Technology in Cars

MouldyOldDough

Lane Assist - I understand that this actively steers the car when you wander - but does it affect swerving to miss potholes/ animals in the road ?

Parking Assist - does this genuinely mean that I am able to park in spaces, little longer than the car - does it fully allow me to go forwards and backwards in to a space, multiple times without clobbering surrounding vehicles or is it only an automated reversing aid ?

oldernonethewiser

Lane assist - no

Parking assist - depends what kind of parking assist the car uses. 

Mine has cameras front and back and warning signals so I can see and hear when I hit a car when parking

chrisw

Lane assist - doesn't stop you swerving but will probably kick in. Cameras follow the white lines along the road and if you cross the line, usually only above 40mph, without indicating, the steering pushes you back again. However, even at the strongest intervention setting, the force is easy to overcome.

The downside is that it catches you unaware, particularly when drifting back into a lane on the motorway after an overtake, and I just can't get used to it so keep mine turned off.

diystarter7

Hiya OP

One of my siblings has a top spec Merc and it reads the road ahead so they tell me but does not steer clear of pot holes  adjusts dampers for cornering/speed etc

You question and a lot more is explained very well in my fav mag, please see below

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/new-and-used-cars/article/car-safety-features-explained-aUHSQ6N9iDKr

Have a nice weekend


PS: The lane assits, I'm guess it only works where there are road markings or decent ones?

Rodders53

On my car, lane assist works by seeing the white lines (lane markings) as you go to cross them it vibrates the wheel and CAN, if enabled, steer the car back into lane with more or less force.

No effect on steering or 'swerving' to avoid pot holes in 9/10 cases (or more) in my experience:  it's usually set to on with the lightest or no steer assist - the vibration is enough for me.

On my car all the auto parking does is rotate the steering wheel to guide you into space:  you 'obey' the instructions to go forward/reverse and (possibly) stop:  guide is by the parking aid sensors and displays.  Used it once or twice at most.  I can use the parking aid sensors just as easily.

Stubod

I had parking assist on my last car, (Yeti). I had a demo when I first had the car, and yes, technically once you have told the car you want to park, and driven past the parking space you could literally take your hands off the wheel and the car would "park itself, (subject to changing from forward to reverse when the system to you to do so). However in 5 years of ownership I never used it.

On  my current car, (Kia Niro poverty spec model), I have 2 levels of lane assist. The default, (ie when starting off), is that when you cross a white line it will give an audible warning and apply a light pressure to the steering wheel to tru and guide you back across the white line, (this is easy to counter by applying minimal pressure to the steering wheel). I normally alays turn this off when I get in the car, as around these parts you spend most of your time the wrong side of the road to avoid the many, (many) pot holes.

The car also has a lane assist that has to be activated that will actually "steer" the car on motorways and other roads where there are good lane markings. So much so that you could actually take your hands off the wheel and the car will follow the lane markings....NB I would certainly not recommend this!!, (and the car gives an audible warning to put your hands back on the wheel). But it seems to apply a greater force on the steering wheel when this mode is selected.

 

TadleyBaggie

The lane assist I had in a Nissan didn't do any steering, just beeped annoyingly if you wandered over the white lines without indicating.

Jaybee_16

My cars parking assist does all that's needed. Push a button approaching a gap and the dashboard screen tells me when to stop. The car then reverses, steers and brakes without my input. 

motorguy

MouldyOldDough said:

Lane Assist - I understand that this actively steers the car when you wander - but does it affect swerving to miss potholes/ animals in the road ?

Parking Assist - does this genuinely mean that I am able to park in spaces, little longer than the car - does it fully allow me to go forwards and backwards in to a space, multiple times without clobbering surrounding vehicles or is it only an automated reversing aid ?

Wifes car has lane assist.  As per other comments the car will guide you if it thinks you're veering over the white lines.  Needless to say, we keep it switched off.

Parking assist.  Have had it on cars but never used it.  But yes, it does as you say.

jefaz07

My parking assist will park the car for me when it has scanned and found a suitable space. 

If someone parks too close I can also drive it out of the space using my app without anyone having to get in the car. 

sevenhills

A camera would be much more useful.