Parking assist - a bit rubbish?

[Hugo Nebula]

I've not yet got to grips with the parking assist. I've used it twice; the first time it left me about a foot off the kerb. Today; well...

 

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[Wudzi]

Not tried parallel parking yet but I've given reverse parking a go. It worked OK both times but to be honest it's a lot quicker to do it yourself.

[AndrueC]

I've only used it for backing into a space. At first I thought it was neat but with more use I've realised that it's a very crude algorithm. I don't think it's actually measuring the space as it drives into it. It's just following a prescribed routine and will stop and sound the alarm if you get too close to something. So I can imagine that when parallel parking there is nothing stopping it hitting or mounting the kerb. The only guarantee is that it won't hit the cars in front and back and - presumably - can warn you if the gap is too small before it starts.

That doesn't mean it's useless but I'd class it as a gimmick for the lazy driver. It's certainly not an example of 'a computer driving a car'.

I haven't used it much because my usual space at work was at the end of the row and with a pavement alongside there was no way to position the car such that it would start the process. But I've used it half a dozen times in other car parks and it feels safer because you can pay more attention to your surroundings without having to concentrate so much on the actual manoeuvre.

[PACorolla]

I have to agree that parallel park assist can be a bit hit and miss.

My first experience with this was with the audi system in 2010 and it performed well in most circumstances apart from when the cars you were parking between badly parked ( on the curb  or diagonal) or when the parking slot was on the bend. You had to watch this as it was easy to curb your alloys.

Having a Corolla for a year i have found their park assist to be a little less tolerant to others bad parking or when you have a monster truck and mini to park between than the audi system. 

I would agree with Andrewc and its not a fully automatic autopilot but an aid to parking allowing you to keep a lookout for cars and people. You can always take back control manualy instantly if you need to.

 

[Rosgoe]

Don’t think I will bother with it when I get car just in case it curbs the alloys and as wudzi said it’s more than likely quicker to do it your self using mirrors camera and sensors. 

[Malcster]

Corolla park assist is useless 

in my chr it parked no problems at my house or my parents 

corrolla just mounts the kerb every time so I don’t use it 

I suspect it’s the lack of blind spot monitoring or rear cross traffic facility  causing the variation 

[AndrueC]

I think it's probably just following a script that has a couple of parameters that the starting location tweaks. I don't think the car has any situational awareness once it's started. I bet if you could somehow remove the constraining vehicles after the manoeuvre has started it would complete exactly the same.

I've noticed that if you don't choose your starting position well even the reverse parking can leave you closer than you want to one or other vehicle. For reverse parking that's pretty poor - it shouldn't be that hard to use the side sensors to place the car equidistant. For parallel parking I don't see how it can sense the kerb so that's always going to be a bit hit and miss.

Now to be fair if the car is set up correctly at the start there is no need for positional awareness during the manoeuvre. It's just a matter of timing and geometry and could be done with your eyes closed (assuming no outside entity interferes). But it seems the vehicle is a bit weak in establishing the starting criteria.

[Timmon]

Echo other replies. My neighbour came with me last year to help me with park assist. He took me out in his car which identified a suitable parking space for him, and parked effortlessly. Very impressive.

He accompanied me in my Corolla to show me. Mostly it rejected the space I identified, and on the one occasion it did parallel park, we ended up on the pavement which it said was fine!

We tried Tesco car park next, and that was a total disaster, much to the amusement of watching customers, who thought it was my efforts to get into a space!

So, I have not tried again, and like much of the addon's like lane assist, Auto Headlight dip, and cruise control, they remain firmly switched off. If I could switch off auto headlights I would, as with the winter approaching, i will have to be on my guard, as they often flash on and off, on the darker November days, giving other drivers the impression I am flashing them out of side roads. Not fixable, the dealer advised me. So, you get a lot of features with Toyota, but they are not the best in class, sadly.

[Roy124]

Used reverse parking three times.  The first was practise in a doctor's surgery and worked perfectly.  The second at the car showroom and scared me witless when it appeared abut to reverse into an expensive car in the 5 o'clock position as it was positioning.  The third (and last time) was in a supermarket car park and as said, it seemed much too slow.

 

I am not sure when I would use it again,perhaps in a tight spot and not under pressure.