I was looking through the E90 Confidential Wholesale (Invoice) Pricing thread, and it says that Comfort Access will not be available until Sept 2005. So does that mean no E90s with start button until Sept and the ones being sold from may until sept will have the regular keys?

There's still a start/stop button on non-comfort access cars. In both cars you get one of those new keyfobs that you put in the slot in the dash, then you push the start/stop button. What comfort access makes easier is you don't even have to put the key into the slot, you just push the button.

There's still a start/stop button on non-comfort access cars. In both cars you get one of those new keyfobs that you put in the slot in the dash, then you push the start/stop button. What comfort access makes easier is you don't even have to put the key into the slot, you just push the button.

Oh I see, ok thanks for the response!

I was looking through the E90 Confidential Wholesale (Invoice) Pricing thread, and it says that Comfort Access will not be available until Sept 2005. So does that mean no E90s with start button until Sept and the ones being sold from may until sept will have the regular keys?
Comfort access is BMWs version of Mercedes Keyless go.

another reason to wait awhile

I can't wait or I'll keep waiting for the next cool option but that does provide a little incentive. I think next week will be the arrival of the e90s at the local dealer so next is finding out what options to get.

What comfort access makes easier is you don't even have to put the key into the slot, you just push the button.
I don't believe this is quite correct. The Comfort Access feature allows you to unlock the car door without pressing any button, and then to lock the vehicle upon exiting, you touch a marked spot on the door handle. To start the car, you still have to insert the key fob into the slot in the dash, as this unlocks the steering wheel. I wish the Comfort Access feature did allow for starting the car without inserting the fob in the dash - like Mercedes Keyless Go - that would have been great.

Prolix

are you sure? I thought everybody would be keyless?

are you sure? I thought everybody would be keyless?
Well, no, I can't say I am SURE since the feature is not available yet. But I was left with this impression after reading the info. on the BMW website. Here is what they say -
"With the optional Comfort Access function (delayed availability), the key identifies the vehicles owner to the vehicle, allowing the driver to open the car door without ever pressing a single button. To secure the vehicle, the driver merely touches a marked spot on the door handle upon exiting." It says nothing about the driver not having to insert the key fob into the dash slot - I would think they would mention this as this would be an important aspect of the Comfort Access function. Maybe BMW considers the entry/exit part of the function to be far more important than the start/stop side of the equation, and therefore didn't think it was important enough to mention that the car can be started without using the fob. It just seems to me like a glaring omission on their part if you can indeed start the car without the use of the key fob.

To try to get to the bottom of this, I just called 2 dealerships, and they both told me the same thing - on the current 7 series, the Comfort Access does indeed allow the driver to start the car without the use of the key fob. So I then said - "So it will be the same way then on the E90, correct?" and both dealerships said - "Well, we can't say for sure because this feature is not available yet in the E90's" To which I said - "Well, if that's the way it currently works in the 7 series, it makes sense it would work that way in the 3 series" and they both said "Well, it should, but we can't say for sure that the Comfort Access feature in the E90 will be identical to the feature in the 7 series."

I certainly hope I am wrong and hope that this feature when it makes it debut in the E90 in the fall will allow for keyless starting of the car. Now that I know that this is the way it works in the current 7 series, it makes sense that it would work the same way in the E90's. The salesmen are probably trained to never state anything as fact if it is not in writing from the head office, so this is probably why they were not willing to say for sure.

Prolix

Now I am really confused. I took the e90 out last week for a ride, half way thru the ride my friend that was with me wanted to drive. I took the fob out and he left it on the center console and was able to press the button and start the car back up. We drove the rest of the way to the dealership with the fob on th ecenter console. :confused

Hey all , I don't post much but the answer to your dilemma is ,you do not need to insert the key into the ignition if have the CAS option (sept 05 availability). the steering lock is pure electric, does not lock like the traditional steering locks BMW and most others always had.
this system operates the same way the E65/66 7 series CAS operates ,except the fact the 7 steering wheel does not have a steering lock.

I called the dealership in washinton DC and he confirmed that it could start the car without putting the key into the slot. I think a lot of dealerships only know as much about the car as we do and they certainly don't want to take any responsibilities. But I don't see why they could only open and close doors and not start the car. Same equipment. :cool