Cars used to be started with push (or step) buttons a great while back. Now “push to start” buttons are showing up in cars again. Why? Will tail fins come next?
Back in the day, cars that used a step on starter button still had an ignition key. At least n the 40’s they did.
Todays version don’t ave an ignition key. It’s convenient to unlock the door by touching the handle, sit down and press a button to start the car.
Don’t need to fish out your keys and perhaps drop them in the snow pile next to the car. 
It’s a cheap gimmick to impress the gullible. I have one and I think it’s neat
It’s quite a convenience actually. My wife keeps her fob in her purse and has never had to spend 10 minutes looking for her keys before leaving the house. Thankfully she doesn’t have to find the fob somewhere in the bottom of her purse to drive.
The problems are that occasionally you forget to turn off the engine when you arrive home. Additionally, washing your fob (forgetting to remove it from your pocket before laundry) is a rather expensive problem.
All in all, it’s a plus I believe.
As far as fins go. I wouldn’t be surprised.
As someone who’s had to replace the ignition lock tumbler on a car, I can attest that even something as simple as a key start can fail. A push button start with an electronic lock (to prevent hot wiring) simplifies one more mechanical system.
Of course, if the electronics fail your car will be stuck without the warning signs a mechanical failure would exhibit, but hey, that’s the down side of progress.
An electric starter draws enormous current. This requires large contacts and a heavy spring to separate them. This is why they were originally designed to be operated using the foot.
Eventually, electric solenoid relays were developed that allowed the starter to be controlled with modest contacts in the ignition switch.
As for why the current fashion? I have no idea.
Love mine, beats having a pocketfull of sharp keys in your pants pocket.
I’ve washed mine as well and just had to take it apart and blow dry the circuit board and it worked fine; the one I have actually has rubber seals on it to minimize water intrusion. Also has a physical key tucked away in the fob so that you can manually unlock the doors in case you have to in an emergency.
I’m not going back to keys unless I’m forced to; its not just a fashion statement.
Yeah, slightly different technology at play.
The push starter is way easier and you don’t have to take your keys out of your pocket, purse, whatever
(most of the cars ive seen this with had a button on the door handle that locks and unlocks the doors when the fob is within range - so it’s not like I had to get the keys out to press the remote)
With a system that doesn’t have a key starting it you really don’t want it to automatically start every time you’re near it.
I always liked the push button starters on old cars when a kid and wished they’d come back. Who doesn’t like to push a button? This fall I was driving an old tractor again and it had one of those old metal start buttons. Woot.
If your car also has keyless entry (the doors unlock when your key gizmo is in range) you can get in and start the car without having to find your keys.
OK, I get it. It’s another lazy feature.
For some reason, I miss floor-mounted dimmer switches.
My sister-in-law developed rheumatoid arthritis 40 years ago, and always had difficulty twisting the ignition key. Now she has a pushbutton-start Buick Lacrosse and loves it. Not that hey put that into the car just for her, but it’s a plus anyway.
greater convenience doesn’t equate to laziness.
or do you think power steering is just us young folk expecting life to be a cakewalk?
Do you still own a rotary phone? What is twisting a key, or a dial, better than pushing a button?
My husband’s car has one. Love it. I can walk up to the car, arms full of stuff, fob in my purse, poke out one little finger and unlock the door.
Or start into the car without having to dig through my purse or briefcase to unearth my keys. I thought it was silly until I started using it. Love it now.
Thank you Mr. Tesla.
How is pushing a button such a giant leap forward from twisting a key once? One doesn’t have to twist the key seven times to start the car.
I don’t think this thing compares to things like power steering and ABS and electric starters. It’s more like electric windows and seats- nice, maybe, but not really necessary for the people it’s marketed to.
Because, as has been explained to you, it obviates the need to remove your keys from wherever they rest. It’s useful for people that have their hands full, for arthritics, or people wearing skinny jeans.
Push button starts started coming into style before intelligent keyfobs. The s2000 has a conventional key (stick it in and turn) and a push button (push to start). It’s clearly an inferior system to just turning a key all the way, since it adds an extra pointless step.
But it’s cool. Because race cars have start buttons. Race cars don’t have keys, though, so it makes sense there. In a street car? It’s just a gimmick. Just like Porsche putting the key on the left side of the steering wheel “Le Mans style” even though Le Mans hasn’t had a running start since the 70s.
yes, that is a gimmick.
the way normal push button ignition systems are designed - i.e. not as a purposed design component to appeal to those wanting the faux race car appeal - is not a gimmick in that sense.