mikecan01

How many of you have stepped out of your "other car" (the one w/o the push button start) and left the key in the ignition and car running because you are so used to keyless start in the ES350.

I have to admit the other day I ran into walgreens to pick a few items up and about 20 minutes later I got back to my wife's car and found it sitting in the parking spot and it was running! I left the damn keys in the car and walked away. Now I have done this before but realized it after Iwalked a few steps away from the car.

I have to break this habbit! I guess the best way is to stay out of my wife's car

Cali_Girl

I have to admit --- Most of the time! Now, I am happy to hear that I'm not the only one It's difficult to break this habit. I drive an electric golf cart at work so I can show homes to clients. Well.....once I park, I not only forget to turn off the power, the key is also left in the ignition. I've been yelled at on several occasions by my partner......but still this is a very difficult habit to break.....if I remember, I'll do it. I did it twice with my husband's Titan. Turned off the engine but forgot to remove the key. He wasn't very pleased since the truck was parked outside and visible to many folks.

dreyfus

No, I haven't done that, but I have sat momentarily confused after getting in the other car. Then I remember the keys.

I've been driving for decades and it amazes me that I can so quickly forget how to operate a regular car.

It's like Scotty in the Star Trek movie with the whales. He sits down at a PC and has to be told to use the mouse since the PC doesn't accept voice commands. So he picks up the mouse and starts talking to it! Finally, he uses the mouse properly while shaking his head about the primitive technology.

That's how I feel when I drive cars other than my ES350.

PsychDoc

Love the keylesss entry/door unlocking.

Hate the keyless start. It's a pointless, "Gee whiz" gimmick that gives you no place to put your keys when you are driving. I have my key fob on a key chain with at least 8 other keys and there is no way I'm carrying that monstrosity around in my pocket. Hell, the key fob alone is huge. I despise that you can't stick a damn key in the dashboard where it belongs! That way, it would hang there, right where it should be, out of the way and ready for you when you leave the car.

And I hate that when you want to turn the car off but want to listen to the radio you have to push the damn thing once but then when you want to leave the car you have to push it two more times instead of just taking the key out and leaving. And I hate that there's no power to the windows when it's in the first push position and the radio has power...for that you need to push it again. Then, if you just want to cycle back to the original accessory position you have to cycle through "off" and then "accessory" all over again. Of course, when you push to off, the steering wheel moves out of the way, the radio goes off, etc. All before you get back to the "accessory" position you wanted before you had to go through all this garbage just to roll down a window!

All in all a really bad idea. An example of "gee whiz, look what we can do, so let's do it" (even if there's no reason).

dreyfus

Sorry, PsychDoc, I'll have to disagree with you on this one. I know that you left this choice out when comprising your What I Love Most poll, but had you included it you would probably find out that a lot of people love this feature.

So what do you do with your fistful of keys when you're not driving? Carry them around in your hands? Wherever that place is, keep them there.

For me and many others this is a real convenience and not just a "Gee whiz" item. It's one less thing to hassle with and fewer keys to carry around is also a good thing.

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

Some of us are old enough to know that push button start is not new. It was around in the stone age of automobiles. With the modern version, the darn key fob is too big. I like the keyless entry but the push button start is no big deal. I can only imagine the headaches if this thing were to malfunction.

PsychDoc

***fewer keys???***

Have you seen the size of that damn key fob?

You could use it as a door stop!

MD350

I have walked up to my wife's van and pulled the door handle thinking it would unlock, but of course it did not.

As to habits, once heard in a seminar that once you complete a particular action 21 times, it becomes a habit. I think it was a Franklin Covey seminar.

Nextourer

I haven't done that but I have unlocked the Camry, got in, put on my seatbelt and realised that the key is still in my pocket and I have to take it out to start the car.

STIG

I agree with you. I hate the key fob. It's damn so heavy. Lexus could have done way better than that.

But I do love the keyless start button. It impresses everyone.

I havent left my 4 runner running but I do look for the start button when i try to start my car and pull the door handle w/o using remote.

Macklin

I couldn't agree with you more dreyfus. This feature is one of my favorites.

I think PsychDoc and ES350Bob may be one in the same and he posted under the wrong screen name.

Just kidding you Doc, but really, how often do you sit in your car and just listen to the radio?

psp

1. I only carry 2 keys and the fob/doorstop now. I could probably hurt someone with the key fob.
2. I stepped on the brake and pushed the key on my wifes Nissan (oops).
3. I unlocked my wifes van with the key in my pocket and forgot how to start the car and began to tear the car apart looking for the key.
4. I drove a friends '85 Cadillac and was confused for a second.

The best part about using another car and getting back into the ES is the feeling of appreciation for the level of sophistication. I think I am now spoiled.

psp

Hey Mac, when I take my wife to the dry cleaners I sit in the car and watch the Stones on the Nav system. Who cares how long it takes

PsychDoc

The wife loves to shop.

I love to listen to Howard Stern or watch Pink Floyd on the nav screen.

There's a certain cosmic balance to it all.

dreyfus

I do agree with the size and weight complaints on the key fob. If you don't need keys where you're going you could take out the metal key from the fob. I've done that in the past to lighten the weight.

You'd be screwed if your fob battery suddenly died since you couldn't get into the car at that point, but how likely is that (without warning)?

But even with the oversize fob, I'll take that over P.O.K.I. (plain old keyed ignition) any day.