Some thoughts about the automatic parking brake feature which might be useful for anyone just getting their bear...
For the first two weeks I had the car, this feature totally annoyed me and I turned if off (which, luckily, remains off indefinitely, even after many new drives). It annoyed me, because every other car I ever had started moving forward slowly when I released the brake pedal, but with this feature engaged, the car just sits there until you tap the gas pedal.
However, during a couple of hours of driving yesterday (both city and highway), I decided to give it another go. Once I started getting used to it, I actually found it to be quite convenient, it just takes unlearning some old habits.
The idea of the about the automatic parking brake feature is that as soon as you come to a complete stop (and I mean, immediately), the parking brake automatically engages. This takes some getting used to, but it means that every time you stop (e.g., at a red light), you can immediately relax both feet on the floor instead of holding the brake pedal the whole time until the light turns green. This is convenient and comfortable.
The only time I find that this feature interferes is during parking maneuvers. When making small movements, I want to be able to take my foot off the pedal so that the car can inch forward in idle. When you're forced to tap the gas pedal to get moving each time, it's too easy to give a bit too much gas and the result is jerking forward and stopping hard. So, for these situations, it might be a good idea to temporarily disable the feature.
JR
For the first two weeks I had the car, this feature totally annoyed me and I turned if off (which, luckily, remains off indefinitely, even after many new drives). It annoyed me, because every other car I ever had started moving forward slowly when I released the brake pedal, but with this feature engaged, the car just sits there until you tap the gas pedal.
However, during a couple of hours of driving yesterday (both city and highway), I decided to give it another go. Once I started getting used to it, I actually found it to be quite convenient, it just takes unlearning some old habits.
The idea of the about the automatic parking brake feature is that as soon as you come to a complete stop (and I mean, immediately), the parking brake automatically engages. This takes some getting used to, but it means that every time you stop (e.g., at a red light), you can immediately relax both feet on the floor instead of holding the brake pedal the whole time until the light turns green. This is convenient and comfortable.
The only time I find that this feature interferes is during parking maneuvers. When making small movements, I want to be able to take my foot off the pedal so that the car can inch forward in idle. When you're forced to tap the gas pedal to get moving each time, it's too easy to give a bit too much gas and the result is jerking forward and stopping hard. So, for these situations, it might be a good idea to temporarily disable the feature.
JR