looknow12

Some may be unaware by the GS has a trunk closer similar to the year after year Cadilac sedans. If you bring the trunk near its closed position, the motor will take over and seal the trunk closed.

I don't find the feature too helpful because it requires you to push the trunk down with your hand on the spoiler area (if you have a spoiler). I normally don't like to touch the paint if I can get away with it, so I pull the trunk down with the handle on the inside of the trunk door, but to do so, you must pull down hard which will close the trunk without the motor taking over.

This is one of those posts that simply sounds confusing as I'm writing it.

Alex K

I know exactly what you mean.

My folks have a Mercedes E-Class with a so-called 'soft-touch' tailgate closer. I can't see the point myself - you have to push the tailgate so far home and so hard that you might as well just shut it yourself anyway!

If car manufacturers want to put a motor in there, do it properly. Like the RX, for instance.

flipside909

Yeah i find it pointless myself. Now if it was an actual power trunk closer like the power liftgate the RX330 has, then that would be something of interest.

06GS300

Not confusing at all...I know EXACTLY what you mean...and in simpler terms, the motor is virtually useless. Closing the trunk without enough force will not engage the motor to pull it closed, and applying more force actually closes the trunk.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

Hmm, that is too bad. I know the on the RX330 even if you don't use the motorized remote close feature and simply manually closed the hatch it would catch at the bottom and pull it shut without any additional force. I remember my brothers old 87 Camaro that had this feature as well that worked really well with no additional force once it latched. It would just pull shut.

spwolf

eh, its more for people like me who hate slamming any door... Anyone noticed how little force these new models now need to close doors? tight

saabfan

The 7 Series has a button on the inside of the trunk door that you press when open and it automatically retracts and closes the trunk. A nice feature for lazy people but one which I would like.

jrock65

What happens if an unknowing person slams down the trunk lid like you'd do with other cars?

My friend's dad had a Caddy with the motorized closer, and I think it broke b/c of this.

LexFather

Yeah, I noticed this feature too. No biggie, not sure why they added it. 2GS owners never really complained about not having it.

lexuslover

my guess is that they added it because of smartkey access. before, with regular keys, you have to use the fob to release the trunk lock. but now, with smartkey, you never get the key out of your pocket or purse. so it makes some sense to have some way of opening the trunk now without your key fob. i don't think the *closer* part was necessary, but perhaps the same types of mechanism needed to allow for trunk *open* electronically, so you get both? i have no idea.

i noticed this when i walked to the car with some groceries and went to open the trunk without unlocking the doors. i just pressed the hidden trunk button and it opened.

but overall, i agree with the rest of you - the inner handle to shut the trunk is not sufficient to get the trunk to close, or you pull so hard that you manually close it anyway.

pbm317

slamming it will not damage the closer. i have the same effect on my toyota 4Runner, and it's okay when whether you slam it (as many people do) or just push it to let the motor catch it. It's not the same old technology from the old Cadillacs and Lincolns.

chiawei

what year is the E?

Since 2003 W211 has trunk closer that all you have to do is to press a button and it closes by itself.

BTW, this is a very useful feature to have. My daughter would frequently forgot her stuff in the trunk. Without trunk closer I have to go out to the garage and open the trunk and bring her stuff in. Right now, she can do it by herself.

lexusls430

I dont know about the new GS but the 2nd gen trunk was light and let me tell you the LS430s trunk really sucks its soo heavy.

Alex K

2004 model year. It's the estate (station wagon to you guys I guess), and the fully electric tailgate is an option over here in the UK. The only cars over here that have a fully automatic tailgate as standard at the moment are the Lexus RX and the Honda Accord Tourer (the estate version, which I don't think is sold in the US, although you get the saloon version as the Acura TSX I believe).

jroosh

...all I know is even after having the spring that holds the trunklid open replaced under CPO warranty on my GS430, it is too weak and I'm tire of the lid hitting me in the forehead when the car is sitting on even a slight incline or if the wind blows. I am sure it would be even worse if I had a spoiler.