In 2018, 37% of new models had a handbrake lever.
In 2019, 30% of new models had a handbrake lever.
And currently in 2020 only 24% of new models have a handbrake lever.
Only one mainstream manufacturer, Dacia, still has a manual handbrake on every model in their range today, to help keep costs down.
Alfa Romeo, DS, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes, Porsche, and Volvo no longer have any models on sale fitted with a manual handbrake, having shelved the age-old device entirely.
www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-8780739/Manual-handbrakes-replaced-electronic-parking-systems-cars.html
My 2013 Astra still has a handbrake lever, but I drive quite a few different hire cars at work, and although an electronic handbrake took a little while to get used to, I do see the appeal of them now.
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Handbrakes of any kind are a pain really, something to go out of adjustment, seize up, or if electro-mechanical to fail with a control problem - failing safe means the brake is stuck on.
A well designed mechanical one is my preference but I wouldn't fight in a ditch over the inevitable and it's odds on that even Dacia will get there when its current models become [more] obsolete and are replaced by less obsolete Renaults.
I've even accepted electric power steering - on the first one we had (2002 Civic) it was rubbish but it's perfectly acceptable on the Roomster, Outlander and MX-5. Since I went on the beta blockers I am much less resistant to change - well, to anything really:)
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Had a VW T-Roc courtesy car the other day - basically a jacked up Polo. Had quite a bit of 'technology' - lane assist scared me until I realised what was going on - but was suprised it had a normal handbrake. Seemed very retro. :)
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I am a convert now I have a manual Golf. It’s very intuitive to use and works seamlessly with the stop/start - a feature I hated in previous cars. I hope I never need an expensive repair but VW have been fitting them for a good few years now and I guess competent indies can deal with them.
On the other hand I had a courtesy new Civic a year or two back and I can’t recall how it worked but I think there were circumstances where you needed to dab the foot brake pedal to disengage. Also the stop/start and the auto hand brake did not work well together e.g. in a slow queue up to a give way to a roundabout they kept butting in just as you wanted to be able to move into a slot. Maybe I was just using it wrongly but I ended up disabling the auto functions for the day I had it.
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Early EHB were awful, specially with a manual box, and start stop YUK POO BUM SMELL.
Now? The Beemer is a delight, start stop & EHB & auto box & hill hold all work perfectly integrated and seamlessly with perfect useability.
(still not sure if you throw in the DSG tho, Nor Is VAG group as they are sneaking in ZF auto boxes now.)
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Electric handbrakes are fine imho. I just wish the manufacturers would agree a standard on hill start assist, which is required for electric handbrake especially in manual cars.
Some systems hold the car for as long as is needed, some for only a few seconds. It’s annoying if you hop between different marques.
Anyway, I once had a girlfriend who didn’t need to use handbrakes. She just glared at the vehicle and if it had any sense it would be too frightened to move!
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Same as Zeddo. EHB, start/stop, PDK box, hill hold all work seamlessly together.
Still some issues with VAG and kangaroo impressions I hear on their latest 1.5 petrol
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Handbrake - can be a pain - but shoes/pads and a cable or 2 might cost £250 for a refurb on an older car.
Electric handbrake can be complicated cost hundreds in parts cost & labour on top. I know someone spent almost £1000 on a MB.
New headlines in a few years - car written off as EHB fails.
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My Mercedes has a mechanical but foot operated handbrake. Hardly ever use it in truth, my drive is flat and I normally just leave the car in P. If it's parked on a slope, I'll put it on to save strain on the parking pawl, but otherwise I'll just put it on every now and then to make sure it hasn't seized up or something. If I'm in stop start traffic or at red light or whatever, and going to be sitting for longer than a few seconds, I'll put in P then too unless I'm on a hill. Wouldn't want that type of parking brake with a manual though.
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Just prior to lockdown, Mrs RP swore blind that she would never have a car with an electronic handbrake or an auto - her 3 year old MX5 had neither. Fate threw a low baller and she ended up with a car with both. I think she's almost a convert to the BMW's superb gearbox, not so much the Volvo's though. The handbrake is more subtle in operation in the Volvo (not least the giant green warning on the the BMW's dash even when the car's being driven) The gearbox in the Volvo is better after the Polestar upgrade but still miles away from the BMW's superb box. I'd be pushed to buy a manual car and I'm a convert to the Volvo's superb handbrake.
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I realise that I could Google, but what is a "Polestar upgrade"?
>>I'd be pushed to buy a manual car
Me too. I've been that way for years, long before the time of today's mostly excellent auto gearboxes. So now I'd be double convinced, if you see what I mean.
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>> I realise that I could Google, but what is a "Polestar upgrade"?
>>
>>
Makes it faster.
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>> I realise that I could Google, but what is a "Polestar upgrade"?
>>
Polestar is Volvos performance arm. They make a very fast and very expensive "polestar" model. On a lower scale "polestar" upgrades are performance, or sporty looking, improvements, one of which is an engine remap.
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It does seem to be a bit of a woman thing. My wife prefers manuals, as does her sister. I can't speak for my sister in law, but my wife once, and quite seriously, ( and I promise I kid you not ) told me that she just liked the feel of a knob in her hand and that it made her feel more in control.
Who, I agreed, was I, to begin to argue with that?...
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Thu 1 Oct 20 at 18:44
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Progress happens. I'm currently dealing with a (1920s) wheel bearing that consists of a solid brass tube - not a ball, roller or needle insight. Solid tyre too.
Colleague looking at a newly re-lined leather, conical clutch. Grabs viciously, and seems coating in neatsfoot oil may soften it.
A fatal accident on the London-Brighton run a few years ago may be attributed to the car having a transmission brake that was situated between the engine and the clutch. The driver seemed to approach a downhill section too fast and in attempting to change down, couldn't engage the lower gear. Clutch pressed - no brake.
I don't like electric parking brakes.
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>> It does seem to be a bit of a woman thing. My wife prefers manuals,
>> as does her sister. I can't speak for my sister in law, but my wife
>> once, and quite seriously, ( and I promise I kid you not ) told me
>> that she just liked the feel of a knob in her hand and that it
>> made her feel more in control.
>>
>>
Maybe because it's bigger than yours? ;-)
Last edited by: Robin O'Reliant on Thu 1 Oct 20 at 19:37
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>> Maybe because it's...
Only an Englishman could begin to imagine that as a possibility...
;-)
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It's a Volvo approved insurance friendly engine re-map. It changes the up shift changes of the gear-box and the mid range response. Not quite in 335 territory but it does improve torque - adds about 3 bhp to the power, but that’s academic really, the real difference is in mid-range response. Got it at half price after the lock-down slackened. For that money it was OK, wouldn't have paid full price though.
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" .. My Mercedes has a mechanical but foot operated handbrake. Hardly ever use it in truth .."
Back in the 1980's as a young know it all hooligan, i decided that i was so good at car control that i could hold my car on a slope using only the footbrake, and then skillfully and swiftly switch the loud pedal and the clutch to move off without using the handbrake or rolling backwards.
No shock horror please - i wasn't stoopid enough to try it unless there was nobody behind.
Eventually (just like left foot braking [ask Fullchat maybe ??] i mastered it.
So - i started never using the handbrake, (when parking i just put car in gear - handbrake or not, if it's in gear it's not going to move anywhere is it ?
Clever dickey me ! 2 years on same car failed MOT on a completely seized handbrake, - lack of use, - dagnammit, cost me a packet !!
I still do my trick when possible, but make sure i use the handbrake often to keep it working. (just a tip maybe not needed, RDH ?)
" .. Electric handbrake can be complicated cost hundreds in parts cost & labour on top .."
But it's such a struggle to pull up a lever isn't it ? :-). Shirley the extra cost and complication is worth it ??
I find the USA very Marmite, but two things i i love -
" If it ain't broke - don't fix it !! "
and the best one - "KISS" - ...
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I remember borrowing a work colleague’s Triumph Toledo in the early 80’s. The handbrake was buried under a pile of paperwork. Apparently he never ever used it. He had been raised on a farm and driven off-road since he was a child. A lot of old farm cars no longer have functioning handbrakes or were torquey old tractors set up to crawl on idle.
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My Citroen DS had a foot-operated parking brake; it made sense with the semi-auto transmission. 15 years later I had a Citroen XM with a foot-operated parking brake, but this car was a manual; 4 pedals? Hill starts needed a bit of practice and the system spooked Mrs H.
Now I have the luxury of an electric parking brake on the Jaguar which releases as soon as I touch the throttle. This is the sort of progress I can cope with.
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>> My Citroen DS had a foot-operated parking brake; it made sense with the semi-auto transmission.
>> 15 years later I had a Citroen XM with a foot-operated parking brake, but this
>> car was a manual; 4 pedals? Hill starts needed a bit of practice and the
>> system spooked Mrs H.
I'm not sure early BX models didn't have that feature, certainly had weird dials and non cancelling indicators.
The mark 2 was more conventional on the inside and certainly had a proper handbrake albeit acting on the front wheels. Still retained magic carpet uppy/downy suspension and super powerful brakes though. One of the most comfortable cars I've ever had. Petrol version was let down my a gutless 1.6 but even the 1.7 non turbo diesel pulled like a train.
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AFIK all BX cars had a normal handbrake between the front seats. The dash came in a variety of styles; early cars had a spinning drum behind a magnifying lens for a speedo. I had the privilege of owning a BX 16 valve as a daily driver in the early '90s. 160bhp and brisk performance from normal engine breathing through 16 valves, and a light bodyshell.
The GS handbrake was another story; a D-shaped handle set into the dash with a trigger release. Left hand on top of the handle, as was natural on a RHD car, and my puny little finger was too weak to pull the trigger. Left hand under the handle so the index finger could pull the trigger felt really really arkward and unnatural. 1972 (I think) GS C-matic.
Last edited by: hawkeye on Thu 8 Oct 20 at 14:26
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Will the handbrake lever soon be extinct? - Manatee
