In search of a small car with an easy handbrake action My wife and I are in our 80s and find the handbrake in our Vauxhall Vectra rather awkward to apply. We have recently moved from Tyneside to Lancashire and, with no long journeys in mind, wish to downsize. We're looking for a small family car with an easy handbrake action. You need a car with rear drum brakes because lever-operated parking brakes work better on drums than discs. A small Ford would be fine. Alternatively, look for something with an electric parking brakes, but be warned that the motors can suffer water ingress that leads to failure after three years or so.