These Are The Best Key Fob Designs, According To Our Readers

Three cheers for automotive minutiae! Earlier this week we asked you to indulge in some automotive minutiae and share with the class what they think are the best car key fobs, and I'm surprised by your answers. Some of them make a lot of sense and are answers I hoped you would mention, but I am surprised to see how many of you are partial to card keys and even using your cell phone as a key. Is this the same audience who decries the death of the manual transmission and driver involvement? I expected to get a slew of comments complaining about complicated and expensive modern car keys are, but instead you vouch for the newfangled technology? I find that surprising.

I said my Mini Cooper's round key fob is the best one because it continues the car's tongue-in-cheek, quirky and whimsical demeanor, despite being somewhat awkwardly shaped and overly large. Feel free to leave a different answer in the comments section below, but these are a handful of my favorite answers from the Jalopnik audience.

my panamera came with a fob shaped like the car and is about the same size as a toy car so it gets drifted around my desk several times a day

Submitted by: Poser Vexation

The late 1990s/early 2000s BMW diamond key with integrated buttons was very elegant. To start with, it only had 3 buttons – lock, unlock and trunk. The BMW roundel was a button itself, which gave the illusion of the fob only having 2 buttons. The simple asymmetrical layout and fixed key meant you could operate it entirely by feel. The integrated battery automatically recharged when the car was running. It felt great in your hand.

Submitted by: Stephen.

VW of the late 90s early 00s for inventing the switchblade fidget devise.

Submitted by: ADripBehind

The thinnest, smallest key fob is the best and even better is using your phone as a key. It works flawlessly on my iX and it is nice, especially when going out with limited pocket space, to not have a big, bulky fob. It also automatically locks and unlocks the door based on location so I never have to interact with the phone to get in and drive the car.

Submitted by: ODDseth

Actually like not carrying any of the bulky car keys/fobs. I do plan on getting rid of my Tesla in 2026, but do like the phone app key and wallet key card change. Personally have never had a connection problem getting into the car with the phone (5 years and 120k miles with the Y) that some others have complained about.

Submitted by: Not Me

I like the design of the Kia Key fobs (specifically the keyless entry fobs) where the buttons are one the side and there is a pronounced raised corner for one of the buttons. It kind of makes it easier to feel out where the buttons are and looks ergonomic.

Submitted by: Kee Davis-Stein

I don't know about it being the best fob, but the best system I've ever used was that of my '13 Mazda3 with the button on the door and push button start. Fairly small fob, included a backup key, didn't need to leave the pocket, and even worked with the 6MT, which is something Toyota apparently never figured out how to do on the Tacoma I replaced it with.

Submitted by: Chase

So, imagine getting a hot wheels version of your car, and turn that into a key fob for your car...That's what Pagani did, and I'm all for it.

Submitted by: Agon Targeryan

The Renault key-card I had on my 2003 Mégane was the best. The size of a credit card, and only about 3.5mm thick, it slipped into a pocket far easier than any key before or since.

Submitted by: Neil Hall

I like Subaru's current key fob. It's small enough to fit easily into your pocket and it's made out of real metal so it feels heavy & high-quality. I also like how the Subaru logo is the unlock button, neat little design trick. I work at a Mazda dealership and that key fob feels cheap and flimsy by comparison (and the buttons are on the side, making it too easy to press them if the key is in your pocket).

Submitted by: JonRob951