You’ve never owned a BMW data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7 known to have the worst handbrake.
When i had my manual E46, i just left in gear, never bothered with the handbrake.
Now i have an auto, the handbrake is never used.
Funnily enough the only car I really had handbrake trouble with was an old 728i, parked on a very steep drive and could feel it going even in gear, pulled harder and one cable snapped, harder still and the second one went.
Putting it in gear, or putting the handbrake on is of no use if the whole car with wheels not moving just slides down the drive. A bit scary when it first happened!
You are quite correct - however, as long as one appreciates the extra risk (relative to having all 4 tyres shod with winter/all season tyres) and drives appropriately that small risk can be mitigated.
The only time I've seen someone get properly caught out by having winter tyres on the front and regular tyres on the back was when towing in the snow. We were the lead car, in a 4x4 with winter tyres on, our friend was following in a FWD car with winter tyres on the front and regular ones on the rear.
As we approached a junction, we saw in our rear view mirrors that he had lost control. As he braked to slow for the junction, the extra weight of the un-braked trailer was still pushing the car from behind. The back end stepped out rather smartly, and he 'jack-knifed. Mercifully at slow speed, less than 20 mph I guess, and no damage done.
The same effect would occur if cornering a little too quick, or braking while cornering - just like normal then - the difference is, having got the decent traction at the front, one might be inspired to think the back has a similar amount of grip, when in fact, it's far more marginal!
So, nothing wrong per-se with having winter/all season on the front only - as long as you realise that the end without them on only has the same reduced grip, that any other car with regular tyres has. So drive accordingly.
However, countries where it is mandatory to use winter tyres (between October and March usually) also mandate that all wheels must have winter tyres - you're simply not allowed to mix.
To be sure, to be sure, as @Dony might say data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I've driven a FW drive car with winter tyres only on the front and driven it accordingly with no issues. Given the same car with summer tyres on would have been sliding all over the place we drove carefully. Rear wheel drive, I'd only do all four wheels.
We used to have a 25% sloped drive.Parking on that was fun in winter.
Talking of "inherently" weak handbrakes, back in the late 80's / early 90's, i owned a series of Rover SD1's, every year at MOT time, remove drums, grind off lip ( to allow better adjustment of shoes), rough up drum braking surface with a file, and rough up shoe surface with 80 grit production paper. Only way to get a passdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
My last few cars have been automatic's, not by specific choice, just worked out that way. I always use the handbrake, if for no other reason than to ensure it's not seized up come test time.
The handbrake seems fine. I tried to pull away with it on last night (forward and reverse) and the car wouldn't budge.