Is the door handle the most-operated mechanism of a car? The steering wheel and accelerator pedal are the most used from a total-time-in-use standpoint, but in individual and complete use-cycles, the door handle has gotta be up there, right? You’re grabbing it every time you get inside the car, after all. (The least-used mechanism, hopefully, is the trunk release – as in, the one that’s inside the trunk.)
With all that handle-grabbing going on, chances are you’ve developed some preferences over the years. I’m old, so I’m still quite partial to the classic thumb-button variety as seen in the top graphic. This design just makes sense. You wrap your fingers over the handle from the top, which is instinctive, and your thumb naturally falls over the thumb button (as long as you’re grabbing the driver-side door handle with your left hand, and the passenger-side with your right, that is). You can press the button and open the door, or not press it and yank on the handle to confirm the door is well shut.
I’m also fond of another, far more modern thumbable design, the Tesla Model 3’s flush-fit, pop-out solution:
Now, it is slightly suboptimal that the thumby bit isn’t under the main pull-y part, which would allow for more natural operation, but having the handle turn down instead of up wouldn’t be nearly as pleasing to look at. I get it.
I’m much less fond of Tesla’s other pop-out handles, these mofos right here:
Trick, yes, but needlessly complex, and they are inoperable if the car is 100% dead (including the 12v battery), and they can freeze over etc. So, no thank you. Moving on …
At this point, you’re probably imagining three or four door-handle types, which feels like all of them. Hardly! Feast your eyes on the cornucopia of handle styles capably curated by one Jason Torchinsky, whom you may know:
And here’s more hot Torch action, as JT presents some choice spottings from the The Amelia Concours d`Elegance in 2023:
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See? The world of door handles is vast and full of bangers, so naming the Greatest Of All Time will be no easy task. But we believe in you! So tell us:
What Is The GOAT Door Handle Design?
Top graphic image: depositphotos.com
Gotta go with the OG, #1. The handles on a ’32 Ford are nice, but that style on the ’31 Cord my Father restored in the 90’s were the most beautiful I’ve seen. They were ornate. I wish I had a picture.
I can clearly remember when I had a class 1,2,3,6,7,9,10, and 11 break or break off in my hand.
Call me boring, but #11. #4 is nostalgic for me, since Volvo used it on the 7/9 series cars. (Some consider the early BMW MINI to be a #4, but I’d argue it’s more of a subtype of #6 because there’s no gap between the movable “trigger” and handle in its resting state.) The SAAB C900 is a #6 as well.
Class 10 Flat (AMC) is my favorite, mostly because I have big hands and they work great while still being mostly flat with the door skin.
i liked them too, but the ones on the old 68 Javelin failed frequently.
Pull-up and pull-out get the job done and are intuitive. I would dislike anything requiring power. I always hated GM pushbuttons as a kid b/c they always seemed hard to open and archaic.
Class 11, the chrome and matte grey door pulls on dad’s 1990 and 1994 Town Cars were very substantial and satisfying. My current fleet of Toyota/Acura use the same pull type. I prefer chrome or black to painted though.
The Class 7’s on Fox body Fords always felt flimsy, the early Panther’s felt more substantial.
I had a W body with the B-pillar pull down handle – neat till it broke then a b**** to replace. Not sure what class, maybe 2?
Those push-in, pop-out handles are horrible. My favorite in-production handle is the Nautilus’s handles, integrated into the trim where the door meets the windows.
From the durability standpoint, my preferred ones would be Class 3. And that is because I don’t have to worry about ripping it out when the door freezes over. Right now I have Class 11 (I guess) and it’s fine, I do like the way they work and look. Except some times in winter when I do worry about pulling too hard and braking the handle swing mechanism (haven’t yet but then I am careful).
I really hate the pop-out handles, motorized or manual. I get that they might make the car sleeker or offer drag benefit but I still hate to use them. And the ones on the Teslas are the absolute worst implementation of all time.
I agree and I do not think class 3 is that long gone since my JK Jeep has that style.
I think Class 3, I automatically think OBS Ford or Chevy Squarebody. Maybe an old Dodge too. These were truck door handles. Able, willing and ready to do truck stuff. IIRC my ’89 Cherokee had them.
Class 7, especially when they’re unpainted black plastic like on most BMW’s from the 80’s through the late 90’s. They’re durable, simple, and the paint doesn’t peel off of them so a quick application of trim dressing and they look brand new. The ones on my 95 540i are still in perfect working order after 30 years and 292,000 miles.
I THINK Class 6 is my favorite if it’s what I’m picturing/what I had on my Mk2 Escort.. that said I will NEVER get tired of Class 3 handles on old trucks!
Aesthetically I prefer class 7 pull out, specifically from a 70 Challenger / ‘Cuda, but the sheer excitement of trying the passenger door in sub zero temps after the driver handle snaps off makes me wish Mopar had sprung for a better metal.
We had goats when I was a kid, but none of them had doors or door handles. I guess the horns were sort of handles.
On cars, though, I think that the class 11 is probably the best, but 10 is what I’d choose for an aero handle instead of the pop-outs and buttons.
My van has just a handle with no button and rear doors with archaic style handles!
I like doorhandles that don’t get iced over or iced up in the winter where the button unlatched the door and the handle portion that’s non-mechanical is used to yank the door open. That’s probably also iced up. I think I have a class three on my 2012 Jeep Wrangler
I really liked the finger pulls on my old na miata, probably my favorite. Second would be the push button deals on my old chevy truck. The pull up or pull out ones that have been on every other car I’ve owned are all just dandy, but also all the same and therefore boring.
I prefer the “archaic” (class 1) standard.
A lever, giving you lots of leverage, a quality handle that will stay in your hand whether in the open position or closed position, and it’s smooth with a tactile reset, no herky-jerky pulling on handles, just a simple twist.
Push button door handles give you NO leverage over the mechanism, and when they jam up there’s really no graceful way to open them, maybe a dead blow hammer, but that’s as graceful as it gets.
Pull up door handles give you no good grip on the door when opening, allowing the door to easily be ripped out of your hand in strong winds.
Handleless is crap unless you lack doors in the first place (Fiat Jolly)
Pull out handles are decent but you don’t have much leverage and they’re rarely smooth.
The Tesla Model 3/Y style Pop Out flush handles are honestly the best I’ve seen so far for modern aerodynamic door handles. I don’t like the fact that they are electric, but I see no reason why the same mechanism couldn’t be made mechanical, doing so would be like a push button door handle but you have the added leverage to actuate it via the handle.
TVR door handles, where we are going we do not need door handles. Yes the mechanism can freeze, this is a safety feature, if it is icy enough to freeze the doors it is not a good idea to drive a TVR.
NA Miata finger pulls
Corvette C3 push down levers
Austin Healey Sprite reach inside the top
General Lee crawl through the window
Subaru XT flush mounted handles with the trap door used to access them.
I like them better than electric flush fit door handles, handless doors, and whatever the hell Dodge is doing with the new Charger, but not my favorite. That being said your suggestion was worth a like.
Twinsies!!
Requirement #1: Lowest chance of pinching any part of my hand.
Requirement #2: Mechanical, not electronic
The trigger one, Class 4, seems to fit the bill.
I just wish someone had built them to last – every single VAG product from the trigger era I’ve seen (and I’ve seen many, as they are still among the most popular cars across the former Yugoslav republics) has at least one, but usually more than one, missing.
They seem to hold up fine on old 911s.
I’m not sure what class they’d fall in, but ever since I saw them, I’ve always had a thing for the Subaru XT coupe/Turbo XT door handles. I think it’s the little aerodynamic flap that does it.
So cool.
Technically Class 7 (pull up).
As an AMC owner and Fan I love the usefulness of the Class 10. I think the only one you can open with a single finger, while holding something.
Probably because I grew up with it, I’m very partial to the 1968 Chevelle (class 3) handles. They have a good beefy feel and the indent where your thumb goes is perfect.
Thumb buttons are annoying because they mean you can only comfortably open the handle with one hand. If you happen to be carrying something in that hand all of a sudden you have to either switch it or contort your other hand to both push the button and pull the handle. I understand why they’re used on things like Jeeps because they’re less likely to get caught on a branch and pull the door open, but they suck.
I like the good old class 11, which is probably why they’re the most popular. Open with either hand, from above or below. I’m unconvinced there exists a better design from a usability perspective.
No doors at all
*Stares Jeepily*