[a4anurag]

Was a fan of conventional key and the 'key twisting' feel to start the car but after getting the Creta which comes with a smart key, 3 years now that I have been using it, my preferences have changed.

The Ertiga and Creta both are equipped with smart key. The overall convenience factor not requiring to pull out of the pocket is good. Walk up to the car, press the button, sit inside and drive away.

[Comrade]

Smart Key

Its tried and tested, and is convenient enough. Has keyless entry, push button start etc. Can easily be shared with others (family, friends, valet, chauffeur etc.) What more do you need. If market demands, remote start can be added on the smart key for colder and hotter climates.

I dont need to monitor my car every minute, so smartphone seems pretty useless for me. I dont wear a watch usually, and I would hate to wear a wrist band that looks like cheap chinese fitness tracker.

[SBM3J]

Smart key all the way

Convenience (no digging around your pockets, no need to search the keyhole for ignition start, boot release etc.. its just 1000times more practical and convenient than the traditional key.

The thing I dont get in all these solution is the smart band. I get it if its integrated to your existing smartwatch or fitness band, but a dedicated band on your wrist for your car seems to be a bit too convoluted method to solve a problem and making the solution more complex than the problem it tries to solve.

[saikarthik]

I voted for Smart key due to its comfort (but I prefer it with a integrated back up mechanical key blade live XUV 5OO's).

I also hate the start stop button and prefer conventional way of cranking. But can live with it if it has Aston Martin' slot type set up where we can insert the key and use it as button.

[nishp]

Smart key for me. Advantages are already shared by many here.

There is a very nice safety feature with push button start system, in diesel cars it lets the glow plug enough time to warm up the engine before cranking it. This is very useful in increasing the life of diesel engine during cold start.

With manual key, its manual, you have to keep the key in "ON" position for some time (depending upon the engine temperature) until glow plug light goes off. Many miss this important detail.

[VivekCherian]

I personally like the convenience offered by smart keys, but over the last 45 days we had two bad experiences with smart keys :

1. The first was in mid-December when I accidentally carried the keys to my Mom's elder sister's new 5th generation Honda City VX CVT home as I totally forgot that the keys were in my pocket. I locked the car after using it and then happily drove back home in my Octavia. I realised that the key was still in my pocket after reaching home. The fact that my aunt and uncle live 73 KMs away, in my Mom's native place, became a major issue . Luckily, my Mom's younger brother works in Trivandrum (but lives in their native place) and he travels between the two places every week. I sent the key back along with him, while my aunt and uncle used the spare key till then.

2. The second was last Saturday, when our Octavia L&K's keys refused to work. Had they failed when the car was at home, it wouldn't have been an issue as there are other cars at home. However, the key refused to work when my Dad was trying to go back home after he had stepped out to buy some groceries. The car wouldn't even open manually via the keys on the remote, and he then called me (I am in Bangalore now, while my family is in Trivandrum) and we had to trouble shoot remotely. I helped him open the car by removing the key cover on the driver side door handle, but once he manually opened with the key the car's interior surveillance alarm got triggered and the alarm started blaring loudly (attracting unnecessary attention!). The car refused to recognise the key despite holding it close to the steering column (as we are supposed to do when the battery runs out) and the hazard lights wouldn't turn off as well. Mom had to then take the other key to my Dad and luckily the car started after a couple of tries (Even that key's battery had run down - as is the case with keyless entry and start cars as these batteries get drained even when you don't use the keys). The car must have been warning my Dad for a few days, but looks like he failed to notice the message (The Octavia is rarely used now, thanks to the pandemic, and we use Mom's Alto mainly in the city). Weird part is, we tried replacing it with normal Maxcell CR2025 batteries and the keys refused to work. Finally, had to order Panasonic batteries from Amazon (similar ones as what the keys originally came with from Europe) and then the keys started working.

Similar situation happened with the XUV 500 W10 too where the car started throwing warnings that the key batteries were running out, but out of pure luck the keys didn't get completely drained like the Octavia ones did. In that case also, the batteries in both smart keys had become weak. Thankfully the other cars at home all have regular folding keys (except the Alto, but that car will anyway move out of the garage in under a week from now) and we will not be left stuck anywhere if the battery in the key does end up dying completely.

I have still voted for both smart keys and folding keys, as the smart keys are actually really convenient when the key batteries are in good nick The folding keys are quite compact, and I find the conventional keys too long and uncomfortable when I keep them in my pockets.

[DicKy]

Voted for two
Conventional Key - My favourite one. Don't care if it has integrated remote lock/unlock buttons or separate ones (separate the better). Nothing more pleasurable than to use it day in day out till they wear out.
Only problem is locking yourself out, happened to me twice (makes me wince even now)

Smartkey - Convenient to use, but could be easily misplaced.
Guess most cars have dings and beeps to make it idiot-proof, but I have personally drove off in my cousin's Baleno when the smartkeys were still in his pockets.
Still, my second best option.

Tesla like App systems are the inevitable future, but for now feel it's too much of an 'all eggs in one basket' scenario. Aware of the pros of using your smartphone to control your car, but there should be some sort of physical intervention.

Hate Flippy keys - By saying this it is like alienating a whole generation of cars, and even now most cars come with flippy keys in their mid variants.
But hate them for some reason. It's cool to whip the keyblade from the fob and all, but whenever I use a flippy key it is as if something will break off in the future. Not helped by the fact that with age or even with poor design, flippy keys feel kinda loose and jiggly(?)

And then there is this wildcard entry. Not really a key, just an entry system. Something that captivated me since I first saw these in late 90s Fords/Lincolns.

Still offered in the US market Ford cars and for some reason not adopted by anyone else.

Needless to say. Would be too much of a headache for Indian conditions.
Still...the ability to walk towards your car with nothing in hand, or wearing anything and still being able to unlock.


source

[MSC]

Smart key.
No neee to do anything. Just come near car, press sensor and jump in. But only grudge is the start stop button which is a bit sluggish to react to the input given in comparison to normal conventional key. The difference is minimal but still, it's a bit slower.

[Phaseolus]

I have used 3 types of keys in my 10 years of driving experience. The conventional (Swift), Flip (i20 Elite) and Smart keyless entry (Verna 2020).

Personally I prefer the Flipkey, which IMO hits the sweet spot in between. I agree with a lot of comments that mention the satisfaction of twist to start and the safety and convenience of having the key in a constant location whilst driving. Additionally, the foldable nature makes it fairly comfortable to carry in the pocket.

With regards to the Smartkey, I have only been using one for the last few weeks and while it is taking me some time to get used to, there is no questioning the convenience. I don't carry my keys in my pockets but have them attached to my pant's belt loop via a clip-on key chain and not having to unclip to drive make life just that little bit easier. My major concerns which have already been expressed previously are the potential security vulnerabilities and battery life.

[motor_breathing]

My preference is Flip key. The conventional key's metallic stem can scratch phone or other things in pocket so flip-key is better in that aspect.

Its a good experience cranking the car with a conventional key.

My previous two cars, Octavia StylePlus and Baleno Alpha CVT both had smart key, and misplacing the key was a routine affair. Once I had given Octavia for service and while picking it back didn't check for the key assuming it will be in the cubby beneath the steering, started the car and reached home. After reaching home I couldn't find the key anywhere in the car. After calling SA, again started looking everywhere in and out the car. Finally found it placed above a net sort of plastic part above the suspension inside the bonnet . Felt lucky that it didn't fall down some where on the road while my return.

[Annibaddh]

Flippy Keys all the way. I have a habit of carrying keys in my pocket at all times and conventional ones are just uncomfortable to have in your pocket. Smart keys on the other hand are just too *below the line* for me. I'm sure I'll forget them somewhere or simply carry dad's in my pocket and fly off to another city! Add to that a general discomfort with handing over all control to tech.

[jeygani]

I like the conventional key with the lock/unlock. I don't use a keychain and find it easy to carry just the key, to avoid extra weight in pockets.

A key and biometrics/app would have been better, as we can use both options depending upon convenience. While going for service or for other drivers we can give the car with normal key and for personal use, biometrics/app can be used.

[88_TANK_88]

Voted for conventional keys and smart keys.
I loved Audi keys which had to be slotted in and pushed to start the car. Best of both worlds.

[TorqueSteer]

Voted for smart keys. I love the convenience of not having to take the fob out of pocket anytime. And "The Most Boring KeyFob Design of the Century" goes to....... Maruti Suzuki !!

My Ignis keyfob.

[car-dent]

Voted for FlipKey and Smartkey.
while a SmartKey is very convenient, a physical key feels more safe and reliable.
A flip key combines the best of both worlds and is a good compromise.