BHPian Dippy recently shared this with other enthusiasts: Flush door handles have been a trend in recent times. From high-end Range Rovers and Mercedes models to our own Indian cars from Mahindra and Tata, they have become quite a popular design element. I was reading an article where I came across some interesting information. Flush door handles seem to have raised safety concerns in recent times. A story on Bloomberg has highlighted the issue with Tesla’s door handles that fail when the car faces a loss of power. While manual releases are provided, they are not easy to find, especially in times of an emergency. The same article has also highlighted incidents where occupants were unable to escape from their burning cars after an accident. There are also other reasons that go against these flush door handles. They tend to fail more often than conventional door handles during a side impact. Flush door handles have also short-circuited during heavy rains, leaving people trapped in their cars. Users in China have also reported finger injuries as they get trapped or pinched in the door handles. I have faced this too. Chinese authorities are now considering a ban on flush door handles from 2027. Also, there isn’t much benefit in terms of efficiency. These door handles cut the drag coefficient (Cd) by around only 0.01. I personally am not a fan of flush door handles. I tend to struggle with them quite often. I have also faced issues with the handles on some cars that I have driven. I prefer the conventional door handles any day. Additionally, on some cars, the handles are not electronic, but mechanical. They don’t pop out when you unlock the car. You have to press it on one side so that it pops out from the other. You then have to pull on that part to open the door. It just makes things like opening a door complicated: Thoughts? Are flush door handles cool, or do you prefer the conventional ones? Here’s what GTO replied:Hated these since I experienced them in a Tesla, and was disappointed when I saw them in the XUV700. – Unnecessarily complicated. – Long-term reliability issues. – With many cars (including the S-Class), sometimes, they just don’t pop out when they should. You have to keep trying a couple of times to get them to open. See these two ownerposts. – If you have to press a button to have them pop out, then the entire purpose of a seamless experience is defeated. – Any aerodynamic advantage is exaggerated. As one of the articles says, if manufacturers are so keen on aero gains, they should go for smaller, lighter wheels rather than this trend of XL-sized heavy rims on every car / EV. IMHO, this stupid trend will go the way of touchscreen control overload. OEMs will realise that, for some things, good old solutions are the best.Here’s what BHPian GForceEnjoyer replied:I prefer the conventional ones. The door handle is your first touch point with a car, and the flimsy and complicated flush door handles ruin that first experience. I also find that they just don’t go well with most designs, with the exception being the new Land Rovers. Their long-term reliability is also not proven yet, and looking at Tesla’s doesn’t inspire much confidence.Here’s what BHPian Eddy replied:The conventional handle for me wins, hands down. Why add complexity and another point of failure to cars that already have compromised reliability for quick adoption of technology.Here’s what BHPian lord_almighty replied:I’m relieved to know I’m not the only one who finds this a needless design addition that nobody asked for. It offers neither a functional improvement nor any real aesthetic value. During test drives of cars with flush handles, I found them not only inconvenient but also potentially risky for fingers. I can only imagine how much more difficult they would be for young children and the elderly.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
