Park Assist-anyone ever used it?

[WoodlandHills]

I am trying to decide upon how to configure our car and I was wondering how well the park assist worked. Does anyone have any real world experiences to relate, will it really spot usable spaces on either side of the road at 22 kph as the manual claims? Will it really spin away at the wheel for me as I move back and forth?

 

[jadnashuanh]

I have it, haven't tried it, but there are at least a few YouTube videos showing it working... https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=&oq=bmw+i3+self-parking&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS369US369&q=bmw+i3+self+parking+video+&gs_l=hp..1.0i22i30l2.0.0.0.8866...........0.kXv3U0USjuI

 

[Chrisn]

I've used it several times, admittedly mostly as a "wow" demo for friends. It works really well. In the US, at least, you need to click through some warnings and then hold down the pdc button throughout the process. But it does that job and is fun to watch.

My wife does not parallel park. Ever. But I think she would be comfortable using this feature.

 

[WoodlandHills]

Is it fully automated? Do you need to touch the pedals at all during the process?

 

[jadnashuanh]

Once you start it, the only thing you have to do is to keep pressing the button...it turns, shifts, brakes, etc. To stop it, you can release the button, or press the brakes...IOW, it does everything once it has identified a space it is sure it can fit into and you tell it it's okay to park there (part of the sequence is to use your turn signals - this also helps it decide which side of the road to use, should there be possibilities on both of them.

 

[LivingBetterThurEV]

I've used it several times (mainly showing a friend) - and it works very well. People comment that it appears to be calibrated to get your vehicle about 4" or 100mm of the curb. Couple of times after it finished parking, I felt the need to back up a foot just to center the car in the opening - but it a tight space it does a good job. I usually travel slow <10 looking for a space and have never tried the max speed. Putting the right turn signal on - tells the vehicle to look for spaces on the right, and if you put the left turn signal, vehicle looks for spaces on the left.

 

[WoodlandHills]

If it finds a space across the street will it make a u-turn and then park itself? If so, that's really cool.

 

[Boatguy]

It definitely works, but there are a few too many steps to remember unless you use it daily. I'm planning to make a quick reference.

It backs in at a very steep angle and close to the car ahead which is a little unnerving, but it is spot on!

 

[stumbledotcom]

Only step to remember is to push the button when you start looking for parking. All the others are prompted on screen.

Thought it was going to be gimmicky but I use it at least a couple of times a week in San Francisco. Very happy I got the option.

 

[stormsaw]

We have it on our recently purchased REx, as well as on a 2013 Ford Flex. With the Flex, you work the gas and brake. With the i3, all you do is hold down a button. If I have a choice in parking spots - close spot that's head-in, vs. a further spot that's parallel - I'll actually drive to the spot that's further away just so I can use the feature! Its a blast!

 

[jadnashuanh]

The left-right thing is for one-way streets (or to help out those misguided people that drive on the left!) where you may be able to park on either side...no, it won't do a U-turn to get there!

 

[nowtta60]

If it finds a space across the street will it make a u-turn and then park itself? If so, that's really cool.

Yeah, It can also do high speed reverse and a J turn if it thinks someone else will get to the space before you. LOL.

I hear the italian version will also nudge other cars a few inches if the space isnt quite big enough.

The british version will park on the pavement if theres a double yellow, taking enough space up so that wheel chair users and baby buggies cant get past, therby violating two traffic laws at once without fear of prosecution, most of the time.

The french version will make an attempt to park and then go off in a strop, beeping the horn quite a lot.

If they come up with a version for africa it wont need park assist, as you just leave it anywhere, and dont worry about scraping other people to get in there. A rubber skirt would be a better idea.

 

[elptex]

If it finds a space across the street will it make a u-turn and then park itself? If so, that's really cool.

Yeah, It can also do high speed reverse and a J turn if it thinks someone else will get to the space before you. LOL.

I hear the italian version will also nudge other cars a few inches if the space isnt quite big enough.

The british version will park on the pavement if theres a double yellow, taking enough space up so that wheel chair users and baby buggies cant get past, therby violating two traffic laws at once without fear of prosecution, most of the time.

The french version will make an attempt to park and then go off in a strop, beeping the horn quite a lot.

If they come up with a version for africa it wont need park assist, as you just leave it anywhere, and dont worry about scraping other people to get in there. A rubber skirt would be a better idea.

Seriously LOL'ed! Epic, great (and accurate) anecdotes!

 

[RJSATLBA]

If it finds a space across the street will it make a u-turn and then park itself? If so, that's really cool.

Yeah, It can also do high speed reverse and a J turn if it thinks someone else will get to the space before you. LOL.

I hear the italian version will also nudge other cars a few inches if the space isnt quite big enough.

The british version will park on the pavement if theres a double yellow, taking enough space up so that wheel chair users and baby buggies cant get past, therby violating two traffic laws at once without fear of prosecution, most of the time.

The french version will make an attempt to park and then go off in a strop, beeping the horn quite a lot.

If they come up with a version for africa it wont need park assist, as you just leave it anywhere, and dont worry about scraping other people to get in there. A rubber skirt would be a better idea.

Like it, don't forget the British pro version also tries to choose pavements such that it still doesn't make enough extra room on the road for two cars to pass.