I think most of you will find that unlocking the doors with the center button quickly becomes habit once you "get burned" a few times...

 

This is the first car that I've had that has the pull twice on the lever feature to unlock. After a while I've become used to it but I used to think it was stupid to have to pull twice to open the door. I don't even notice it now but when I have passengers, I always have to tell them: "You have to pull the thing twice to open the door". At least I don't have passengers that often.
I agree, there should be a feature to have door locks unlock automatically in the US

 

The pull twice concept makes sense to me as a safety feature. You don't want someone opening a door with one accidental pull of the handle if the car is moving, etc.

I always felt that it was a bad idea that M-B uses where, with one pull of the handle, the door opens and all doors unlock.

As much as I'd like to see BMW give us (in the US) the option to make the door(s) unlock like the German spec cars, if I can't have that, I'm happy with the current setup. You do get used to it and BMW has done it this way for many, many years (my '89 M3 does it.)

 

Pulling the handle twice doesn't unlock all doors. This is what's bothering us, not the drivers door being pulled twice.

I have 2 childrens that must be unbuckled and exited by adults. I always forget to push the center button, so going back into the car for the 2nd time is a frequent affair for me.

I am also a golfer, so the trunk must be unlocked by the center switch too. My passenger and I often walk out of the car for our golf bags only to find the trunk was locked.

I don't know what litigation BMWNA is affraid of getting slap with, that's preventing this unlock feature being implemented in our cars. I am sure it's stupid.
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1. I put my computer bag in the back seat of the car often. Pulling the handle and noticing that I have to pull twice because the door is locked is a reminder to unlock all doors in order to get my bag. I have no problem with this and rarely have to use my remote to open the door anymore.

2. You have not been following developments in the U.S. legal system. Aggressive or even frivolous law-suits are often filed on behalf of people against entities with deep pockets - often with apparent justification being little more than protecting people from their own stupidity. Whether these are successful or not, they still require defending and this is expensive. Here is a hypothetical case - some maniac lurking behind a bush jumps in the back-seat of an E60 that has just automatically unlocked itself and puts a bullet through the spine of the driver leaving her incapacitated for life. She is disabled and has lifelong medical expenses and no insurnace to cover them. Where is her lawyer going to go seeking support?

 

Thats the only thing it can do. I hated it. it locks when you twist the ignition and unlocks when you twist off... ESPECIALLY when all the doors arnt closed yet it will lock and then auto unlock again... So I alaways end up waiting till the last person got in the car then closes the door THEN i can start the engine... on a Hot day that is ANNOYING!!!!!!!
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I don't know what Toyota you were driving, but the one we have does not lock the doors until you actually put the car from "P" into "D". And on the end of your trip it only unlocks the doors when you move from "D" back to "P". You can start your egine and the doors will stay unlocked until you are ready to drive off. To me this is a great feature.


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It was a 99 Toyota Camry. Guaranty you it did that... I hated that feature.

 

Pulling the handle twice doesn't unlock all doors. This is what's bothering us, not the drivers door being pulled twice.

I have 2 childrens that must be unbuckled and exited by adults. I always forget to push the center button, so going back into the car for the 2nd time is a frequent affair for me.

I am also a golfer, so the trunk must be unlocked by the center switch too. My passenger and I often walk out of the car for our golf bags only to find the trunk was locked.

I don't know what litigation BMWNA is affraid of getting slap with, that's preventing this unlock feature being implemented in our cars. I am sure it's stupid.
[/quote]

1. I put my computer bag in the back seat of the car often. Pulling the handle and noticing that I have to pull twice because the door is locked is a reminder to unlock all doors in order to get my bag. I have no problem with this and rarely have to use my remote to open the door anymore.

2. You have not been following developments in the U.S. legal system. Aggressive or even frivolous law-suits are often filed on behalf of people against entities with deep pockets - often with apparent justification being little more than protecting people from their own stupidity. Whether these are successful or not, they still require defending and this is expensive. Here is a hypothetical case - some maniac lurking behind a bush jumps in the back-seat of an E60 that has just automatically unlocked itself and puts a bullet through the spine of the driver leaving her incapacitated for life. She is disabled and has lifelong medical expenses and no insurnace to cover them. Where is her lawyer going to go seeking support?
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1. Good for you.
The unlocking feature is there for other countries, and I do wish I had the choice to enable it. I am sure I'll get use to it eventually, but my passengers (wife, business associates, clients, friends....etc) may not. I just have to remember to unlock the car everytime we stop.

2. I have 4 close friends whom are attornies and we do meet on weekly basis. Their area of specialties are each distinctive; Labor law/worker's comp, Product liability/patent, General liability/insurance, and Criminal Law/defense. You wouldn't believe what type of stories I had to listen from these guys. Some ridiculus, but others were educational.
Your example given above just made my point. Frivolous=Stupid lawsuits. I am sure that even with the current non-auto-unlock set up, the lawyers will still find creative ways to sue. :'(

By the way, you are in canada. What are you doing following the development of OUr legal system????

 

On the US spec cars, all the doors stay locked. I don't know if you can program the doors to open when you shut off the car.

I just got my car back from the dealer, and asked them to program my key lock so when I pushed it once, all four doors unlocked. It took them about 10 minutes.

 

10 minutes...

 

I imagine there will eventually be a US lawsuit against BMW because a person was "injured" or "harmed" because they pulled the door handle to get out quickly (under some sort of duress) but since the door didn't open on the first pull and they had to pull it again, something bad happened to them.

If only it would have opened when the poor injured person wanted it to... :'(

 

Precisely my point.

BMW can instal an "I agree" screen before all changes that will dissolve their responsability. Or at least makes the plaintiff think twice before sueing BMW.