I understand the part about how the resistor would make it react more quickly since it is already being partially powered by the resistor. Sort of like an electronic version of a bit of springiness or preloading towards the latched position, less delay time for the necessary field to build up when it is fully powered again by the motor switch etc. But by 'more reliable' do you mean less likely to get caught in that 'stuck' position, if so I don't understand why it would do that. Why would it make it 'easier to latch'?