[MarkW83]

Comfort Access is a fantastic feature. I had it on my old E92, then not on my E82 as it was an ex-demo: both me and my girlfriend missed it, and there was no doubt we had to have it again on the F30.

As has been said above, just putting your keys in your pocket - or handbag - when you leave the house, then never having to think about them again until you return home, is very beneficial.

It's a very natural system: you walk up to the car and while putting your hand on the door handle - as you would have to to get in the car anyway - the car unlocks itself for you. It also unlocks the boot in th same manner, with the hands free boot opening being a bonus (once you get the knack, it works 100% of the time without fail).

Locking the car is - granted - slightly less natural as you have to consciously think what to do; but it is still much more convenient than reaching into a pocket, or a bag, to find the lock button on your key. When closing the door, you're obviously standing very close to your car anyway, so slightly reaching out to touch the lock 'strip' on the door handle is very convenient and doesn't require any effort at all.

I do agree that the keyless start was a large part of the system before, and now that we have it as standard on the F30, half (or more than half) of the benefit of the system is standard, so CA should at least be a bit cheaper than it was before (which it isn't!). But it is still nice to be able to complete the system and have keyless entry to the actual car, as well as just starting it.

You will be able to retrofit I'm sure, but it will cost a lot; there are other threads about it, certainly on the E9x, and I seem to remember £1500-£2000k being mentioned. For that, it's a luxury that is hardly worth it; but for the factory price, it's an option that will have been overlooked mainly by those who've never had such a system before. But for those who have: it's a definite step backwards to not have it in a future car (as I quickly discovered!). As Mat said, for the price I would definitely prioritise other options over it, if you're working to a relatively tight budget; but if you can afford it, it is a worthwhile option to have, and improves the experience IMO.