[skindoc]

2022 BMW X6 M50i


I have an X4 loaner and I noticed they key has a metal version of the detachable glove compartment portion of the key. Mine is plastic. Anyone know why the X6 would have a plastic key and X4 would have metal key?

[TurtleBoy]

Because BMW designed it that way.


Are you sure it is plastic? Did you take it out? The key should be metal, at least it is on my M340i's. Or are you just referring to the top portion? If so, see comment above.

[cantgobak]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

Because BMW designed it that way.


Are you sure it is plastic? Did you take it out? The key should be metal, at least it is on my M340i's. Or are you just referring to the top portion? If so, see comment above.

I believe OP is referring to the removable bottom portion of the handle, which is black plastic. I would say it's cost cutting… My 2018 X5 has the same silver design just like the X3 loaner shown in the picture. 2022 X5 also has the same black plastic which to me is a downgrade on the feel of quality compare to 2018 X5.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by cantgobak

I believe OP is referring to the removable bottom portion of the handle, which is black plastic. I would say it's cost cutting… My 2018 X5 has the same silver design just like the X3 loaner shown in the picture. 2022 X5 also has the same black plastic which to me is a downgrade on the feel of quality compare to 2018 X5.

I would definitely say cost-cutting. My 2019 X5 is all metal but the M340i is plastic at the top.

[Chas8283]

But is it metal? This is the key for our '22 M. And all the silver is metalized plastic. It is interesting though that our keys are different from others.

[nZtiZia]

i believe the 'metal' is just coated plastic. my wife's MY20 G30 fobs have the 'metal' detachments while my MY21 G05 fobs have plain black, which is good for us in order to distinguish which fobs are for which bimmer cuz all the buttons are exactly the same

[cantgobak]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

i believe the 'metal' is just coated plastic. my wife's MY20 G30 fobs have the 'metal' detachments while my MY21 G05 fobs have plain black, which is good for us in order to distinguish which fobs are for which bimmer cuz all the buttons are exactly the same

Even if it is coating silver on plastic, the entire feel of the remote is very different. I don't know if it's plastic or metal, but if I remembered correctly, my ex-2018 remote weighs heavier than the current 2022's and the 22's black plastic is rough. The previous feel of premium quality is gone…

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by cantgobak

Even if it is coating silver on plastic, the entire feel of the remote is very different. I don't know if it's plastic or metal, but if I remembered correctly, my ex-2018 remote weighs heavier than the current 2022's and the 22's black plastic is rough. The previous feel of premium quality is gone…

i should clarify both sets of our fobs (4 fobs total) have the 'metal' buttons. the only difference is that part to which the emergency key attaches (mine is black, hers is 'metal'). below is my wife's keychain showing her fobs for each of our two bimmers.

[mmm50i]

My MY22 has black bottoms on both key fobs.

[CaliforniaDrew]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

i should clarify both sets of our fobs (4 fobs total) have the 'metal' buttons. the only difference is that part to which the emergency key attaches (mine is black, hers is 'metal'). below is my wife's keychain showing her fobs for each of our two bimmers.

For science! 2019 m850 and 2021 X5. More difference than I expected. They do feel quite different…

[cantgobak]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaDrew

For science! 2019 m850 and 2021 X5. More difference than I expected. They do feel quite different…

@CaliforniaDrew Thanks for confirming my memory..

[taek]

Probably weight savings. My other car has a fob that's metal and the same leather as my interior, and it's annoying and heavy on a keychain.

The best key fob would be one that doesn't physically exist (like the digital phone key) if they could send out the signal for comfort access like on the iX.

[kkratochvil]

Originally Posted by skindoc

2022 BMW X6 M50i


I have an X4 loaner and I noticed they key has a metal version of the detachable glove compartment portion of the key. Mine is plastic. Anyone know why the X6 would have a plastic key and X4 would have metal key?

Seems like there's a decent amount of variation, year-over-year, etc.

Here's my 2020 X6 M50i fob:

[Qsilver7]

If you have two different BMW models…but the remote fob has the same design…in my opinion…having them not be exactly the same is a plus. Looking at the pic of key rings above that have two fobs…one w/black & one w/chrome emergency key…makes it easy to identify which fob goes with which BMW model you’re getting ready to drive.

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

If you have two different BMW models…but the remote fob has the same design…in my opinion…having them not be exactly the same is a plus. Looking at the pic of key rings above that have two fobs…one w/black & one w/chrome emergency key…makes it easy to identify which fob goes with which BMW model you’re getting ready to drive.

agree! i decided to put a case on my fob for my car, so in my key ring, it's very distinguishable from my fob for her car, but my wife (pictured above) does not care even though i warned there is still a slight chance the emergency keys can be swapped!

[cantgobak]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

If you have two different BMW models…but the remote fob has the same design…in my opinion…having them not be exactly the same is a plus. Looking at the pic of key rings above that have two fobs…one w/black & one w/chrome emergency key…makes it easy to identify which fob goes with which BMW model you're getting ready to drive.

On 2018 X5, that's exactly how it came with; primary has silver and secondary has black plastic on the detachable bottom portion. The buttons are all sliver on both 18's and 22's.

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by cantgobak

On 2018 X5, that's exactly how it came with; primary has silver and secondary has black plastic on the detachable bottom portion. The buttons are all sliver on both 18's and 22's.

Oh that's be crazy confusing if you had both MY18 and MY22 at the same time: 3 fobs with black bottom portion and 1 fob with silver!

my wife's MY20 G30 are both silver, while my MY21 G05 are both black… much easier to distinguish

[BobsM3Coupe]

I know when I sold my 2019 X3 M40i, the key fob was mostly black (1st post photo). When I exchanged key fobs from the X3 for the 2021 X5MC (post 13 photo), I immediately felt the difference in weight (X5MC is mostly metallic colored) between the two key fobs. I asked dealer why and he said it's what occurs when going from an X3 to an X5.

The key fobs that came with my X5MC have a much more substantial feel to them then the X3 key fobs.

[cantgobak]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

Oh that's be crazy confusing if you had both MY18 and MY22 at the same time: 3 fobs with black bottom portion and 1 fob with silver!

my wife's MY20 G30 are both silver, while my MY21 G05 are both black… much easier to distinguish

Luckily I sold my 2018 and replaced it with 2022… but now you said it, I could be wrong on the secondary remote on silver buttons; it could be all black plastic buttons. Since it's secondary for my wife and kept it in a little key purse rarely taken it out, my memory could be playing tricks on me again. But for sure, the bottom detachable portion is black plastic…

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by cantgobak

Luckily I sold my 2018 and replaced it with 2022… but now you said it, I could be wrong on the secondary remote on silver buttons; it could be all black plastic buttons. Since it's secondary for my wife and kept it in a little key purse rarely taken it out, my memory could be playing tricks on me again. But for sure, the bottom detachable portion is black plastic…

are you saying for your one vehicle, the MY18 X5, the two key fobs that came with it were different from each other (one had black bottom, the other had silver bottom)? yeah, I highly doubt that unless one was the regular key fob and the other was the Display Key which was discontinued in the U.S. since MY20. we've had bimmers since 2008 and each car's pair of regular key fobs were identical, never a different color to distinguish between primary or secondary as they're internally identical.

[Qsilver7]

The f15 X5 could come with 3 different fobs depending on options.

The base X5 came with #5
The M-Sport pkg came with #6
The Pure Excellence/X-line pkgs came with #7

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

The f15 X5 could come with 3 different fobs depending on options.

The base X5 came with #5
The M-Sport pkg came with #6
The Pure Excellence/X-line pkgs came with #7

great photo. while this shows it came with different styled fobs according to trim, each vehicle would receive a pair of identical key fobs, though. for example, a base X5 wouldn't include one #5 fob and one #7 fob; it would include two #5 fobs.

so for him to say he had two different-looking fobs for the same vehicle doesn't seem plausible.