Prospective car buyers - how essential to you is an electric tailgate for your next car purchase?
And those who own a car with an electric tailgate, has it been a gamechanger or something you'd live without?
Pros and cons?
Tossing up between top of the line with sunroof and electric tailgate ($3-4K extra) or one model below without those options.
Because I need something else to go wrong .
I would have thought it was obvious!
Yet an another useless poll, package comes with sunroof and electric tailgate and OP asking is tailgate worth considering, where sunroof would be the most expensive component.
Exactly, odds are OP doesn't realise that the extra $4k probably also comes with major upgrades like larger wheels, 360 camera, additional sensors, heated seats, larger screen, heads up display etc. What car are you talking about? The 360 camera & extra sensors make a big difference.
Not at all. Seems like a gimmick with just another thing to break.
Bigger SUVs it is more likely a requirement. Our current car is the first we have had with it and yes it’s pretty good.
That said, lately it has readjusted itself somehow to a height right in the middle of my forehead. And I can’t seem to reset it.
Thanks for confirming that it is just another thing to break.
Hahaha
AI is training you to kneel before it. Seems to be working
Most cars have a system where you can manually first adjust to the height you need and then long press the button to set that as a target height. It is advantageous if you park in a restricted space or need adjustment due to ones height/reach. Have a look at the car manual.
Maybe someone pushed the tailgate and then tried to close it by long pressing the button which set the tailgate to that height.
On my car the button for the power tailgate has a dial around the outside that adjusts the the opening height. Most cars it's adjustable, check the owners manual.
There usually will be a manual in your glove box and you should be refer to that and adjust if it was somehow changed unknowingly
I thought it was dumb when I got my first car with one, but I really like it. Can have it open before you get to the car.
Not an essential, but a nice to have. Kids would mess around with it
AMG badge is esssntial for me
total gamechanger. i feel so high yield now
I see your AMG badge and raise you the badge with the ‘T’ and my subsequent virtue signaling
Yep.. I don’t want to drive a “car”, I want to drive a “Tesla”
You don’t really drive a Tesla, you’re part of a movement
That's why I put one on my Camry.
Not essential, but I thought it was a gimmick when I got one 5 years ago, and it's been very useful.
useful when hands full of bags / shopping.
Put it like this, once you have it on one car - you will never go back.
People who think its a waste of time, have most likely never had this feature.
i have both. whike its a nice to have, sensors and reverse camera (which only one of my cars have) is more essential ( when parking etc) which i use daily compared to the boot, which i might not use daily.
Being able to close the tailgate, with your foot, while both hands are full is a bonus. IYKYK
wifes car has it, everyone goes to manually close and open it, even with a reminder. My neighbour did it like 4 times in 1 night
My current car has a split tailgate, im not that fussed. Kick to open is nice but can take up to 4 kicks if youre not 100% lined up
Not as much as a game changer as gas struts
Agree with above sentiment
Didn’t have one previously and bought a top line Kia the other year
All the additional features are nice and doing without them would be annoying
Do I need it to live though? No.
Even stuff I thought was totally gimmicky like having your car move forward or backwards remotely using just the key has actually been used a few times
when do you need to use that?
For parking, couldn’t open doors on one side due to a wall. Another time three car park spaces were in a puddle of water approx 2 inch deep, hop out of car on the road part of the car park, have the car move forward into park, didn’t get wet ankles
Life changing? No, coulda kept driving looking for other parks
Nice to have, not essential as i usually reverse into parking spot/garage and the tailgate would hit the wall/ car on other side.
this doesn't make sense
A tailgate, like a door, will take up more space when it is open.
Hope this helps.
yes… and how does that differ if it is electronic or not. the conversation is about the difference between a powered and no powered tailgate,
@greatlamp: so if @jaduqimon thinks they can't open a tailgate electronically the way they normally park their car, then they wont be able to open it normally anyway.
hence doesn't make sense
@Archi: Which means its not essential since they rarely use the tailgate. Extra $$ for something you don't use very often.
I dislike auto-tailgate.
I have one (and a sunroof) in my 20 year old car. I hardly use either of them although closing the boot with a button is easier than slamming it shut.
I think the need for an opening sun roof is more the question. With A/C it becomes redundant. The extra light is a plus but for it to open……….mmmmmhhh
I wouldn't say that, AC is my last option for staying cool/comfortable
Extra light? How much do you need?
When we had a sunroof it rarely got opened. Was nice to be able to crack it open and let some of the hot air out but rarely drove with it open.
if you have a baby in one hand and groceries in the other, it's pretty useful.
depends on your situation.
Some electric tailgates have a sensor which you can wave your foot under the rear bumper and it opens/ closes. That would be very helpful.
If it works reliably, or more likely is flexible enough to cope with user error (looks carefully to make sure Mrs Entropy is not seeing what I am writing).
Designed by and for car-jackers and opportunistic grocery snatchers.
That's a UTE when the shopping gets put in the rear tray and you stop at lights…..:-)
I disable the folding wing mirror feature on my car so I definitely don't need a powered tailgate. I'm not lazy or a baby.
I'm sure it's convenient for some. That's great.
I certainly hope you are not a baby. You shouldn't be getting behind the wheel at such a young age.
I keep the folding mirrors so I know if the cars locked at a distance.
Yep, totally
depending on the car you may be able to turn it off
Awesome, now people who walk past can accidentally knock it off on car parks.
You’re already spending a decent chunk of money (I assume at least 40k) - just max it out and enjoy.
Better to spend the 4k now then to be forever wondering about what you're missing out on.
In a Euro - no
Anything else - yes.
Had a Q7 - powered tail gate failed, tore me a new one for parts and labour.
Damn brah, is that the same Audi that got you for injectors?
Bingo.
Was an absolute PoS
Had 3 euro's no issue ….Chinese quality (especially all of those EV's) is another question
Would be weird on a Prado hahaha
fantastic when both hands are full with groceries and a quick wave with the foot under the rear bumper opens the boot automagically!
my car is has a proximity sensor so when i stand near the boot for more than 7 seconds it beeps a few times to warn me and then it opens.. no need for waving of the foot.
I like my powered bonut
I just disable the power tailgate and use it manually.
Especially when loading or unloading a lot, it drains the battery.
lol.. how many times you opening and closing per day?
tailgate goes up
tailgate goes down
tailgate goes up
tailgate goes down……
Depending on where I'm going. Sometimes I am in dusty places so I don't leave it open.
I'd rather a car with no sunroof (no leaks) and no electric tailgate (one less thing to go wrong).
Ok Fred Flintstone
had a sunroof in every car i have owned in the last 30 years.. not once have i had a leak..
Second this
Chinese / USA build quality again?
Depends on the vehicle and the uses.
For my use, yes, Id drop the money and get it but only if remote/kick activated. If simply 'powered' then big whoop. Not worth it.
What the hell is a powered tailgate? Do you mean an automatic boot?
pretty much dog boy.
Its a fair question.
Automatic boot isnt the same as auto tailgate.
I wouldn't survive without my auto boot. But auto tailgate is dependent.
They are not the same thing.
Example of actual remote tailgate on Ford ute
Thank you. That explained things well.
"Automatic boot" is an ancient consequence kids earned back in the day when they went off the rails.. It's extinct . Went south with accountable parenting. Now parents negotiate with kids as to what they find acceptable.
"Yes Damien, you can have that 15 inch pig sticker, what could possibly go wrong"
Why negs?
I am aware that "tailgate" is an American word for something on the back of a car.
I thought it was the boot lid?
So while most cars have a remote boot opener, this will close the boot, or hatch?
Or does it refer to something on a pick-up truck?
IF OP is going to use foreign words, he should be prepared to explain them.
Agree.
Tailgate = back of the ute
Boot = everything else.
They don't call woolworths click and collect 'direct to tailgate'..
Boot - sedan
Tailgate - wagon (incl SUV), ute
Hatch - hatchback.
Froot - front storage under bonut
is that the same as frunk
Correct except SUV's don't have tail gates….
What do they have then?
Non-essential for me. But they’re useful for short people or people with mobility issues.
Also handy for dramatic moments when you can remotely open it instead of answering a question. Like if someone comes up to the car and says "where is my gift?" or whatever, you can answer the question by pressing the button. So it enhances human communication. Not having it is like having a lesioned brain.
I dunno man, that sounds like some serial killer talk…
Me - hey Austria, where’s that gift you promised me?
You - *dramatic pause and remotely opens boot
You - it’s in there, in the back, lean in there a bit, yeah it’s right up in there
Me - hell no outta there
Are you about a size 14?
Don't have one, but as a very short person I can see the use. I remember finding it handy on a hire car that it had a place lower where I could actually reach to close the door.
My sister has one and I don't stand too close, just in case she opens in with the remote so I don't get hit on the chin as it goes up.
I'd say it's a nice to have, like a machine that breathes for you.
Had one of those machines - the tube gets really uncomfortable when you are awake. Handy when in the coma, though.
I always thought it was cool that luxury cars have a button to open and close it on your key fob, in the cabin, and on the door itself. You'd feel like a chump closing and opening it with your muscles after.
Maybe master opening the bonnet & finding the engine oil dipstick first.
Although it's a perfect addition to 'clown cars'.
So many cars don't have dipsticks now and you have to run the car to check the oil level digitally.
LOL. So much saved time for humans, so little sign of doing anything useful with it , on the sh*t that matters. We will just devolve into amoebas the way things are going
"check the oil level digitally."
Where do you stick your finger?
.
why do you ask?