2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Nice Caboose

Yeah, looks like a great feature, doesn't it?

But what happens if the button gets pressed accidentally while in your pocket & you're out shopping? Someone gets an early Xmas present, huh?

No, it's not my original thinking. This very fact came up earlier when you guys had a Hyundai Azera .

http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2007/09/2007-hyundai-azera-trunk-release-but-doesnt-open.html

I actually prefer that the trunk doesn't open all the way up.

My Grandmother's 1988 Taurus popped up like that as well. I can't remember if the 1997 or 2002 Taurus did the same though.

I'm surprised that more vehicles don't pop the trunk completely when you push the release. The couple of reasons I can think up for not wanting it (it's raining, parked under a low structure, lots of people nearby) are all easily controllable if you are standing close to the vehicle when you release it and use your hand to stop it.

Hey, why does this car have a Michigan tag? Aren't you guys located in California?

wobbly: How many times have people accidently pushed the release button while it's in their pocket? Especially the trunk release. On all the cars I've encountered you have to press and hold the trunk release, and what's to stop people from taking items from a partially opened trunk? Granted it's not as "come steal me", but they could.

With power sliding doors, tailgates, and trunks becoming pricey options, it probably easier for manufacturers to charge us extra for this convenience.

chaeew: My guess is because VW is loaning them this Jetta.

The late Jaguar S-Type's trunk popped up all the way. The trunk was pretty small, but my parents, sister, and I managed to fit everything in there for a long weekend trip two winters ago.

it won't last... my wife's GLI did this for about a year. the gas struts will loose their kick unless Vdub is using a different type.

Many Mercedes do this, albeit with a highly sprung action that makes the trunk FLY up.

Cadillac Deville

@frazier500, Those Mercedes trunks will take your head off if you're not careful or paying attention.

Every new Mercedes makes the trunk open with a hold of the button. I also appreciate cars with a release button on the trunk and inside. So many cars (mainly Japanese in my experience, most recently noticed on a 2005 G35 sedan) don't have release handles on the trunk, forcing you to walk back to the drivers side to realease the latch. So annoying...

Mine doesn't do it all the way, but what it DOES have is a handy button on the trunk so if I've got my arms full i'm not fishing through my pockets.

I know I've been down on gooseneck hinges in other contexts, but cars used to do this more commonly, when their torsion springs were properly adjusted--or the opposite, as I found when a rental Neon's trunk closed on my head because I was parked on a slight slope. Invaliduser is right, though, I would not depend on the gas struts maintaining so much pep--but then, imho, people who are too infirm to open and close a trunk or hatch are too infirm to be driving in the first place.

As for hitting the remote button, my liftback's hatch doesn't lock separately from the doors, but I've had the emergency alarm go off twice because the button got pushed when I shifted position--there was nothing in my pocket except the keys--and the key has opened countless times (I have the remote style where the key folds into it--I preferred the older style where the remote is a separate fob).

My 2004 Cavalier's trunk pops all the way open when you press the trunk release button on the remote. I'm not sure if that was designed to do that or if its just mine that does it, but it is really convenient.

Count me among those who do not desire this feature. It's a pain when it rains (in Spain or on the plains), and I just don't want to give the rest of the world a free peep at what's in my trunk -- and no, there's no contraband.

To those who say that you can counteract this by standing next to it and holding it back with your hand when it opens, let me turn it around and point out that it's just as easy to LIFT the lid with your hand if you have a normal trunk that doesn't spring open like a jack-in-the-box. My hands have NEVER been so full that I didn't have an index finger available to ease the lid open.

just got a vw cc that also has this type of trunk. it looks very cool when youre approaching the car and have to load it. it also comes in handy with hands full. you can also pop it open and use the under-trunk handle to close it, this is useful if your trunk is dirty and you have clean hands.

one drawback is overcoming the spring action in closing it, esp for shorter people who may find it hard to reach up so high and pull down. but overall I think its worth it and shows effort and attention of behalf of the engineers. interesting, on my previous car, an audi a4, this was absent

I *wish* my 335i's decklid did that. It's especially rare for cars with strut-type decklid hinges to open fully like this, so special kudos to VDub. Now as for that closing action...

I have an 08 Jetta and I love this feature. Also, it is unlikely that you could hit the switch on the key and make it open by accident. You have to hold the button down for about three seconds before it would open and the button is not raised or sensitive to the touch.

Youyr first sentence should read: This is what happens when you press the remote trunk release button on our long-term 2009 VW Jetta TDI's key fob TWICE.

Press it once and it simply unlocks the trunk and you have to use the unlock-lever on the trunk lid to open it with your hand.

At least, that's the way it's programmed on our 1 week old Jetta TDI and those options are just fine with us.

my old 1999 honda accord had a pop-up trunk lid