Clutch control and finding the bite in car with electronic parking brake.

Fichtl

I'm learning to drive by doing lessons in a small petrol car with the instructor. This involves learning proper clutch control, finding the bite, using the handbrake etc. This is fine.

However, between lessons, I can only practice in my parents' car, which has no manual handbrake, only an electronic parking brake. It has 'auto hold' to stop rolling backwards so my father doesn't even use the parking brake when stopping on hills. This feature can be turned off.

Furthermore, the parking brake itself disengages as soon as you use the accelerator, so this doesn't allow me time to do the same routine as the instructor advises ie. setting the gas and finding the biting point before releasing the handbrake. This can be overridden too, by awkwardly keeping the parking brake button pulled while you are setting the gas and it won't go until you release.

While I'm still learning, should I avoid using the auto hold and also manually override the automatic disengagement of the brake every time, so as to ensure I can do it properly myself?

Any advice on clutch control, etc. in cars with an electronic parking brake would be welcome too. Once I pass my test, I will be driving my parents' car so am not sure if I should just use these features or continue to do it the 'right' way. I want to make sure I am a good driver without relying on all these things. Thanks.

MascotDec85

Turn off the auto hold.
Don’t manually release hold and release the handbrake in your dad’s car, accelerate away as it’s designed. Find the biting point of the clutch, make your observations and accelerate away. It’s important to be able to learn to adapt to the nuances of different cars.
From your post you understand the difference and how both cars operate slightly differently and that’s half the battle.