Power Tailgate

I keep forgetting about this feature on the 4th gen. I don't want that on a truck, I think it's only an option on higher end trucks might be standard. I'm staying away from this one, it's over complicated. Didn't this technology first appear on minivans?

 

Not sure which trims it comes on. I see it useful in some circumstances, but I imagine people who do get will still just use the ‘old’ method

 

Do you think the manual method will work? I ask because once you start to manually lift it, it starts lifting on its own.

 

I could see it providing some convenience. The issues I've encountered with with powered hatches and sliding doors, is when there is no power to the doors or hatch they become difficult to open and close manually. Due to the added resistance of the automated mechanism. Much like when you have a power steering system failure, it takes more effort to turn the wheels than if the vehicle was equipped with manual steering. Those have always been hydraulic, electric ps systems may react differently.

 

Not 100% sure for the up. The drop should

 

It looked to me like the tailgate release/handle was an electric button (not the one on the tail lights, but where the handle would be if it were manual).

I apologize if it seems like I'm arguing. Not my intention, I enjoy your posts and you might have seen something I haven't.

 

Nah, you’re good.

I haven’t looked that much into it tbh, so you’re probably right

 

Tailgate improvements have been happening for a looooonnnng time. There was a time when you needed two hands to unlatch it. The RAV4 we drove for a bit, had a power lift gate, gotta say that was nice when you had an armful of stuff, power close was just icing on the cake. While a bit frivolous on a truck, could see it being convenient.

 

Buttons on both taillights to electrically lower the gate just seems a magnet to brats (young and old) walking by your truck in the parking lot. Unless there is a "key proxmity sensor" part to those buttons I missed.

 

Yeah won’t work unless the fob is near. Hitting the button on the fob to make it open/close was awfully convenient.

 

Toyota lightened the tailgate. Its now all aluminum and very easy to open and close. Push button gate control is some what "HYPE" and $$$.

 

Meh. Not really that big a deal. I don’t love it nor hate it. Seems like a pretty minor thing. People are getting upset over problems that aren’t happening yet. Vehicles have been evolving forever, no reason they’d stop now.
Power steering probably pissed people off when it came out. Power windows were just one more thing to break. Seek on the radio is just one more button I didn’t need. Power door locks might get hacked by Skynet and lock me inside my car until I suffocate and die in a hot Waffle House parking lot… yada yada yada..