Park Assist..,,is it any good?

[Orville]

One additional problem park assist does have is that it is bad for alloy wheels. When parallel parking it is not great at identifying where the actual kerb is. It is possibly worse than my wife in this area.

[Coops]

I genuinely cannot recall the last time that I parallel parked - granted I very rarely go into town centres and when I do it's bay parking which I am fine with. I would, therefore, not find it useful.

 

I can see the pros and cons from both sides, but do agree with some that although PA may get into a tight space, if the cars either side are also tightly parked it could cause issues when they exit if they don't have a PA system. Something has to give = damage.

 

I guess it depends what you are used to - I don't have front sensors on my Superb but can gauge quite well the front overhang and where the bumpers are, Appreciate that others may not though hence the need for front sensors.

 

Does this new level of "gadgets" actually reduce our overall skill levels? That's a whole other topic!

[Stuarted]

People who don't like driver aids because you can do it a lot better yourself and preaching it like whoever uses them has no business in driving a car, should stop using TV remotes, elevators, electricity etc.

 

One would hope ABS and ESP go the way of the dodo as well, right? Driver aids are evil!

.

Yay!  Bring back manual ignition advance and retard.  And starting handles.

Get rid of synchromesh, self-cancelling indicators, self-parking wipers and automatic reversing lights.

 

 

 

Edited 30 October, 2013 by Stuarted

[TheWanderer]

You'll find all of those on a city street on a Friday & Saturday night at chuck out time! 

[drewpost]

I'm really not sure what everyone is on about it taking too much time or saying things like I can park it in half the time.

I got it in mine for the front sensors which are very handy driving in Central London. That being said, I've used the park assist function a number of times and it's just as fast, if not faster, than I would have been. You just flick the switch heading down the row, indicate and then, once it sees the space, you put it in reverse and let it do it's thing. There's no processing delay or anything like that.

[TudorM]

What I don't get is the "if you park with PA in tight spaces, the car will be damaged by the cars next to it". Isn't that the case no matter who parks the car in those tight spaces, the driver and/or any aid? How is it PA's fault?

[Coops]

I guess PA "claims" it can get into smaller spaces which cars (drivers) without PA can't.

 

Therefore if you have 2 cars (A & B ) parked with a tight space in between, a driver won't attempt it because it's too small but another driver with PA can do it with PA (Car C). However when either cars A and B try to leave, they may not have the room or ability or PA to get out of the space (there could be another car tight in front or a wall or something else) with touching another car.

PA can take the car right to it's very limit in terms of distance to another object, whereas a driver may not and hence struggle to manoeuvre out.  

 

I've often looked at cars parked and wondered how the hell did that get in there or how are they going to get out of that, because surrounding cars are parked too close. I've never used PA or any other system so just assuming?!

[Anddenton]

I have a PA system, its built into the front and rear bumpers, no, wait, it is the front and rear bumpers

[TudorM]

I guess PA "claims" it can get into smaller spaces which cars (drivers) without PA can't.

 

Therefore if you have 2 cars (A & B ) parked with a tight space in between, a driver won't attempt it because it's too small but another driver with PA can do it with PA (Car C). However when either cars A and B try to leave, they may not have the room or ability or PA to get out of the space (there could be another car tight in front or a wall or something else) with touching another car.

PA can take the car right to it's very limit in terms of distance to another object, whereas a driver may not and hence struggle to manoeuvre out.  

 

I've often looked at cars parked and wondered how the hell did that get in there or how are they going to get out of that, because surrounding cars are parked too close. I've never used PA or any other system so just assuming?!

 

So now we're complaining that these aids are too competent and they're doing too good of a job? And in this particular case, that it's taking proper use of available parking spaces?

[pipsyp]

Rear sensors are all you really need on a car like the octavia, more so the hatch because visibility is crap. Not personally assed about park assist; front sensors are annoying and the system is s gimmick that gets "improved" by VAG practically every year....wow it'll be able to park front end first soon probably :-)

[OctaviaJo]

_{OK, pick a PA thread to resurrect - any thread will do - this one!}

 

_{So my new (well 2nd hand new to me) Octavia looks like it might have this park assist fitted.  I must admit I wasn't told anything about it when I picked up the car, but it has a button that looks like the picture in Fig 140 on page 142 of the handbook a large P with a steering wheel next to it (though in my car its on the other side of the button layout that in the book) and it clearly has side sensors so I am now wondering if it is fitted with the system - is there a way of telling for sure?  Then comes the question do I dare try it?  How many folks here decided to drive somewhere to find a quiet area to practice?  Did you all feel a certain amount of trepidation the first time you tried it?} 

 

_{A number of threads on here have mentioned that if you can't parallel park you shouldn't be on the road.  It's a fair point, but just as fair is the fact that parallel parking is a skill that can be learned, but until you've been shown the theory it can be difficult to master.  It needs remembering that many years ago (when I took my test), parallel parking wasn't part of the test - it is now.  However, back then I didn't need it and it was never something that I learned to do.  So years ago it was always something I avoided as it would sometimes take me longer to line myself up in a small parallel parking space than it would to park on the end of a line of cars and walk an extra 400 yards!  Then I took the IAM driving course and told the instructor that it was a skill that I felt a need for.  It took him all of 5 minutes to explain how to manage it and that was all it took.  I now think I am pretty good at it (better than my BF!).} 

 

_{However, these Octavia's are big cars (so are those Superbs!), I have a marked dislike for modern car design where you can't see where the bonnet ends, and the rear audible sensors in my previous Octavia have proved useful on a number of occasions - letting me reverse closer to objects than I might have done otherwise.  I can also think of at least one parallel park situation that I do park in from time to time where the (usually) only remaining gap is often very small and I perhaps take longer parking there than is useful given the busy-ness of the road.  If this sensor system could speed things up in certain situations then I might be tempted to try it out.} 

 

_{What do you think, do you reckon the Octavia (which is overspecced for its Elegance class) has it fitted if it has the button with the steering wheel on it like it shows in the instruction book  I don't want to look an idiot sitting there in traffic pushing buttons and waiting for something to that might never happen.}

[Alpha2110]

Parking assist is total rubbish, I have tried it 3 times and it has failed each time, scrubbing the rear tyres on the curb as it has made the first turn too deep. I am glad I didn't have to pay for this as an option. And before any one mentions I have read the manual, not that it's very well written.

[TheWanderer]

Parking assist is total rubbish, I have tried it 3 times and it has failed each time, scrubbing the rear tyres on the curb as it has made the first turn too deep. I am glad I didn't have to pay for this as an option. And before any one mentions I have read the manual, not that it's very well written.

I didn't even RTM and I got it to work first time and I've had two jokers at work park about 6" off each end to see if I could get out and after about 5 or 6 minutes PA had got it out,much to their annoyance. In fact it back fired on them because I put in a complaint and they got a warning that if they did it again, they'd lose their parking permits.

[andyvee]

I've not tried using it to get out of tight parking spaces, might have to give that a go

[TonyD]

I had park assist in my last Octavia, it worked but was very slow. It certainly was a party piece to show passengers but as I used it no more than 6 times in nearly 3 years I dropped it for the Canton in my new VRS.

[TheWanderer]

It's only as slow as you are, because you're in charge of the throttle and brake, I can usually get the car parked in a tight (parallel) space which most people probably wouldn't attempt in around 30-40s.

[vRSAnt]

IMO Its not a perfect system by all accounts.

 

I recently strubbed a tiniest amount off on of my rear alloys ( which I've now finished repairing almost, annoyingly a wheel I've recently already kerb repaired so got plenty of practice),

 

but the rear sensors for park assist never even kicked in as I was reversing and hit this very high "kerb" ( but it was far higher than the normal kerb, you can't call it a kerb, it was like raised masonry edging/low wall ).

Distracted by having a distracting wife in the car, as you do, they do seem to have some impact on concentration I find due to being a silly distracting **** and passengers should respectfully learn to shut the hell up when someone is driving.

I guess rudeness and a leaning towards being distracting and not respectful to a drivers need for full attention is a modern thing and it frankly gets my goat.

 

I guess it was just too low to consider, it was like an ornate high raised kerb round by church building and had gone round but had no where to turn around.

I would have been better off just turning the mirrors down for reversing ( which after realising I touched at the rear I did in the end).

I think park assist + camera would do a better bet.

[Alpha2110]

 

Or is your comment directly aimed at the so called "fairer sex" who TBQH in most cases shouldn't ever be given a driving license. 

 

Have you any idea how bigoted this sounds? which incidentally is incorrect. I thought this post was on park assist not Bernard manning esk comments. i am not PC or offended on others peoples behalf before you say it.

 

the reason in my opinion cars have park assist is really a reflection on the cars visibility, cars more than ever before have smaller and smaller windows, as the door glass is made smaller the windscreen and rear glass have to be smaller to keep every thing in proportion, hence cars years ago were easier to park because of this.

[OctaviaJo]

Alpha 2110 - I also think the overall 'streamlining' of a car has also led to increased difficulties in judging the front and rear of a car when parking them.  My first cars back in the early nineties were cars where you could clearly see the front of the square upright bonnet from the drivers seat.  Thus the position of the nose of the car was fairly easy to judge in relation to the area to be parked in. Today you sit in the driver's seat of most modern cars and I swear there must easily be 3 foot of the bonnet to be judged over and above what you can see to the end of.  This requires far more judgement - esp. in a new car.  The same is true to some extent with the extra length at the back of a car - though the side mirrors do help.  FWIW If The Wanderer ever pulls his VRS alongside my Octavia I'll still give him a run for his money away from a set of traffic lights!  I get a huge satisfaction out of being a better driver than many men and some women on the road and I have passed my Advanced Test to prove it.

Edited 24 March, 2016 by OctaviaJo

[TheWanderer]

What do you want? Medal?

[OctaviaJo]

Why do trolls feel the need to make conversations like this degenerate?   

[TheWanderer]

I just asked a question, because obviously you feel a need to gloat and think that you're better than everyone else because you've done the IAM course.

 

I haven't. Yet I get cheaper insurance and I can leave several of my colleagues at work who've also done the course for dead in going around corners and using timing.

 

They've also got points on their licence and have had two accidents (1 each), I haven't. So who's the better driver?

[Alpha2110]

Alpha 2110 - I also think the overall 'streamlining' of a car has also led to increased difficulties in judging the front and rear of a car when parking them.  My first cars back in the early nineties were cars where you could clearly see the front of the square upright bonnet from the drivers seat.  Thus the position of the nose of the car was fairly easy to judge in relation to the area to be parked in. Today you sit in the driver's seat of most modern cars and I swear there must easily be 3 foot of the bonnet to be judged over and above what you can see to the end of.  This requires far more judgement - esp. in a new car.  The same is true to some extent with the extra length at the back of a car - though the side mirrors do help.  FWIW If The Wanderer ever pulls his VRS alongside my Octavia I'll still give him a run for his money away from a set of traffic lights!  I get a huge satisfaction out of being a better driver than many men and some women on the road and I have passed my Advanced Test to prove it.

 

I agree streamlining and safety are probably the biggest factors is to why cars have park assist. Where the more side impact protection leads to smaller side windows. Also the pedestrian safety factors also adds to the poor visibility at the front, far more rounded and more overhang. All of this is good for the outlined safety reasons but bad for visibility. I think general parking sensors is a good thing on the skoda whether you choose to use the park assist or not. As I said in my previous posts, i tried it 3 times but gave up as it got flummoxed and tried to mount the car on the pavement i think if i persevered with it i would find its limitations. .

[TheWanderer]

Well you must be doing something wrong then, because I don't have any issues with it whatsoever, even parking on a slight curve. I can do it manually or using the PA system, it doesn't bother me one way or the other.

[Alpha2110]

Well you must be doing something wrong then, because I don't have any issues with it whatsoever, even parking on a slight curve. I can do it manually or using the PA system, it doesn't bother me one way or the other.

 

 

What do you want? Medal?

 

Well you could start by showing some respect.  I thought this post was about park assist?