Hill Assist.....the facts

Slightly off topic bit I absolutely hate the BMW electronic handbrake and even worse is the telling off it gives you when you get it slightly wrong.

The Mercedes system in the SLK is infinitely better
 
Why can't all manufacturers stick to good old fashioned handbrakes.

Merc manual handbrakes are also horrible (should say hand/foot brake)
 
srhutch said:
Why can't all manufacturers stick to good old fashioned handbrakes.

Merc manual handbrakes are also horrible (should say hand/foot brake)
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Agree totally and also hate the electronic handbrake on mine but would hate it much more without the hill assist as it's void of the feel that you learn to drive with when balancing the clutch against the handbrake release.I can't see it being an issue in an auto but with a manual it's just plain wrong.
 
I love my EPB :D whats there not too like? compared to any normal handbrake I've ever owned it holds the car much better on gradients and you don't get the slight slip when you have wrestled hand brake up as far as it will go on a steep hill. The only think I don't like about it is when parking in the garage and I want to leave the brake off.

Regarding hill assist, yes it can be useful and I thought the lack of it on the Zed would be a pain but it just takes practice and co-ordination between letting the brake off and pulling away, once you have it, it just becomes second nature, Never had a problem with the car rolling back. The only time its a slight pain is on a long incline in stop start traffic, it just takes extra concentration :?

Tim.
 
I think the e85/86 ///M hill assist is pretty fanatastic. Best of both worlds with good old fashioned handbrake/hill assist combo.
 
After driving a very nice Jag XK and recently a new 5 series.

The EPBs on those cars are excellent. They just hold until you drive off. No faffing about and stupid "bongs".

How have we have ended up with this nonsense system when BMW have a much better solution on their other models :x

The wifes very manual and old school handbrake 1M has hill hold. Does make a difference.
 
cjp2k said:
My 23i (one of the last before the 2.0...june 2011) has hill assist as standard..
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So does my 20i....it was listed as standard....only it not there!
 
srhutch said:
Why can't all manufacturers stick to good old fashioned handbrakes.

Merc manual handbrakes are also horrible (should say hand/foot brake)
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Here here. Well said that man, I completely agree.
 
Bing said:
I was sure my e85 (auto) has some form of hill start assist :?

Must go back and read the manual...
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No - It was just the torque converter doing its thing! :D

Handbrakes, who needs them?
 
Pacemaker1000 said:
Ok guys what is it with the hill assist missing on some models

Personally I won't buy a manual without it, so what cars do and dont have it?

Ta
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All 6 cylinder Z4 have it. 23i 30i 35i 35is
None of the 4-cylinder Z4's have it. 20i 28i

We've had our sDrive20i for about 7 months now. The car is drivable without hill start assist. With practice, I've gotten somewhat better at it and feel safe making any sort of hill start.

That said, it is always annoying. The EPB delay makes driving in long uphill queues difficult. Parking on steep grades is difficult. Pulling out into traffic involves a lot of waiting. A gap big enough for our 1.3L diesel van isn't big enough for the zed because of the parking brake delay.

If you live somewhere with a lot of hills, I advise getting one of the six cylinder Z4s, or a 4 cylinder with an automatic transmission. The other option is to buy something else.
 
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