Foot operated parking brake

[Dr Jekyll]

This is the one thing that puts me off Mercedes. In an automatic it's tolerable, in a manual it's a disaster.

Is there some sensible reason for it (apart from saving a couple of square inches in the centre console)?

Does anyone actually like it? or is it regarded by Merc buyers as a tolerated design fault?

[nonegreen]

It never caused me a problem except for handbrake turns

[mustard]

Quite simple... never ever buy a manual Merc. They are meant to be automatics, thats why they have a foot operated parking brake.(and a lousey gear change)

The manual gearbox is an afterthought, you want a manual buy a BMW

[agent006]

If you think the merc one's bad, try the new Renault Scenic's. It's operated with the same pull lever as teh release of the merc one, but it does both on and off. And it releases itself when i thinks your'e trying to pull away.

[JumJum]

I really like it.

When your regular brakes fail, as they always do on a winding mountain road whilst you are racing Stephanie Powers , you can keep both hands on the wheel and still use the parking brake to come to a halt and solve some mysteries.

[loose cannon]

manual mercs are a joke the change is done by cables and is complete crap always buy an auto merc or not at all