OK talk to me about stupid flappy handbrakes?

[lorca]

I'm looking to buy a new (to me) car - I'm looking at 2016 ish models.
I test drove one yesterday which had a little flap for the handbrake. Apparently you push it down to turn handbrake on - but then what? The salesman said tap the brake pedal and the handbrake goes off.

Luckily I didn't have to do a hill-start - how does that work? I usually hold the car on the clutch/accelerator bite point (and release the handbrake handle) - I haven't got 3 feet to be tapping the brake pedal too?

Apparently all newer cars have this flappy thing.

You don't need the brake pedal. It's the accelerator (once past clutch bite point) that releases the handbrake.

Hate it. Bloody awful.

Also have it and hate it.

I got used to it very quickly. My car has an “auto hold” function to stop me rolling downhill doing a hill start. I like in a very hilly area, and it’s really not a problem.

I hate an electronic handbrake, and actively look for a car without one.

until it goes wrong....

way too much of the wrong tech on new cars. Extra weight, extra resources and extra failure paths.

I have one and hate it too.

Ours did go wrong too.

Yes I find mine fine - got used to it very quickly (also in a hilly area, but rarely need to bother with the hill assist).

It's using the accelerator that releases the brake
You normally pull the flap up to put the brake on and can push it down to release it rather than using the accelerator

Mine doesn't work - have to leave it in gear to prevent it rolling down hills when I park.

@BigSandyBalls2015

Mine doesn't work - have to leave it in gear to prevent it rolling down hills when I park.

I do that too, ever since our flappy handbrake failed. I just don’t have any confidence in it. Love a proper handbrake that can be wrenched into position.

I have a electric handbrake, there are a couple of ways to turn it on and off.

First is essentially driving off, you put in gear, get to bite, little bit accelerator and it sort of clicks off.
2nd is a foot on brake and then actually push the handbrake flap down. I use that more often to get off my drive, as its a slope so I just roll off rather than drive off.

To put it on, you can then flick it up and you feel the brake almost go soft under foot. More scarily, you can stop the car and it will automatically apply it when you pull the key out.

Have one and hate it. 100% would go for the big old fashioned pull up system in my next car.

I've driven various cars with auto handbrakes for the last 10 years or so, couldn't be doing with an actual handbrake now! Depending on the car, you can usually manually release the handbrake if you want to - my current car has a button to press, previous car had a lever to press down. You don't need to though, you just drive off and they turn themselves off.

Auto handbrakes are brilliant, I love them.

DH had one with a flappy handbrake as a company car. I never trusted it. Someone I worked with had one that used to just randomly not work and he'd come out to the staff car park to find his car at the bottom of the slope, leaning gently against another car.

I prefer an electronic handbrake. In fact last time I changed my car I was choosing between 2 makes and the deciding factor was that one had an handbrake lever and it felt so backwards and old fashioned.

If it helps I can remember my dad ranting about how terrible it was and it was another bit of useless technology to go wrong when he got his first car with an automatic choke.

I find it brilliant on hill starts, you can actually have both hands on the wheel and just drive off.
Children can't fiddle with it... Needs the engine on to disengage on ours. And you need the clutch down to start the engine....

Incidentally the manual handbrake broke off on one of our previous cars.

I've got an auto handbrake - I love it. The car does everything for you. Just drive as normal and the handbrake holds for you on hill starts. Never come across a car that you have to press the handbrake 'flap'.

Don’t like them. Renault quoted me £800 to replace it (it had already had a £100 tiny electronic motor for the MOT).

I changed cars.

If they malfunction (see above) they are then either permanently off or on. Neither option is great.

Hmm, difference of opinion above! I am surprised that they fail - they are quite a 'new' thing I think. I agree it seems to be just another thing that can go wrong.
DP test drove a Ford C-Max a few years ago with the flap and I assumed it was a crappy new invention of Ford's that would never catch on...

I suppose one gets used to it. I'm reassured that it seems to be a case of drive off and it goes off! The one I drove had a flap to pull up (light went on ) and flap could go down too but that didn't seem to do anything (light still on). When I stopped and applied the flap, I did feel the pedal go 'soft'.

I'm glad I live in a fairly flat area - and I tend to 'hold the car on the clutch' on a hill anyway.

I'm on my 3rd car with an electronic handbrake. They're quite useful on hills. DH's car is a manual handbrake and I don't have a problem switching between the two.
Could be fun if I go back to a manual geared car with a manual handbrake though!

I loved the electronic handbrake on my last car. Pressed the button to put it on, then just drive off when you're ready. Bliss.

The car I now have has a different parking break, you push down a foot pedal to put it on and it has a hand lever to release it. I loathe it with a passion and don't trust it at all on steepish slopes.

It does have a 'hold' option for hill starts though, but you have that with the flappy break anyway!

DH has ford with flappy handbrake. Don't like it.

I have a Skoda with a proper electronic one and love it.

My previous car had a flap hand brake, it took me ages to feel secure about it. I hated junctions on a hill when the driver behind was sitting in my boot. It also had keyless entry, and no spare wheel.
My current car was bought new and I specified 3 things; a handbrake, a key and a spare wheel. All of which cost me as extras!