Hello everyone, 

 

I wanted to ask whether a Kodiaq with front/rear parking sensors + rear view camera benefits from adding Park Assist. I saw the YouTube video from a Kodiaq owner with a nice aerial view but couldn't understand whether it was part of the parking sensors or the Park Assist. I use a badly designed underground parking and I need all the help I can get, the autonomous parking is of no interest. 

 

Also I wanted to ask your advice on Rear Traffic Alert. My parking exit opens on a high speed road after a blind curve and I believe it would be useful as a feature. Has anyone had any experience? 

If the autonomous parking is of no interest, then that’s what Park Assist is. However it also gives you side sensors, and you don’t have to use the autonomous parking if you don’t want to. The cameras are Aerial View, and they are separate, but must be combined with either F&R sensors or Park Assist. They give you an all round view, as you’ve seen, and it’s up to you whether that would be more use than the ultrasonic sensors.

 

If you want all the help you can get, then go for Aerial View + Park Assist for all-round sensors.

 

I have PA on my Octavia, and the side sensors have been useful on only a couple of occasions. I’ve also only used the autonomous parking to show off to the kids when I first got it (at the time, PA was the only way to get front sensors). My Kodiaq will have Aerial View (plus F&R sensors) when I get hold of it in about a month... decided that would be preferable to side sensors for me.

 

As for the rear traffic thingy, always useful if you’re backing out of places often.

Reverse parking is your friend.

 

I just don’t see the need for cameras and overviews and such stuff.

 

What happened to old fashioned skill and car control?

 

I’m very happpy with Front and Rear sensors and park within inches every time.

 

Saved a fortune for fuel and other things 

> What happened to old fashioned skill and car control? <

 

They fought against it, by making the rear windows dark, the back window small, and shapes that don't show you where the car ends!   I was stunned, recently, to find how easy it is to park an old Volvo 240 estate - you can SEE where it is, and what's outside!

I've got front and rear sensors, and rear camera. The rear camera is very useful, as I find the back window too small.

If you have a very tight space use the 360 camera system with all round parking sensors. I have a very tight garage and just parking sensors will go red when you still have 15cm gap between the car and an obstacle (wall for instance), so for tight parking they aren't as useful as the 4 cameras you get in the 360 package. The rear camera is a must have due to large car and snall rear window, a life saver for me.

 

The Park Assist 3.0 is cool but it won't recognize tight spaces (less than 20cm space on each side of the car), because it bases on parking sensors which are very sensitive. It's a nifty feature if you don't bother parking in regular spots, but for tight spots the 360 camera system is much better.

 

EDIT PS:

The Park assist function has a limiting space in front and rear of the vehicle but not side to side, so if you have tight side-to-side space it won't work at all (won't recognize a space), but it will park in tight paralel spaces leaving little room infront and rear.

Edited 14 February, 20188 yr by McGyles
Added PS

Thank you for the replies and one more question: 

In the configurator if I choose Park Assist, the park sensors options is understandably grayed out and not selectable. This means that if I choose Park Assist I can use the front and rear sensors _without_ activating Park Assist,correct?

 

thanks!

49 minutes ago, iwsitl said:

This means that if I choose Park Assist I can use the front and rear sensors _without_ activating Park Assist,correct?

 

Even better than that... the side ones work as normal parking sensors too!

 

But to answer your question, yes, there are two buttons - one to activate the parking sensors (and camera(s) if fitted), and one to activate Park Assist. The parking sensors also automatically activate when you select reverse, and can also be set to automatically activate when crawling forward and they detect something in front of you.

 

The issue I had on my Octavia was that the sensors also activated when someone came close alongside you, like a cyclist or motorbike when in a queue of traffic.