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[Olympia5776]

On the rental I had I found it so awful to use that I just dropped the clutch and drove away causing it to disengage by whatever way it chose..........
I said it some time ago and will say it again it's a thoroughly useless feature on a car that was developed around the edit " let's play about with something that works ,spend a fortune in development and make it worse........."

[GaryBC]

Sounds like a bloody minefield! Luckily most of my drive will be on the M4 - where there ain't too many hills! Hopefully, when I get off the other end, there won't be too many either!

[Andy B]

Isn't 'progress' wonderful .....  I can manage a hill start without rolling back without the use of a handbrake in all my cars - manual or auto 

[the alarming man]

Can't see it being a cost saving, as I assume the law dictates it still has to be a seperate system form main braking system, thus must have some hefty motors.

True, but the motor(s) can be assembled onto the rear subframe and then there's just an electrical connector to plug in when it gets bolted onto the shell as opposed to having to thread a cable up into the cabin, fit the handbrake lever, connect cable to the lever, adjust it, etc..

I think they would have stayed with a manual handbrake if it wasn't cheaper. Can't see any other advantage other than as a gimmick. Maybe I'm underestimating the importance of gimmicks when selling cars to muppets who can't do a hill start?

all i can see it one wet windy night in the middle of febuary 5-6 years from now (when the insignia is old enough not too be serviced) those motors not disengaging and the vehicle being stranded...

[cem_devecioglu]

The other thing, in my (limited) experience of insignias, the fekking thing doesn't always come on. A quick flick of the button doesn't always bring it on.

And like all cars with disc brake handbrakes, park it in gear, and if against a kerb, turn steering into it.

I wont buy a car without a proper handbrake.. electronics soon will fail..

[TheBoy]

Cant say I have experienced the boot it approach required for release

On the new Astras, it releases itself as soon as you pull away.  On the Insignias, attempting to pull away just makes you look a prat with the car looking like you are trying to pull away with a handbrake hard on, and the bloody thing bonging away.  If you do give it just about everything the engine can give, it does then release.

Seems GM use entirely different systems, or have refined the early Insignia version?

[the alarming man]

it is different between insignia...i have had 4 on rentals and 2 have had a button you pull for the parking brakes and 2 with a proper handbrake...the 2 with the button (and this might be coincedence) were very low powered and trimed....the 2 with a proper hand brake had a proper engine had were very well apointed???

[GaryBC]

Well after two days motoring I can sum it up in one word..... "why?".

Sure the auto-release on the handbrake seemed to work ok - but no better than a conventional hill start. So, apart from generating a revenue stream later in life when the system fails and cars start to fail MoT, I can't see why Vx bothered.

As for the footbrake auto-hold - what's that all about? You take your foot off the brake and the car starts to roll! Just like I'd expect it to do! Slam it back on, handbrake on, gingerly release in case it hasn't worked, start again. Gap in traffic gone - hold it on the clutch next time! (Burning smell? What burning smell? Rental cars don't have burning smells!)

Would I buy one? Would I fu****!