Does anyone else miss having a hand brake?

no, i haven't had one in so long, i've forgotten if i missed it or not. i'm thinking early to mid eighties?

i rarely use mine anyway, only parked on a hill where i don't feel the parking pawl is safe.

 

i do know who misses one though, @alanclarkeau

 

I have had both hand and foot operated ones as a parking brake on my previous cars, but I can't remember ever using the hand brake while the car is moving. Yeah, I can see that you can't apply the parking brake and release trick with a foot brake, but is it even safe to do that with hand brake???

BTW, I rarely use a parking brake while the car is parked. The only time I use it is when parking on a hill, which is very, very rare in my situation.

 

Don't miss the hand breaks because it would cover cup holder which I use it to hold other things and never cups. The release button on hand breaks were better if forgotten

I use parking breaks all the time, even when I leave the car on ready with gear in Park while I go in the store for 5 minutes to avoid ICE startups when engine is at 190 F.

 

Oh - have I mentioned it?

It would probably be OK if the Hill Holder worked in reverse when facing downhill and you have to reverse away from someone who parked too close - happened again last week.

I'd hate to try to use it as an emergency brake - though with regenerative braking, it's probably less likely. I haven't used a handbrake as an emergency brake for maybe 25 or 30 years - brakes are much better than they were back then, and don't seem to fade on mountain descents like in the olden days.

 

Behzat C would be lost without one:



Handbrake turn - Wikipedia

 

Haven't done one for quite a few years - stability control gets quite excited!!!! And I'd hate to try to control one with a foot-hand-brake. I used to on bush (forest, wood) tracks back when I was younger.

 

No...and I don't drift either.

 

Yes! This clumsy pedal reminds me of my parents' 1964 LeSabre, the first car I ever drove that had a parking brake pedal. At least that Buick would hypothetically allow using it to control speed, unlike a Prius.

The next step in degradation of parking-brake technology is the "electronic" kind, already in some models.

 

Yes, I tried one in a GOLF 4 yrs ago, it didn't work very intuitively - but might if you owned it - maybe it might be better. I have a friend with a GTI and he doesn't like it for tight spot driving though, but never asked why.

I believe RAV4 now has electronic handbrake.

 

2020 Corolla also has this automatic electronic “handbrake” or parking brake. Once you put gear selection into park, the parking brake is engaged automatically. I don’t like it, parking brake should be applied by the driver, not electorally controlled.

 

When teaching my kids to drive, I really wished that there were a handbrake! Not that I ever needed it, but it would have lowered my stress level quite a bit knowing I could reach over and slow or stop the car!!

 

I miss it as much as the button on the floor to switch between high Beams and low beams.

Modulating the emergency brake for skids is safer, now you keep two hands on the wheel, and two feet on the pedals

 

I believe that there is a setting to turn off the automatic part. There is such a setting in my Rav4 hybrid. You can then engage or disengage it only when you choose to.

From the manual: "The parking brake can be set or released automatically or manually. In automatic mode, the parking brake can be set or released automatically according to shift lever operation. Also, even in automatic mode, the parking brake can be set or released manually."

Also: "Pull and hold the parking brake switch if an emergency occurs and it is necessary to operate the parking brake while driving."

 

Yes, ever since I got off my Big Wheels, and ever since I got rid of my '97 Mitsubishi.

You could spin both those vehicles like it was nothing.

The former helped with the end of the driveway when I was a kid.
The latter helped with the end of the driveway when I was an adult and lived in snow country.

 

Having gone from the Prius floor pedal parking brake, emergency brake, -whatever you want to call it, to my Honda Fit with a more conventionally positioned hand brake, I can say...I kinda miss the Prius floor pedal brake.

However, it's not a big deal either way.

But the floor pedal was a nice way to provide a parking brake, without it taking up space in any other cabin area.

 

A proper brake lever wastes very little space, compared to the "flying buttress," combined with the console box being so high, so far back, and so thick-walled.