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
Class 0: The inside pull-cords on old British sports cars. No external handle.
11 – youo can pull it any way you like if your hands are full or you feel like getting fancy, and they’re less breakable.
My GF broke so many 11s on her old Sienna. They are weak plastic. On a car driven in New England year round, the mechanisms in the door get draggy from the salt, meaning you have to yank on the handle hard to get the sliding door open.
Here’s a question: How do you class the VW ID.4 handles? They’re a button under a flap, so are they button or squeeze?
What category do the Ev6 and ionic5 fall into?
My Ev6 doesn’t have the powered ones, so I have to push with my thumb to get the handle out to pull it.
Class 8, pop-out.
Class 3 push button baby – one of my favorite features of my truck
Miata Is Always the Answer
80s era (and earlier) VW handles, The Class 4 trigger type, also seen on older Porsches as well. GOAT, Greatest Of All Thefts. All you had to do was jam a screw driver where the handle meets the sheet metal and force the whole handle out. I believe for a time and they probably still do make armor plates just for that area to prevent theft.
I used to constantly have a little cannister of lock de-icer in my coat pocket for these notorious handles in the winter. I actually forgot and had one in my pocket when boarding a flight and had to throw it away. Thankfully on the return home the locks weren’t frozen. Bought a battery operated de-icer as well which was just a little metal rod that switch bladed out of a holster and would heat up once it was out. Got rid of that one when it opened in my pants pocket and burned the shit out of my leg!
These guys are the plates I’m thinking of… https://www.vwvortex.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,onerror=redirect,width=1920,height=1920,fit=scale-down/https://www.vwvortex.com/attachments/1635616094142-png.129152/
Class 3 is the nostalgia win, Class 7 or 11 for modern cars.
Wait, why were Class 3 phased out? What made them unsafe?
The Rover P6 series had a nice variant of type 3
https://image.carzy.net/cars/zjRlyciE4R0WWqP9otac/car_2019122411095342_2xDXdv.jpg
I’m a huge fan of the class 11s (pull out) on my Tacoma- they unlock as you pull on them with the key in your pocket, and you can lock them by tapping the top. Magic! That said, a good class 3 button can be very satisfying to push.
I have class 7 car and a class 11. Functionally speaking, the 11 is probably my favorite. Class 12 as experienced I didn’t like because at some point they will cease to be flush with the door.
I’m a big fan of the trigger mechanism on my VW T2.
Trigger is my favorite, just thinking about them reminds me of the that old VW smell.
I am 47 and in my mind I can still feel the handles on the T2 we had when I was about 5. The little bit of slack before the trigger got really firm and then the quite sudden unlocking. Plus now I can smell it too.
My VW’s both have class 4 and my Skyline has a class 7, I feel like the simple class 4 is the better design, Reliable and long lasting and requires no real thought from the user.
I grew up with Class 3. I remember when Class 11 first started appearing; it was almost a luxury feature “You just grab it, and pull! so logical”. I’m mystified it took so long for these to appear.
My fave is the trigger style one on my Vanagon. It’s always stored inside so I’ve never had to deal with it frozen but I bet it handles it (pun intended) better than the pull ups and push buttons that all froze up in the last ice storm.
Then there’s the Healey with no exterior handle at all…
Used my stored outdoors T3 through multiple winters and the handles have never been an issue, Just lube them once a year. The plastic pull outs on the Mr’s Fiesta have stuck a few times in the same weather.
Of the cars I’ve owned I really loved the class 5’s on my Citroen AX GT. Simple, light, aerodynamic and cheap.
Although I do love the confusion that the class 13’s on my Lotuseseses create when newbies try to get in.
However the best door handles ever are the class, um. Gosh, this is embarrassing. I guess class 14’s that Torch hasn’t put on his chart that Honda blessed the mk1 CRX with. A vertical flap at the trailing edge of the door. The right orientation for human wrists, the same aero as the Citroen handles but also obvious and simple to use. Perfect.
Like a classy version of the 350Z handles. Those were just awful. It was like climbing in to a big Smeg fridge but with less room inside.
Class 10 came on all kinds of British stuff. Pretty much every British-Leyland product had one including the TR-7/8 and I think some Range Rovers. They were made of aluminum and would burn the shit out of you in the summer.
I like the push button GM designs from the late sixties. Basically they had a built in last ditch locked your keys inside feature. The Button had to be pushed in for the lock to stay down. if you realized at the last minute, you could release the button as the door swung shut and it would unlock for you.
Probably the tesla model 3 handles, they’re so advanced and oh my god I’m joking. Chevy express/GMC savana handles because I’m not ever afraid of them breaking.
Do we need to add Class 14: Haptic button?
That one definitely does not rank as my favorite.
Surprisingly related question. What’s the best kind of cabinet handle
https://i.etsystatic.com/5711308/r/il/310bfe/5484056810/il_794xN.5484056810_idog.jpg
CLass 11, they just work. You can pull hard when the doors are frozen. Easy to grip for anyone, even captain hook.
As much as I love AMCs and weird French and microcars, the greatest exterior door handles belong to the Miura.
https://www.secret-classics.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/LamborghiniMiuraSV_11.jpg
That is just great.
I’ll tell you what it isn’t……vertical style from the Pontiac Grand Prix late 80’s to mid 90’s (and their badge engineered cousins). I loved them but wow did they have a significant engineered flaw. The entire weight of a quite-long coupe door loaded up to 1 cast piece that is about 1″ x 0.125″ in total. The things bore so much load they they eventually sheer off, sending you backwards into a snowbank on New Years Eve. Ask me how I know….
Which makes me wonder….are those technically Class 2 swing out? I feel they almost should be their own class. If class 2, would that have been the latest example of that?
would not have been such a big deal if they had adequate Springs to push the door open for you once the latch disengaged. But they did not, and they had to be adjusted more often than most since the connection tot he actual latch would sometimes slide a bit.
Oh yeah….I remember seeing tons out of alignment. I never had that problem, but still to this day remember how much pull weight it took to move those sizable doors with that tiny little piece of black metal.
i had a 90’s Cutlass Supreme convertible with them. it turned out easy to adjust, but seemed like nobody did. but yeah those 2 door versions were extra long and heavy for some reason.