GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Dan Burnley on 14 December 2013, 22:17
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Since being in the forum, I haven't really heard of any park assist reviews or info. Has anyone got this option? How is it?
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In my opinion it's a gimmick. Parking is easy with reverse camera, parking sensors & auto kerb view. Spend the money elsewhere in my opinion.
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I have this option but not used it yet.
It's not an expensive option for what it does to be honest :)
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For the £150 only you've spent you will find it a good toy to play with until you find yourself blocked in whilst parked.
Park assist 2 can now get you out of incredibly tight gaps so well worth the money.
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Really fantastic particularly parking the dark and rain. Really a remarkable development!
Only slight worry is that it tends to scrub the tyres by turning wheel when stationary. Wouldn't be without it...
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I specced this after it was confirmed the the colour MFD would be standard on the GTI/GTD's. cost was roughly the same. Used it for the first time today and have to admit that it is an impressive bit of kit. Wife and kids were like "wow!" As I sat in the obligatory look no hands posture watching the steering turn by itself.
I have found the parallel park really smooth. I have used reverse park twice - both times it seemed to take a couple of moves to park where I know if I did it manually I would been in the first time.
It's a fairly inexpensive option and you get extra sensors around the car - I think it's definately worth it!
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Defoe worth it for the low cost
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Definitely worth it and the people who say it's a gimmick ignore them. Version 2 what we have enables you to get out of tight spaces in case someone else probably without park assist blocks you in. £150 well worth it in my opinion.
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Very impressive for the money. So far I've demo'd it lots of times and used it in anger once, and TBH it didn't actually work all that well but I think that was because a) I didn't have the car quite parallel with the other traffic when I told it to park and b) the kerb happened to be old and battered and very low and probably didn't register properly on the sensors.
For the money though I have no doubt that it's going to prove itself useful at some point.
It can definitely park better than I can - when the nose swings in I think there's not enough room every time and it's always fine.
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What if it curbs my alloys :(
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Re alloys - you are in charge of the brake and gas pedals and need to keep a look out when using the system. I have not used the version 2 of this but on the Mk.6 Golf (first version) it had no ability to detect a kerb as such but worked on the principal of aligning your car with the car already parked in front. Looking at the location of the sensors I would suspect this is still the case.
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Re alloys - you are in charge of the brake and gas pedals and need to keep a look out when using the system. I have not used the version 2 of this but on the Mk.6 Golf (first version) it had no ability to detect a kerb as such but worked on the principal of aligning your car with the car already parked in front. Looking at the location of the sensors I would suspect this is still the case.
It does look like the car in front is the alignment reference, and if that car has kerbed its alloys or mounted the kerb to park, your alloys are likely to be kerbed if you don't see the situation coming and intervene. Seems then that the tech is pointless (seeing as you have to operate the pedals and also be ready to intervene with the steering to avoid kerbed alloys) unless you really can't parallel park but are required to on a regular basis.
With a short bonnet at the front and a very predictable ending to the rear (sticking out about 6 inches past the rear window), not to mention the auto-dipping passenger mirror and sensors at the front and back, I can't see how most competent drivers couldn't easily parallel-park within a space that was no more than 5 feet longer than the car itself. Complete gimmick for most.
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^ +1
Irrespective of how cheap it is, it's still money! (in this case an expensive party trick). At least burning the money will keep you warm.
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I have it, but won't spec again, I can park quicker than the system and have taken over a few times to save the embarrassment of keeping other drivers waiting.
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Definitely worth it and the people who say it's a gimmick ignore them. Version 2 what we have enables you to get out of tight spaces in case someone else probably without park assist blocks you in. £150 well worth it in my opinion.
I don't see how you would need it to help you get out of tight spaces when you have reverse camera & parking sensors. If the system can get you out of a tight space then so can a human using the other driving aids makes it simple.
It's just a feature for showing off a few times to friends and family because it's cool. I've never once thought "I really wish I spec'd Park Assist because then I could have got in that gap." Then again I Parallel Park on a daily basis for the last 5 years.
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I have it, but won't spec again, I can park quicker than the system and have taken over a few times to save the embarrassment of keeping other drivers waiting.
Exactly why I wouldn't have it. If you're worried about kerbing your wheels or hitting the car in front or behind then it doesn't make the job require any less of your attention, and it does the job more slowly than you could do it yourself.
OK for the poorly driven cars of the "school run" that you see, mostly Nissan Quashqai around my neck of the woods, including my next-door but one (who is a nursery teacher) who comes crashing up the kerb as she parks up every day.
It's only £150ish, but for most it'd be £150ish wasted. You'd get better value with the rear view camera, but again i'd give that a miss as I find the parking sensors more than adequate for squeezing into a tight spot. I know i've got a good 6" of leeway within the 12" gap that is left when the sensor beams turn red in the display.
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it's not about being competent at parking! I've got no problem parking my car at all and can parallel and bay park with ease but it's useful if say you aren't quite sure if you'll fit into a space. same as getting out of a space if some useless t4at can't park properly next to you. it's no more of a gimmick than keyless entry or performance pack and a lot cheaper than both. most people say it's a waste and they've never even used it! very handy for people with back and or neck problems but then again if you don't suffer from back or neck problems you'll still say it's a waste of money.
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It gives you an extra button next to the gear stick - worth it for that alone!
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it's not about being competent at parking! I've got no problem parking my car at all and can parallel and bay park with ease but it's useful if say you aren't quite sure if you'll fit into a space. same as getting out of a space if some useless t4at can't park properly next to you. it's no more of a gimmick than keyless entry or performance pack and a lot cheaper than both. most people say it's a waste and they've never even used it! very handy for people with back and or neck problems but then again if you don't suffer from back or neck problems you'll still say it's a waste of money.
I can see where it's useful in telling you if you're car can fit in a space that otherwise you might think is impossible but I don't think it does anything a human can't in regards to the actual parking manoeuvre. If you have back or neck problems then wouldn't you just be looking at your mirrors, camera and parking sensor bars? I do that when reversing and I don't have any back or neck problems myself.
Have to disagree with you saying the Performance Pack is a gimmick. It certainly isn't. As bigger brakes & more power & the limited slip differential is something you benefit from on a daily basis without even having to do anything. It affects the way your car drives and handles.
Keyless Entry is perhaps a gimmick, more of a convenience, I can agree with you on that one but not PP.
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Dan will obviously make his own mind up whether he finds Park Assist 2 useful.
I doubt he has specified it to 'impress friends and family' and I am sure that like most people on here he can parallel park be it doing it once a week or ' daily for five years '
Options are just that at the end of the day be it PP, keyless etc.
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I agree, options are there to be added if the buyer desires it :) each to their own.
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Dan will obviously make his own mind up whether he finds Park Assist 2 useful.
I doubt he has specified it to 'impress friends and family' and I am sure that like most people on here he can parallel park be it doing it once a week or ' daily for five years '
Options are just that at the end of the day be it PP, keyless etc.
Yes I'm sure Dan will make his mind up if it's useful or not. But he asked a question here to try and gain peoples opinions, which we are giving him in this form of a debate. He wouldn't really gain much if we all told him to make his own mind up would he. I know he's already spec'd it and so it might not be nice to hear negative feedback about it but it's just people being honest. It's like I don't think I'd spec DCC again and that was an £800 option! I'll learn for next time.
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I don't think it does anything a human can't in regards to the actual parking manoeuvre.
It does actually - the systems can turn the wheel faster than any person can - thats is secret for being able to get in such tight spaces. I do agree its a gimmick - but its one worth having for the small additional cost and it compliments the 'technology' image of the car very well. I specced it on my order along with the reversing camera. I just enjoy having toys like that. If Keyless was of the same order of cost I would have had that too - but at £355 its in a league where you really need to want it... and six options was enough!
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I might have specced park assist, high beam asist and reversing camera because they were all cheap lol!
I think it was on one of VWs youtube videos that Park assist can get you out of spaces with 25cm of total clearance as well as parallel parking with only 40cm of total clearance - It's worth it for that alone, even if I know I could do it myself.
However as said, each to their own and if we were all the same, it'd be a boring world!
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it's not about being competent at parking! I've got no problem parking my car at all and can parallel and bay park with ease but it's useful if say you aren't quite sure if you'll fit into a space. same as getting out of a space if some useless t4at can't park properly next to you. it's no more of a gimmick than keyless entry or performance pack and a lot cheaper than both. most people say it's a waste and they've never even used it! very handy for people with back and or neck problems but then again if you don't suffer from back or neck problems you'll still say it's a waste of money.
I can see where it's useful in telling you if you're car can fit in a space that otherwise you might think is impossible but I don't think it does anything a human can't in regards to the actual parking manoeuvre. If you have back or neck problems then wouldn't you just be looking at your mirrors, camera and parking sensor bars? I do that when reversing and I don't have any back or neck problems myself.
Have to disagree with you saying the Performance Pack is a gimmick. It certainly isn't. As bigger brakes & more power & the limited slip differential is something you benefit from on a daily basis without even having to do anything. It affects the way your car drives and handles.
Keyless Entry is perhaps a gimmick, more of a convenience, I can agree with you on that one but not PP.
unless your hooning it round a circuit you'll never use the features of the pp on a daily basis on public roads so need to disagree with you on that one. options are all personal choices and wouldn't our cars be boring if they were all the same spec and colour :wink:
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unless your hooning it round a circuit you'll never use the features of the pp on a daily basis on public roads so need to disagree with you on that one. options are all personal choices and wouldn't our cars be boring if they were all the same spec and colour :wink:
The diff is doing something on most corners so unless you drive on just straight roads then it can have benefits on a daily basis. Then of course there's roundabouts. Let's face it none of us bought a GTI to drive like a milk float so we're going to be more "enthusiastic" on the corners when we can.
It's safety on the road as well as performance, particularly as we get into winter months.
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I might have specced park assist, high beam asist and reversing camera because they were all cheap lol!
I think it was on one of VWs youtube videos that Park assist can get you out of spaces with 25cm of total clearance as well as parallel parking with only 40cm of total clearance - It's worth it for that alone, even if I know I could do it myself.
However as said, each to their own and if we were all the same, it'd be a boring world!
You need a gap 1.1m longer than the car for park assist to work. Quite easily achieved manually with the wheels placed even closer to the corners of the car than they've ever been before on a Golf. The park assist doesn't make the job that much easier when you've still got to rely on yourself to work the brakes for the car behind and watch for potential kerbing. When it can maneuvre itself in and make the process free of any human input (except selecting reverse) then that'll make it more useful for those who can't parallel park or make it an even more impressive novelty for those who can.
For me, it's an extra that doesn't enhance the driving experience. Some people may see the extra clarity of Dynaudio essential, some may want the marginal benefits the PP provides, others may want the ACC/DCC system to really soften the ride for when Nana is sat in the back and moaning about her hip etc, but for me park assist is a gimmick for those who can park neatly, could be useful for those who can’t, and lane assist is for those who like to have a rummage through their glovebox or apply their make-up when they should be giving the road ahead their full attention.
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I might have specced park assist, high beam asist and reversing camera because they were all cheap lol!
I think it was on one of VWs youtube videos that Park assist can get you out of spaces with 25cm of total clearance as well as parallel parking with only 40cm of total clearance - It's worth it for that alone, even if I know I could do it myself.
However as said, each to their own and if we were all the same, it'd be a boring world!
You need a gap 1.1m longer than the car for park assist to work. Quite easily achieved manually with the wheels placed even closer to the corners of the car than they've ever been before on a Golf. The park assist doesn't make the job that much easier when you've still got to rely on yourself to work the brakes for the car behind and watch for potential kerbing. When it can maneuvre itself in and make the process free of any human input (except selecting reverse) then that'll make it more useful for those who can't parallel park or make it an even more impressive novelty for those who can.
For me, it's an extra that doesn't enhance the driving experience. Some people may see the extra clarity of Dynaudio essential, some may want the marginal benefits the PP provides, others may want the ACC/DCC system to really soften the ride for when Nana is sat in the back and moaning about her hip etc, but for me park assist is a gimmick for those who can park neatly, could be useful for those who can’t, and lane assist is for those who like to have a rummage through their glovebox or apply their make-up when they should be giving the road ahead their full attention.
Actually we're both wrong, it's 40cm each end.
As with everything, some people will see any extra as a gimmick (Those who didn't want them/couldn't get them as it's a lease car etc/couldn't afford them on top of the base price) but as I said, if we all had the same opinions, life would be boring
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There is nothing wrong with it being a 'gimmick'! I agree that it is - but the point is its a fun and cheap one! I would not spec it at £300 plus - but at £150 I think its worthwhile for the odd time you get to show it off to amazed friends - and of course you get an extra button :wink:
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I've got it, and I do use it sometimes. I used it to park in an extremely tight space in London the other day on a dark night when it was chucking it down with rain, I really could not see much.
I don't use it very often and with the amount of sensors around the car beeping all the time there is less need of it than there has ever been.
I've also actually used it when I hurt my back and couldn't twist around to see what I was doing properly.
At £150 it seems like good value to me. I've never used it to reverse park or get me out of a tight space, will have to try that one soon.
For those worried about kerbing, it is not a problem. It seems to leave a good margin for error and I would say leaves about 10-15 cm between the car and the kerb. I normally bring it in a bit tighter after it has finished the parking.
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Oh the worries of being a new car owner :grin:
I have the original Park Assist on my Golf- it's called being small enough to fit into spaces where newer bigger cars can't :tongue:
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I might have specced park assist, high beam asist and reversing camera because they were all cheap lol!
I think it was on one of VWs youtube videos that Park assist can get you out of spaces with 25cm of total clearance as well as parallel parking with only 40cm of total clearance - It's worth it for that alone, even if I know I could do it myself.
However as said, each to their own and if we were all the same, it'd be a boring world!
You need a gap 1.1m longer than the car for park assist to work. Quite easily achieved manually with the wheels placed even closer to the corners of the car than they've ever been before on a Golf. The park assist doesn't make the job that much easier when you've still got to rely on yourself to work the brakes for the car behind and watch for potential kerbing. When it can maneuvre itself in and make the process free of any human input (except selecting reverse) then that'll make it more useful for those who can't parallel park or make it an even more impressive novelty for those who can.
For me, it's an extra that doesn't enhance the driving experience. Some people may see the extra clarity of Dynaudio essential, some may want the marginal benefits the PP provides, others may want the ACC/DCC system to really soften the ride for when Nana is sat in the back and moaning about her hip etc, but for me park assist is a gimmick for those who can park neatly, could be useful for those who can’t, and lane assist is for those who like to have a rummage through their glovebox or apply their make-up when they should be giving the road ahead their full attention.
Actually we're both wrong, it's 40cm each end.
As with everything, some people will see any extra as a gimmick (Those who didn't want them/couldn't get them as it's a lease car etc/couldn't afford them on top of the base price) but as I said, if we all had the same opinions, life would be boring
Thats the distance to get you in.
It only needs 25cms to get you out though.
It is mentioned at the end part of the VW technology video on Park Assist on UK website
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The extra Park Assist side sensors do seem to be working in normal Parkpilot mode as well, which I find handy in some more awkward parking manouvers.
I've only used Park Assist so far in parallel mode and it worked well (keep forgetting it's on the car :embarrassed:). Agreed as mentioned earlier that it seems to look at the cars in front and behind for reference rather than seeing your average kerb, so don't assume it'll stop the Mrs ripping your alloys to pieces :grin: :grin:
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WOW, quite a good debate egoing on here :shocked: . I was just curious what it's like as I have specced it and I have not heard any reviews on it at all. Obviously it's a kind of each to their own and some people will love it and some people will think what a waste of money, but in my case my Mrs wanted it as she thought it looked amazing, so for £150 even if I think it's a load of s***, nothing really lost.
I'm beginning to wish I had specced more options than just: discover nav, park assist & dynaudio, but hey ho, I'm not going to cancel now as I've been waiting since August!
Thanks for all your inputs on this.
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Went to the in-laws yesterday evening. The street was packed with cars with only one space that looked really tight. Thought I'd check with Park Assist, lo and behold - it reversed me in.
(http://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac310/asimali_x/Park%20Assist/photo1_zps61450b52.jpg) (http://s910.photobucket.com/user/asimali_x/media/Park%20Assist/photo1_zps61450b52.jpg.html)
Was surprised as I thought PA would need more clearance / a larger space!
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A prime example where park assist really does work.
I wouldn't even have attempted to park in that spot myself :)
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Went to the in-laws yesterday evening. The street was packed with cars with only one space that looked really tight. Thought I'd check with Park Assist, lo and behold - it reversed me in.
(http://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac310/asimali_x/Park%20Assist/photo1_zps61450b52.jpg) (http://s910.photobucket.com/user/asimali_x/media/Park%20Assist/photo1_zps61450b52.jpg.html)
Was surprised as I thought PA would need more clearance / a larger space!
Only problem is what about the car in front and behind you who don't have rear parking sensors, rear camera or anything to help them out the gap :P I can just see then rolling back into your shiny new GTI when trying to get some space at the front to swing out.
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Good points! but in this case:
- Behind the car to my rear was an entry/exit for a drive way
- The car in front was the last car parking space before double yellows and a turn
Both cars were still there when I left and PA eased me back out of the space :smug:
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I've the Park Assist option, keep forgetting to use it though. However, having seen the pictures of what it can do, I think I'll give it a try. Thanks for posting the pictures, very impressive.
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A word of caution, be careful when diagonal reverse parking using park pilot. Very nearly crunched into the car to my right today as the sensors didn't seem to pick it up for some reason.
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A word of caution, be careful when diagonal reverse parking using park pilot. Very nearly crunched into the car to my right today as the sensors didn't seem to pick it up for some reason.
AFAIK it only supports parallel parking and 90 degree end on parking and not diagonal parking.
What happened here was it detected the gap as a 90 degree end on bay and was trying to put you into it.