Well, call me old school or whatever you like, but all those creature comforts of the fob do not come without a cost, and for me, it's just happens to be one that I'd gladly give up.

I can't tell you how many times I have been working in the garage or out in the yard with the fob in my pants pocket and inadvertently triggered the doors and trunk to unlock and/or the windows to roll down on my car parked outside; completely unbeknownst to me, so that I basically left my car out, totally unlocked, windows down, overnight!! I especially appreciated it that one time it was raining. Yep, that's a security feature that makes me feel secure alright.

Oh, and next time your battery dies unexpectedly on your manual transmission car, and you happen to be out of cell phone range, just be my guest and try bump-starting your car when it has a push-button start.

Or even better yet, just take a look at the videos of these latest car thief hackers that have come up with a "black box" that allows them to just open and/or start your car just like they had your beloved fob right there with them. If you could at least hear glass breaking, you might have a chance to stop them before they drive off with the car, but no such luck; totally silent.

Let me be clear though, I truly am not a technophobe! I totally appreciate modern tech where it can serve me. I do NOT however enjoy "tech for tech's sake", or adding a few creature comforts at the expense of what I consider basic practicality. Just because a computer CAN be inserted in between me and whatever it is that I'm attempting to do, doesn't automatically make it a better experience for me. In certain, very real instances, it CAN decidedly make it worse.

YMMV

 

Didn't the first generations of push button start cars come with a key slot behind the button? Maybe thats the case here?

 

vqsmile:

-Even regular key fob/separate key does this if you press the two button on the fob at the same time.

-If the battery dies, can't you stick the key fob in the slot and start the vehicle?

-How often do you hear about these vehicles getting stolen? Rarely..if ever..and I have always had the mind set that thieves will steal it if they want it bad enough..even if your car is in a garage.

 

-The buttons on these fobs just seem much more prone to getting pressed than the older, simpler type of key-less entry fob attached to an actual ignition key; probably because they were smaller since they didn't have to house a door key within them.

- NO. Think about it ... How would the starter motor get power with a dead battery? (EDIT: I'm betting you were thinking of the battery in the fob.)

-I tend to agree with you, but i don't assume that is just because of the fob/push button start arrangement. Plenty of valuable cars out there with keyed ignitions never made the top ten list for thefts.

 

It was dropped off the roof & shattered. Not purposely... If I had a real key like my Explorer that also has a separate FOB then that incident wouldn't have been a big deal as the key could still start the car. I had to get a ride home, get the spare keys & a ride back to work to get the car home. This is my 1st push button start car & I hate it, makes no sense to me to give you a key that only opens the door? What good is that? that is my whole point.....

 

The Key only serves as part of the valet mode. You store your packages in the trunk and disable the trunk release switches from the glove box. Lock the glove box with the key and keep the key with you. You give the fob to the valet and let him park the car.


A nice idea in theory but if he has the car, by proxy he has your packages in the trunk. It might take him all of 30 seconds to pop the trunk lock with a slide hammer or crowbar.


It doesn't matter if you have a metal key or a fob, if someone wants your car badly enough; he's going to steal it unless you wire a few sticks of dynamite to the alarm system

 

Sounds good in theory. But there is still the manual way of getting into the trunk from the back seat. Not sure if you forgot that. Just saying...

 

It's safe to say accidents happen and that this is a isolated incident. Seriously, how many people drop their fobs from a roof on a daily basis? Can't blame the car for that and can't blame the OP either. Crap happens. I still say the car would've started but I digress. I wasn't there so I don't know what transpired.

There are pros and cons with both types of ignitions. Personally I love the keyless- I don't have to fumble with 5 pounds of keys jangling and getting in the way. I put the fob in my pocket or on a lanyard around my neck and go about my business. I have never had a problem with the buttons on the fob either. Wonder if those complaining about the fob buttons also have problems butt dialing their cellphones? :-)

From a theft standpoint: if the crooks want it bad enough- they're gonna get it by any means. Plain and simple. I'm sorry you had the ordeal OP and am glad it all worked out in the end.

 

Interesting points.

I don't carry the fob unless I am going to actually drive the car, so I'm not likely to accidentally open the car.

Also interesting that you mention cell phones; did you know that you can open the car by via cell phone? Try that with a key!

As for security, any car parked out on the street runs the risk of being stolen, regardless of technology. You mentioned your garage; why is your car parked outside?

 

Why on earth would I even want to open my car via my cellphone? Is that even a desired thing? Also, to be clear, I'm not opposed to having a fob just for entry; it's being stuck with it in conjunction with the push button start that I don't like.

As for my car being parked outside, it is simply a compromise with my wife. I give her half the garage for her car, while I use the other half as my workshop.

(Besides that, she's somewhat "parking challenged", so it's not safe to park next to her)

 

Looks like she's not computer challenged, however...

 

Nice try. I was a computer repair tech for many, many years, so I'd hardly consider myself challenged in that regard. In fact, that may be precisely why I hold technology with the regard that I do.

 

In the coupe there is no (dare I say sane) way to fold down the rear seat from inside the passenger compartment unless I rip the rear seat out of its frame. The only seat back release handle is in the trunk

 

Not true. In my '08 Coupe there is a strap that I pull to unlock the seat back and fold it down. It's in the center of the seat tucked between the seat bottom and back; look in the area between the seat belt anchors. The release is hard to find, but it's there.

 

"Also interesting that you mention cell phones; did you know that you can open the car by via cell phone? Try that with a key!
"

Urban myth. The way Fobs work is by an RF signal. You cannot send an RF signal across the cell network.