My last car was 10 years old, so it didn't have this feature. I think it's really neat, you don't even have to press the fob to open the car. And if you leave it in the car and try to lock it, it wont let you. It's so hi-tech!
this has to be one of my favorite features of my week-and-a-day old toy! Problem is, now I want the same feature for my house!!!
LOL!!! I was wondering if I was the only person thinking that....You know that at least one time I've walked up to the front door of the house, and without taking the keys out of my pocket, just grabbed the door handle and tried to open it....needless to say it didn't work and I felt like a complete idiot, but it would be great if it worked.
On the negative side, its really irritating to drive a different vehicle and have to dig out the keys every time you want to drive it. Seems so backward.
SKS is a very cool feature. I don't wont to bust any bubble. But, what ever you do don't lose the smart keys. It generally cost around $260 more to make a copy and or replacement vs the mentally challenged keys on older cars. Just a word to the wise :eyebrows:
Back in 1984 I had a Mercury Grand Marquis. It had keyless entry via a punch pad on the door. I lived at the beach in New Jersey. I was able to leave the keys in the car and walk the beach, swim etc. At the end of the day I would punch in the 4 digit code and unlock the doors. I never had to worry about loosing my keys while at the beach. :third:
True, though that's not that much more than the case for Ford that I ditched to get the Prius. That vehicle had an old-fashioned mechanical key with a passive anti-theft device (PATS) chip built in (even a correctly cut key without the chip wouldn't start the car and keep it running.) From Ford, those keys were about $150 a pop. That's not to denigrate Austin50mpg's warning, but no one should freak that the SKS key is that special because of it's price. Most vehicles with mechanical keys that incorporate a PATS chip have three-digit price tags for replacements. I think I read somewhere that either Lexus or Mercedes has a four digit price for replacing a lost key (yes that would include a comma in the price too).....go figure.
Did I hear someone said "SmaryKey Entry doors"? Non-vihicle Field/TOKAI RIKA CO., LTD. from the same maker who made the SmartKey system on Prius. Have you seen the new system from Mazda (made by Denso)? It's about 3mm thick and has a footprint as a business card. You guess it. You can put it in your wallet. And it resists bending very well (necessary to be in your wallet). And, it also comes with "autolock" feature so that the vehicle will lock itself after you walk away provided that all doors are closed. (That is the feature that got turned off by Toyota for USA market).
This is one of my favorite features of the car too. I find it funny when Prius shoppers state that they do not need a fancy SKS system on their Prius. It is used every time you use your car! Soon every car will have this feature. I also wish it locked the doors when you walked away.
Wow. And here I thought *I* was the only one. Interesting. But where can I actually get one? Even a little more information would be nice, that site is really scarce on details.
You could just buy the house locks that have the finger print feature. Kinda works like the smart key. (since you just walk up to it and put your finger under the sensor) Weiser Lock: Product Series: SmartScanâ„¢ My aunt bought this door lock, its pretty cool. I'm really considering getting it for my house - as I love the Smark Key for my car, so why not have the same ability with my house .... although I still have to get my keys out of my pocket to close my garage door (For some reason - even though I have to take the keys out of my pocket to open the house - I have forgotten to close my garage at least 4 or 5 times since I bought the car .. I think its because I don't have my keys in hand when I exit the garage - I have a key chain fob for a door opener .. when I'm in the Prius I just use the Rear View Mirror button)
I don't know about this specific brand, but have you seen the Mythbusters episode where they tested (and rather easily defeated) such a lock. No thanks, I'll pass. I still prefer needing a physical token to get in...
We love SKS too! Our other hybrid the '06 Lexus SUV doesn't even have it! A $50K+ car .. with mechanical key/80yr old technology? The Prius has it beat in that regard, and a few others to boot!
Hey, here is a bit of trivia that just seems to fit here. Did you know that Prius hasn't got a steering lock? I'm assuming the transmission lock suffices. You would have to laugh if a thief wanted to steal a Prius and got in with the usual screwdriver etc to force the lock ... ... that it hasn't got.
