Are there any family vehicles that are not prone to this kind of problem, ie ones that are mechanically and electrically nice and simple and cheap to maintain? Or are the benefits of things like electric parking brakes worth the cost. I must say, my left arm is getting a bit tired of all that unsupported handbrake operation.
All cars, especially Diesels have become much more complicated in the last 10 years, anything since about 2009 will have a DPF, anything sizeable enough to replace the Pic will be heavy on fuel if its petrol, anything Diesel comes with the potential to give you a big headache..but many won't in fact do so.
If you're genuinly fed up with using the handbrake (and i suspect that quip is tongue in cheek -;) then a proper TC auto or something like the simple hill hold as fitted to Subarus would alleviate that problem.
Your problem in a way is that you want to run your cars for a long time, i do the same but have gone about it differently by converting standard petrol automatic to LPG (and put up with the VED), works for me but not the solution for everyone.
If you want a vehicle suggestion, you could have a C4 Pic without the electric parking brake by buying a new shape Diesel Berlingo (do not get the auto its horrible as are nearly all automated manuals and has the potential for large expense)...i like these a lot, plenty of room for your growing family, likely to be reliable IMO as its basically a Berlie van with seats and windows, it will have a DPF as all modern Diesels do but Citroens solution with the EOLYS fluid injection does seem to work better than many others but you will have to factor in some cost to maintain that system @ approx 5 to 7 years with normal mileage, probably a one off cost though if you keep it ten years....only three year warranty from new though.
You might find a Kia Ceed estate works for you, that 7 year warranty if you maintain it correctly takes some beating, don't hear of DPF problems with Kia/Hyundia nor indeed Toyota come to that.
Most normal naturally aspirated petrol cars don't suffer such maladies anyway, and probably best for lower annual mileages, but you have higher fuel consumption and higher VED penalties....you have weeks of thinking and research ahead of you, best of luck..;)
The two cars you were interested in in your OP will both be out of or just about to run out of makers warranty, lot of money for a car with no makers warranty.
I dislike electric parking brakes and i won't be buying a car so fitted, they do the job but are another complication and an answer to a problem that didn't exist...fine for company car drivers and for owners who change when warranty exprires, but another expensive thing to fix out of warranty for those who run cars longer, even Toyota's dabble in EPB's have the odd (expensive) problem.
Edited by gordonbennet on 27/01/2014 at 11:14
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