Have an Octavia demo at the moment and the handbrake is on the RHS of the "transmission tunnel".
The Golf demo last month had it on the LHS of the "tunnel" and SWMBO complained that I kept bumping her when reaching for the handbrake.
VW UK brochure shows handbrake on RHS, VW Germany web-site shows it on the LHS, so LHD/RHD dependent or is it?
Question - for those of you with current model Golf's where is the handbrake in relation to the "tunnel" and seats?
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 10/01/2008 at 14:05
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From memory (SWMBOs gone 'ome in the Golf) the handbrake is on the passenger's side of the tunnel. In the Skoda its on the "correct" side. I guess they reversed the image on the web site to make the car "look" RHD.
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On any RHD MkV Golf that I have driven its been on the left. Same goes for the Leon MkII.
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VW Touran and Seat Altea both MkIV golf platforms, both on the left.
Actually I prefer it.
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Handbrake on the left frees up a bit of room. The Leon has mirror switches/AUX input on the right of its handbrake. Much easier to reach to. My dads Mk2 Focus has the same set-up and a little pocket the perfect size for his phone as its got bluetooth.
Edited by EoinM on 10/01/2008 at 12:04
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Misled you Skoda's is in the centre.
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Just left of centre, I would say, in my once new Golf MK V.
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It's on the left, which is only annoying when you forget you've got a bottle of water in the middle cup holders and it all goes horribly wrong!
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Glad it's only water, PG!
I think it's on the left in all Mark V Golfs - doesn't worry me. On a long run I often have a can of Red Bull to make sure I stay awake, and it's better to have that nearer rather than further away.
Anyway let's be thankful that both Golf and Octavia have a proper handbrake and not some off-on electronic gizmo. OK, maybe people get used to them, but why should one have to?
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True... I know it was entirely psychological, but I never had 100% faith in the handbrake on the Passat.
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Not entirely - just sensibly cautious, as like anything else electronic it could fail without warning.
So the Passat has one does it? It's worrying that this is creeping through the VAG range: I fear that the next A4 may succumb, as the A6 has, and then maye the Mark VI Golf?
Out of interest - is there anyone out there who actually thinks these things are BETTER than the mechanical type? I try to be open-minded so would be happy to listen.
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So it looks like VW's brochure is misleading!
Since they probably built the photographed car as a special (or doctored the photographs) then doubly misleading!
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The only advantage I found with an electric handbrake is you can't fail to put it on hard enough and you don't have to release it when you drive off - this was in an S type.
I know Audi redesigned the system on the A6 due to a high number of failures when first introduced. IIRC Audi A5 doesn't have one and new A4 is based on this design.
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