Peugeot puts a brake on tricky hill starts with its latest 3008

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Peugeot 3008 Exclusive HDI 112
Top speed: 112mph; 0-60mph: 13.6 secs; Combined fuel consumption: 54.3mpg (claimed); Emissions: 135 g/km; Price: £21,810. Range starts at £17,195

I heard someone complaining about the electronic handbrake on their car the other day and I can sympathise. When they first came in, they could be awkward to operate; it was hard to time your clutch action - if you didn't have an automatic gearbox - and handbrake release, especially on a steep hill.

But most are so good now that they're a positive boon. Take Peugeot's 3008, for instance. I've already been impressed with its smooth ride, high build quality, the light and airy feeling of the interior (not least due to the panoramic glass roof), its great ride quality and the sheer feelgood factor you get when you drive it. I like getting 50+ mpg, too, when I'm driving carefully.

But recently I was on a particularly steep bit of hill in Crystal Palace while parking at an angle in a tight space and the handbrake - worked by an insignificant "flap" on the centre console - made it all so much easier.

Most simply release the brakes when you pull away, without you having to do anything. Which mustn't half make things easy when you do a hill-start in the driving test.

Once, learning to pull away and co-ordinate the handbrake was a feature that struck terror into a learner-driver's heart. With an electronic handbrake it's plain-sailing, and the Driving Standards Agency tell me it is allowed on the test.

Sure, there are a couple of things you can't do with the electronic variety; apply it before you've totally stopped (it brings you to a very sudden halt) and handbrake turns. So that means no fun in deserted, snowy car parks.

Two other features of the 3008 HDI Exclusive 112 that I've come to rely on are the useful lower tailgate that folds down to form an indispensable boot-changing seat or platform. The other is the wealth of storage nooks and crannies in the cabin (including some cunningly hidden away). Couldn't do without them.