Self Parking Car - Would this feature put you off buying?

Stageshoot

Hi

Odd Question, but would a car with a Self Parking Function put you off buying.

I am looking at buying a 6 Month old Ford Focus and its fitted with the Parking option where the car will Parallel Park itself without the driver having to touch the steering wheel.

now I am competent at parking and dont feel this would be any advantage to me.

Yes it can be switched off and parked manually of course, but my worry is that this is going to be one of those major devices that will go on the fritz in the future and be a major cost to repair.

I will most probably be keeping the car till its about 3 years old so will be under warranty till I sell it.

Cost wise its a fairly hefty option on the new vehicle, but the cost does not seem to have been inflated on this nearly new car because it has it

So

1: Do you think this sort of device will be a selling point in the future or something that will put off a future buyer.

2: Would you bother using it or just switch it all off and consider it a fad (Basically am I just being a bit of a luddite and should embrace advances like this!)

anotherbaldrick

Have the function on my VW Tiguan, never used it. Salesperson did offer to show me how it worked but don't trust technology to do something I can easily do myself.

InsideInsurance

Have it on my car too, likewise never use it.

Certainly with my car as standard it is on but all that means is that on the dash whilst under 30mph (I think) it shows if there is a space on either side that it says it can git you in. You have to then proactively tell it you want to park, you can just ignore it in which case its just another symbol on the dash. You can turn the sensors off so you dont get the symbol but it also disables the "normal" parking sensors too.

I cant see why anyone would be put off buying it as its got a feature they can ignore. If it breaks, dont fix it and just dont sell it as having it.

Iceweasel

My niece has the Ford Focus car you are talking about.

I consider myself a pretty good experienced driver and I have no problems reverse parking.

However - there is no way that I can park that car in the space it will go into in one move.

I need to shunt backwards and forwards a bit and land up looking like a dope.

Beaten by a machine.

As will you be too if you try it.

Not a problem really as it's a great feature for folks who live in, or need to park in busy cities.

It gets it right, first time, every time.

In a few years all cars will have this feature.

It's NOT just for folks who have difficulty in parking.

Just like auto-boxes are NOT just for people who have difficulty changing gears on a manual.

As said you don't have to use it and I don't think it's a potential problem at all.

Stageshoot

Iceweasel wrote: »

My niece has the Ford Focus car you are talking about.

I consider myself a pretty good experienced driver and I have no problems reverse parking.

However - there is no way that I can park that car in the space it will go into in one move.

I need to shunt backwards and forwards a bit and land up looking like a dope.

Beaten by a machine.

As will you be too if you try it.

Not a problem really as it's a great feature for folks who live in, or need to park in busy cities.

It gets it right, first time, every time.

In a few years all cars will have this feature.

It's NOT just for folks who have difficulty in parking.

Just like auto-boxes are NOT just for people who have difficulty changing gears on a manual.

As said you don't have to use it and I don't think it's a potential problem at all.

Many Thanks,

Great to hear from someone who has used it on this particular car.

Will give it a go then. as I said the price of the car does not seem bumped up because of it, and it has other options I do want like the built in Satnav and Keyless entry/start.

Thanks the comments everyone..

daveyjp

Standard on my car, only ever used it to show other people what it does.

TrickyWicky

Iceweasel wrote: »

However - there is no way that I can park that car in the space it will go into in one move.

LOL

I can get into some pretty tight spaces and our car is the length of most volvo estates :cool:

Iceweasel

TrickyWicky wrote: »

LOL

I can get into some pretty tight spaces and our car is the length of most volvo estates :cool:

LOL - yes - just to be clear I can park in the space OK - but I couldn't guarantee to be 'just perfect' in one reverse move, every single time.

The easiest vehicle I've ever had to park is our M-Benz Sprinter van which has a really tight turning circle - fantastic lock - nearly as good as a London Taxi.

UncleZen

Self parking is one of those things that never needed to be invented IMO.

londonTiger

I have no problem parking, but I'd avoid parking in particularly tight spots. I guess with automatic parking it will give you the freedom to park in tighter spots as it will get it exactly right.

RichardD1970

UncleZen wrote: »

Self parking is one of those things that never needed to be invented IMO.

The same could be said of a lot of technology in cars, parking sensors, power steering, ABS, electric windows, starter motors, synchromesh to name a few.

All perform functions that can be be carried out "manually" by the driver.