Key fob hot takes: The good, bad, pretty, ugly, strange and more

Something we don’t talk about enough ‘round these parts are key fobs. I’ve either laid eyes on or used pretty much every one of them at this point, which is simply just a hazard of the job. I know. Real tough. But that also makes me qualified to say if a key fob is good or bad.

OEMs come out with new designs every 3-7 years seemingly, and while some use universal fobs for their entire lineups, others will have a couple different fobs depending on the model, even going as far as designing unique versions for special performance variants. And yes, some even still offer a physical key that you have to put in an ignition and turn. Scary!

It's that very lack of keys no longer needing to be keys that has brought upon the sheer amount of variation in design over recent years. If the key can be any shape or size, what should it be? Spoiler: There is no universal answer.

Anyway, this list is where I finally get to give you my key fob hot takes for every major OEM selling cars in America, and you can give me yours in the comments below. Let’s have some fun!

Acura – A 10/10 key, especially for the manual Integra Type S that is uniquely shortened (by eliminating the remote start button). Great button action, plenty weighty, not too big. Good work, Acura.

Alfa Romeo – Jeepers this thing is big. Nice touch with the “Alfa Romeo” script, but it feels sorta cheap and is rather bulky in the pocket.

Audi – Slick and sleek. Beautiful shape, glossy black fits well with the car’s interior; I even like the button action. Solid key.

Bentley – The Brits sure don’t mess around with how big that “B” is, and honestly, good on ’em. It’ll just be easier to identify amongst the other supercar and ultra-luxe car keys floating around your mansion.

BMW – Thank goodness BMW doesn’t have that key with the screen on it anymore. The new one is neat and has an easy-to-find lock button, but it takes up a little more pocket space than I’d prefer.

Bugatti – You got me, I haven’t used this one yet. But I guess it says Bugatti on it, so it must be alright.

Buick – Boy was this a hideous one, but the new fob for the Envision is standard GM fare, which is perfectly acceptable. 

Cadillac – The Blackwing fobs with the color-matched inserts rule. It’s not overly bulky. I like this one.

Chevrolet – Chevy’s version of GM’s fob is just like the others, but it has a bowtie on the back. A little low-rent looking, but it’s fine. The Corvette key is good, too, but nothing special.

Chrysler – The Pacifica’s fob is classic minivan style with a dizzying number of buttons, but it’s logical and easy to use. In case you were wondering, the 300’s fob is the same as the Charger and Challenger.

Dodge – Speaking of the devil, this fob is fine, but boring unless you get a Hellcat. Then Dodge uses red plastic instead of black. Hell yeah, brother.

Ferrari – I think the new design introduced with the Roma is quite possibly the coolest key on the market. It’s just a Ferrari badge on one side with stitched leather on the other. That rules.

Fiat – Yeah, there’s still a Fiat on sale in the U.S., the 500X. Its key fob will garner as much attention as the car itself (that is, very little), though I do enjoy the big Fiat logo on it.

Ford – Visually unappealing with far too much chrome. Even the Shelby and Raptor-specific fobs are super meh.

Genesis – Easily one of the best in the game. Wild geometric patterns, and awesome metal buttons – I love it. The GV60 (and perhaps others?) comes with a set of two, and they’re different colors and made with different materials. Now that’s an awesome idea.

GMC – What I said for Chevy, minus the Corvette compliments.

Honda – How cute! Love the rounded edges and small size in general. It’s a fob that I don’t actually mind having in my pocket. The red “H” badge on the rear of the Type R’s is a nice touch, too.

Hyundai – Perfectly fine, but not as enticing to look at as the cars themselves. The Ioniq 6’s unique fob sure is strange, but I appreciate that Hyundai is going for something.

Infiniti – Eeek. Worse than most.

Jaguar – The raised and depressed buttons for lock/unlock are a stupendous idea, and I don’t know why more OEMs don’t copy it. Nothing special to look at, but functionality is top-notch.

Jeep – I feel like I need a purse just to carry the Wrangler or Gladiator’s fob around. Key designers, I know the trucks are rugged, but this is getting out of hand.