark.

I'm old school but I kinda like the new gizmos

I'm in the "don't like it cuz it's unnecessarily complicates the car" camp.
We had a Benz in the shop. The porter put the card on the dash (BTW, I did say he should leave it on the hood) and the car rolled up the windows, locked the door, and activated the alarm over night. The owner of the car had to drive something like 45 minutes each way to give us a real key.

I like the $1.86 keys my car uses.

Chris_V wrote: The Volt is that way. Just have the fob in my pocket. I've actualy got in the car, went to put the key in and then was like, "oh, right."

I still have to unlock mine with the fob. Is there a proximity setting that I missed in the menu somewhere?

jg

My Rx8 has that stupid key card thing. It's nice in that I don't have to take the key out of my pocket, but it adds crazy volume to my keychain. Also, it keeps dying. When it's dead, there is a small key that slips out of the card, but even that doesn't work sometimes. The car senses the card in the car and unlocks (electrically) the thing you twist to start the car (at least it still has one of these). The problem is, the manual key won't turn that if the car doesn't feel like unlocking it. The key is supposed to work like a normal one, so i'm told, but a couple times it still hasn't worked. Probably twice a year this key causes a problem. Yes, it's a rotary car and the KEY is the problem. Go figure.

My old van's old school keys still have a 100% success rate. Never failed once in decades.

In reply to JG Pasterjak:

Yeah. If you walk up to the car while it's locked, as soon as the fob is within 3 ft of the car, you can press the silver button on the door handle and it'll unlock and open.

Rufledt wrote: My Rx8 has that stupid key card thing. It's nice in that I don't have to take the key out of my pocket, but it adds crazy volume to my keychain. Also, it keeps dying. When it's dead, there is a small key that slips out of the card, but even that doesn't work sometimes. The car senses the card in the car and unlocks (electrically) the thing you twist to start the car (at least it still has one of these). The problem is, the manual key won't turn that if the car doesn't feel like unlocking it. The key is supposed to work like a normal one, so i'm told, but a couple times it still hasn't worked. Probably twice a year this key causes a problem. Yes, it's a rotary car and the KEY is the problem. Go figure. My old van's old school keys still have a 100% success rate. Never failed once in decades.

I never had any issues with mine. I also just kept is separate from my other keys.

My buddy had the proximity sensor system on his 1994 Corvette back in the day.

I have the Mazda Credit Card key on my Miata too. It just seemed more natural to keep it in my wallet.

I liked the design because it has a normal tumbler with a cover instead of the press button starts.

For years I was against the keyless keys, but having lived with it, it really is nice. And if paranoia sets in about hackers, evidently the "trunk button" in the trunk disables all the fancy proximity electronics and requires use of the physical key.

Closest I had was the rental '10 ChryCo T&C. I spent a few minutes trying to find where the "key" popped out of it... Just stick in the square end.

ultraclyde wrote: I think this is actually one of the cooler innovations in modern cars although I have yet to actually use a car with it. Walk up, get in, start car, drive.

Strangely enough, I do that with my old cars. Walk up, get in, start car, drive.

And my key costs me less than a buck.

By the time I ever buy a car with that option it will be broken. I didn't even carry the fob that would remote unlock my van. Too much crap on the key chain. Even my plastic handled Ford key I replaced with a all metal one because it was thinner. I'll pass.

I even found a place that sells trailer locks you can key to your truck key. That would let me get rid of another one.

I get in cars all day with that option. I was in a Panamera today that had the fob that you carry but had the plastic tumbler you turned like a regular key. I think if I had to have the "keyless" style, I would still like having the dummy tumbler.

The cars that make me nervous that have these keyless, push button dohickies are GM vehicles. I know with the regular key ignition GMs, I have to put the car in park and pull the key out to keep from killing the battery, even if for a 30 minute job. Luckily it doesn't lock the steering wheel like most vehicles. Everytime I get a Corvette or CTS or something with these keyless fobs I take the ticket and pouch away from the car completely.

I had a 2011 Ram 1500 that used the same system that Neon4891 posted. You stuck the fob itself in a square hole in the dash and turned it. You could also hold the fob close and start the truck with your finger

I didn't really like it because the fob would get stuck in the ignition switch sometimes. The key stuck in the end of the fob could only unlock the doors, so you were still SOL if the battery died.

I much prefer the system my Wrangler has: