Even Cadillac’s Key Feels High-Class

TopSpeed

By Mark McNabb

Published Oct 11, 2017

Impressions of a car form before even getting in

This past week has seen a rather swanky 2017 Cadillac CTS-V in my driveway. While there is much to talk about with this 640-horsepower, four-door bullet and the way it muscles itself to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and onto a top speed of 200 mph, it’s still a Cadillac at the day’s end. As such, the small things matter. Little touches of luxury and flare are important, with even the smallest detail adding to the overall impression of the car. That’s why I’m so impressed with the Cadillac’s key fob. It just feels right in my hand.

Sure, its guts are plastic, but the outer rim is chromed metal that provides a nice weight to the key. Soft rubber covers the front and back side, making it easy to grip. The key’s overall shape is slightly curved to fit the palm of your hand. The buttons are both easy to see at a glance and easy to remember where they are. V-shaped ridges and a crease down the center help you easily locate the buttons without looking. This makes in-pocket operations very easy. Then again, since the Caddy has a keyless enter and go system, you never have to take the key out of your pocket.

There is one exception, though. The Cadillac has remote starting. By pressing the lock button twice and the ignition button once, the 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V-8 will roar to life. Being near the trunk is the best place to enjoy its startup bark, anyway.

Now, I’ve seen plenty of automakers use high-end keys to impart the feeling of luxury to the driver before ever opening the door. Still others fail miserably and provide a dull, cheap-feeling key fob that only detracts from an otherwise fine vehicle. Cadillac just got it right with both the shape and materials it uses. In other words, the key is befitting to a $100,000 luxury car.

What’s your favorite key fobs? How about your least favorite? Let us know in the comments below. Don’t forget to include some photos!