The staff at the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center and in Autos Editorial rotates through nearly 80 vehicles during the year, plus probably two dozens more at various media events. So many, in fact, that I sometimes find the jumble of work and personal keys in my pocket rather confusing.
There are regular keys with external teeth, flip-out blade-type keys with reverse laser cut channels, flip-out traditional keys, and infra-red transponder-type key fobs that just need to be in the car for it to start. And while the manufacturers use a similar set of hieroglyphics on the keys to explain functions, the design of the keys is unique—and sometimes style wins out over functionality.
Consider the examples shown here. I’ve included the key fobs from five of the vehicles in our current test fleet, as well as the one from my Volvo XC70. Of the six keys, five of them are quite easy to decipher: white print on a black background. Most have large buttons that are easy for large or gloved fingers to depress.
The sixth fob, however, the one for the nearly $53,000 Lincoln MKS, is one of the most annoying key fobs I’ve ever encountered (front left). The thin, lightweight plastic fob lacks any heft. The effort to mimic the Lincoln crest in the design is a clear case of style trumping functionality. First, the lack of any contrast printing means the black-on-black buttons are impossible to decipher at night. Second, the tiny bump on the lock button, intended to make it stand out in a Braille-like fashion, can’t be felt with gloves. And finally, the buttons are all on the same plane and sit below the decorative silver plastic spear, so they are difficult to tell apart by feel even in the best of conditions.
Compare the MKS key to the one on the right, that of our $35,000 Ford Taurus. Four small buttons, spaced well apart. They’re marked in white and easy to decipher at a glance or by feel.
Would I learn the feel of this key if I owned the car for a year or more? Most likely. But the owner shouldn’t have to overcome a poor design in the first place. And you’d think that as part of an $18,000 up-charge, Lincoln could afford to, at the least, put a bit of white coloring on the MKS key fob.
—Jon Linkov
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