ABSTRACT
The user’s effort of opening and closing tail gates of sport-utility vehicles (SUV) is an important factor in the affective quality of them. The purpose of this study is to analyze customers’ effort and satisfaction in closing and opening SUV tail gates with related mechanical characteristics of them. About 100 participants evaluated their subjective effort and satisfaction in closing and opening the tail gates of 42 SUVs. ANOVA of mixed-factors design was conducted to find significant mechanical properties of tail gates affecting customers’ effort and satisfaction. Three properties of the force-angle graph of tail gates such as middle force more than initial force and range of angle of steady force affected customers’ perceived effort and satisfaction in closing SUV tail gates. Two properties such as initial force and entire angle range of force-angle graph did them in opening. Based on these significant mechanical properties, customers’ subjective effort and satisfaction on closing and opening SUV tail gates were modeled in a statistical manner, and the explanation power of the models were fairly high.
