Why do so many hate hill start assist?

[STjake]

Just like the title says, do you guys have any reasoning for not liking it? It seems like every day at some point in a thread I see someone talking about how much they dislike it. I've been driving manual for as long as I've had my license, 5 years for what it's worth, and I've always dreaded stopping on a steep hill. In the fiesta however, I never blink an eye. I think hill start assist is a godsend to be quite honest. I've read a few people saying they slip the clutch with hill assist activated, but for me at least it's the exact opposite. It definitely saves wear on my clutch. Anyway, what are your thoughts on it?

 

[DEss]

It's like the rev matching feature on some manuals. Takes a little away from the skillset that people have developed. I learned to drive on a manual and never had that fear of hills. On a steep hill, I just used the hand brake. I have my hill assist on, but I'm pretty indifferent to it. Hating something like that is pretty irrational.

 

[erburtt]

I've noticed it holds the car for a half second while I'm trying to take off, which makes it feel like I'm slipping the clutch trying to get past the brakes. Ive been driving stick for a long time so i guess I've just gotten good enough that the time it takes for the computer to realize I'm on the gas it's too slow for me.

That combined with the slightly larger diameter tires im running for winters makes hill starts feel a bit like I'm lugging, if I remember I'll be deactivating it soon.

 

[STjake]

It's like the rev matching feature on some manuals. Takes a little away from the skillset that people have developed. I learned to drive on a manual and never had that fear of hills. On a steep hill, I just used the hand brake. I have my hill assist on, but I'm pretty indifferent to it. Hating something like that is pretty irrational.

My mom actually thought me the hand brake trick! On my old Honda I relied on that quite often. I just think it's one of those things that since the car will apply the brake for you, let it! No fear of accidentally rolling backwards, and for me at least you still get the enjoyment of driving a manual. I do see how people could view that as taking away from the full experience though.

 

[enamelizer]

Works great for me, was a nice surprise feature I wasn't expecting. With the vast majority of cars being automatic now, I notice a lot more "creepers" at stoplights. My area is really hilly, so when someone is trying to get up in me at a stoplight I don't even have to give the hill start a second thought.

 

[STjake]

Works great for me, was a nice surprise feature I wasn't expecting. With the vast majority of cars being automatic now, I notice a lot more "creepers" at stoplights. My area is really hilly, so when someone is trying to get up in me at a stoplight I don't even have to give the hill start a second thought.

And that's another thing that happens to me a lot, it seems no matter where I am there's always someone else up my ass at a stop. For that reason alone hill assist saves me a lot of headache.

 

[neeqness]

I am also fairly indifferent to it. I managed without for sometime now but I can see both sides of the coin. It is a little slow at noticing for me when I am starting to move forward but I suppose I'd rather that than for it to be too quick and release it too soon. Especially since I figure it is better to be on the safer side for those who are still new at it.

Startling to annoying at first but once you get used to it being there, it's not too bad and could be much worse so I'm pretty indifferent to it at the moment.

 

[TrickSTer]

I've been driving standard for 48 years. Don't need or want hill-assist (although I appreciate that it would be a godsend to many). It is irritating to me when it's on (I go to back out of my driveway, which is down a hill, but it "hangs" for a second when I take my foot off the brake); I keep turning it off but it , randomly keeps coming back on.

 

[eddietorr]

I am not a fan of hill assist. For new drivers to manual transmissions it is a great thing feature to have on those dreaded hills. I find the hill assist too limiting for the way I drive, it takes way too long to disengage and without it I am already moving. It will remain off until my wife decides she wants to learn how to drive manual.

 

[STewpid]

I really appreciate this feature! The first car I ever drove had a "hill holder". It was a 1954 Studebaker station wagon. It was 6 cyl, three on the tree with overdrive. That was in 1966. I was astounded when I found the FIST had this 50 years later!

 

[RhinoAl]

I feel like it takes away from the overall driving experience. I turned mine off after I got the car home when I bought it. Just personal preference. It's good for some that need it, and it's good for others that it has an off switch.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[Manta Ray]

i just never understood the point. it feels very unnatural for me. i never had trouble on any hill though, so i try not to change good technique.

i can see why some people appreciate it... just bothers me because it feels wrong

 

[Quisp]

I also turn the headlight" auto on feature off. Goes back to knowing to light the whale oil headlights before dark

 

[KKaWing]

One truly negative thing I found about the hill holder feature is how it acts like the "line lock" feature on the mustang in snowy conditions. I thought it was the tires at first, being it was my first set of Hankook winter tires (I keep trying different brands). Turned it off and stopped spinning the front wheels all the way too much getting going from the lights. There's still the stupid amounts of torque down low to deal with but at least it actually moves off now instead of dragging the rear wheels. Other than this, the hill holder feature lets me be lazy sometimes.

 

[Zormecteon]

To me, it's like training wheels on a bicycle.

The first thing I did when I got the car was turn it off. ...... and mine too decides to turn itself back on randomly.

 

[JasonHaven]

I like it in the city, don't care for it out in the boonies.

 

[sidewaysallday]

I learned to drive stick with out it but now that its on my car is a very nice convenience addition. I don't think it takes away from anything because I still know how to start on a hill without it (the handbrake way) but don't need to bother with it now. I've never had an issue with it sticking or anything like that.

 

[MichiganST]

Like many here, it confused me the first time I encountered it when I was trying to roll down a driveway. I never really noticed it on hills because I was always able to get going fast enough that the car doesn't have a chance to roll anyway. I turned it off once I realized it was there because I didn't want to deal with it, though I've heard that popping the hand brake deactivates it. I definitely think it's a godsend for people just learning, my first stop on a hill was horrifying, but I've driven so much without it that it just seems like an unnecessary addition to me.

 

[grnmachine02]

I also turn the headlight" auto on feature off. Goes back to knowing to light the whale oil headlights before dark

Does your auto headlight actually work? With my headlight switch in the auto position, the lights are just on all the time.

As for the hill assist, I love it. Having driven manual for 20 years at this point, I like that it's one less thing I have to worry about.

 

[OguNinja]

Does your auto headlight actually work? With my headlight switch in the auto position, the lights are just on all the time.

As for the hill assist, I love it. Having driven manual for 20 years at this point, I like that it's one less thing I have to worry about.

My headlights are off when it's light out when the switch is in the auto position.
That being said, I usually have my headlights on all day like daytime driving lights. It makes me feel like my small FiST is more visible and less likely to get hit.