I like the foot brake, kind of like my old Dodge. But the Dodge was much easier to use because you pushed to engage, pulled a lever to release, and if you held the lever you could push it like a regular brake pedal.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jack Straw @ May 27 2006, 02:58 AM) [snapback]261698[/snapback]</div> I had an stick shift with a conventional handbrake in my previous car and I was a bit skeptical about how I would feel with the "old fashioned" footbrake. Though it was a concession I was willing to make. As others have said, it is not a true e-brake, as you could never really use that in an emergency, as you would a handbrake. On the other hand, how often do brakes really fail in a modern car? Very seldom, unless sabotaged. Aside from parking, the only time I ever used the handbrake was when I was doing things I shouldn't... The Prius is not built for performance but rather efficiency - heck you can't even peel your tires thanx to the TCS... Bottom line, I agree that the centre space in this car is more efficiently used as expanded storage rather than a handbrake that will never really be "used". B) - Kevin