Park Assist?

[2014GTi]

I agree, options are there to be added if the buyer desires it each to their own.

[Mr Savage]

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.

[Mark V GTD]

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!

[Gnasher]

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!

[mcmaddy]

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 

[monsta]

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 

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.

[monkeyhanger]

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.

[Gnasher]

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

[Mark V GTD]

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   

[pauliem]

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.