Last week I took delivery of a new Golf SE 1.6TDi.
In my car the handbrake has been installed next to the passenger seat, not next to the driver's seat, so feels awkward to reach for, as you have to reach past items in the cup holders.
Looking at the VW Golf literature, shows the handbrake next to the driver's seat.
If you have a new Golf VI, is the handbrake installed next to the driver's seat or the passenger's seat ?
I am trying to work out if mine has been incorrectly built. If so, does anyone know the process of rejecting the car.
Regards
njsb
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From memory the h/brake on the MK5 was the passenger side - annoying as you say, a LHD/RHD corner cut. Skoda had it bang in the middle, Focus had it on the "wrong" side as well. They're all the same I would warrant, the pictures in the manual will be reversed to make them appear RHD I would suggest. Check the others in the showroom.
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You could reject the car, the handbrake should be on the drivers side. Take a look at the Golf VI brochure, it clearly shows the handbrake on the drivers side, Trade Descriptions Act violation comes to mind. The Golf VI SE that I've driven had the handbrake on the drivers side as were all the others I've looked at.
If you think you can live with the car with the handbrake on the passenger side then so be it, but consider your position were you to try to sell the car. Ford Focus drivers have to put up with the handbrake on the passenger side, they're all like that, it's a pain at times especially with the arm rest down as fitted in some models, you do get use to it though.
If the car you have received isn't made to UK specification and to your requirements, as detailed in the sales contract, then you have the right to reject it.
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Ford Focus drivers have to put up with the handbrake on the passenger side
As does the passenger whose leg you occasionally touch when operating the handbrake. Either that or they slap you across the face.
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My Golf VI has the handbrake on the passenger side, pretty sure the other ones at the dealer's were the same. My old A3 was the same too. It's not much of a big deal, although sometimes your passenger's coat can get in the way. On the other hand I don't think the photos in the brochure have been reversed as the dashboards aren't mirror images. I think the Mk.VI is being built in Europe at two factories (Wolfsburg and Zwickau) - if they both make RHD cars, maybe only one of them is fitting the RHD centre console for some reason?
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My last car was a Golf V with the handbrake on the passenger side and it never worried me - I was just glad to have a proper handbrake. It's not that mush of a stretch.
When wearing a coat in winter it's slightly preferable as the coat can get in the way.
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Not just VI but V as well. You get blank looks when you ask this question in a VW dealer as I did. One young salesman even tried to convince me that the car they had in the showroom must be faulty!
They appear to have deliberately built one model for the photos but it affects ALL the Golf version brochures (when I last looked 18 months ago they had done the same in the Golf, Golf Estate, Eos, and GTI brochures).
They have not reversed the photo unless they have photoshopped all the writing on the buttons.
Just a con by VW, one of the reasons for getting an Octavia was that they do this properly and fit the handbrake on the right side of the tunnel for UK and left side for Europe. SWMBo did not like me brushing her leg each time I reached for the handbrake in the Golf demonstrator.
Edited by ijws15 on 08/09/2009 at 14:00
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The left hand drive handbrake caused problems in our A3 as the passenger seat needed to be a way forward to leave enough space for dear daughter's ever growing legs.
It got to the point where the seat belt buckle on the passenger seat was in the ideal location to hit the knuckles.
VW won't build a one off - far easier to photoshop part of a picture.
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My Golf VI has the handbrake on the passengers side (ie: drivers if LHD)
Since the car is a DSG auto it only gets used if parking on a slope.
I would agree that it is a penny pinching bit of design. My previous Focus II was the same, and since the handbrake was poor it would have been nice to be able to pull it up easier.
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Handbrake is on the passenger side on the current Golf and Golf Plus.
One reason we recently went for the Octavia is the central handbrake. Got lots of earache from SWMBO about the 'stupid' handbrake in the Hyundai Coupe.
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Wrong. My Octavia indeed has it on the RHS. Confused as the lever is partly hidden by a sliding arm rest.Works well and no complaints yet from SWMBO.
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It is indeed annoyingly placed on the wrong side as this is about the only criticism I can level at my Mk6 GTi.
However, it is only really awkward if you have the armrest pulled forward as I have. If the armrest is stowed away it's not a problem.
Still, on a car that expensive it shouldn't even be an issue.
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...When wearing a coat in winter it's slightly preferable as the coat can get in the way...
Avant,
Is that the height of fashion, threequarter length, brown nylon car coat of mail order fame?
Is there enough head room in the car for the trilby and somewhere to rest the pipe? :)
Actually, I think you make a good point, the CC3 has handbrake on the 'wrong' side, but I've not yet driven the car in winter.
Edited by ifithelps on 08/09/2009 at 20:51
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