Naughty or Nice: Key Fobs

We begin with the vastly overlooked key fob.

Naughty: Jaguar XJ/Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Luxury automakers do a lot to make their fobs stand out. Porsche even crafts them to look like the cars themselves. There’s no question, though, that many believe weight adds to the luxury feel, and if that’s the case, no car is more elegant than a Jaguar XJ. The key fob weighs an astounding 3.80 ounces. (I used my kitchen scale to check. It’s the same weight as a kiwi, by the way.) It’s so heavy and so bulky, you never want to leave it in your pocket … which is exactly where remote entry and start key fobs should be.

Nice: Nissan, Kia and others

The convenience of remote entry and keyless ignition isn’t relegated to the upper crust anymore. Many automakers, such as Nissan and Kia, are adding the feature to many cars either as an option or standard across their lineups. A neat, tidy key fob like Nissan’s is so compact that I’ve actually forgotten it’s in my pocket, though that led me to heading home one time with it, leaving another editor sans keys for his ride.