Sudden jolt - shudder experienced

I suspect at least in part they're a cost-cutting measure. Our son's CX-5 has electric parking brake; I've driven the car multiple times, and still can't reliably tell if the damn thing's on or off, how to activate/deactivate. Plus there's a chicken-dance required if you're pushing back the rear calipers for a pad replacement.

 

Meh, electronics cost more than a piece of bicycle brake cable.

It was done partly because people never use parking brakes unless they are electronic, even though they should for safety and legal reasons?

And I feel the Gen 5 Prius is technologically obsolete compared to the newest $15,000 Chinese EVs.

 

Some people in freeze zones don't like using parking brakes, because they can lock-up in the clamped position and won't let loose unless you heat up the hubs. Plastic hub caps a BIG no-no when you try to apply heat to free them up.
I leave a manual tranny in gear or let the car roll a bit to engage the parking paw whenever I'm in Tahoe with snow on the ground. The rest of the time I use my parking brakes.

 

Any time your gas engine turns off it could happen... Perhaps it happens more often when car gets older? Or at least that's my experience...

 

I wonder if frozen parking brakes is a problem of long ago that's specific to drum brakes and is not an issue in newer cars? I mean maybe with Gen2 Prius because they have rear drum brakes? But Gen3 and newer Prius have all wheel disc brakes and can't imagine moisture freezing in a way that would affect disc brakes?

 

They also save weight.

One thing drums are better at than discs is as parking brakes. To ensure discs stay clamped when parked requires additional systems. What was once common was to have a mini drum brake in the rear disc ones. You might have drums, and not know it.

The electric brake might also ensure the rotors stay clamped to the disc.