MB active parking assist

Ro-76

I'm thinking of buying a used E class with active parking assist. I've been in the car and was given a demo, which was v impressive, but wonder if anyone has any real life experience of it.

Is it really as good as it seems? Can it squeeze into v tight spaces? Is it as good as a good driver would be?

Can it parallel park when there's not a car in front and behind? By that I mean, can it be used just to get in nice and neatly beside the kerb if there's lots of room?

Thanks

R.O.R

Ro-76 wrote: »

I'm thinking of buying a used E class with active parking assist. I've been in the car and was given a demo, which was v impressive, but wonder if anyone has any real life experience of it.

Is it really as good as it seems? Can it squeeze into v tight spaces? Is it as good as a good driver would be?

Can it parallel park when there's not a car in front and behind? By that I mean, can it be used just to get in nice and neatly beside the kerb if there's lots of room?

Thanks

I haven't tried the MB system, but I have tried the same system in Skoda/Audi/Ford & Nissan's.

In my opinion, and the opinion of customers who've had it on cars they've had, it's a gimmick. Skoda had it on the Superb Elegance since 2010 and any drivers who've had those and dropped them back haven't used it to any degree. Might show it off to the guys down the golf club, but never used in any practical application.

Last one I tried it with was a new X-Trail. Took ages to figure out how to activate it (sure you'd get more familiar with it if it was your own car rather than a demo), then it took about 5 times as long to perform the manoeuvre as I could have done it without the system, left the car at a bit of an angle, and much further away from the Kerb (still an acceptable distance though) than I would have done.

I doubt it would get much use by anyone on a day to day basis, and I certainly wouldn't pay any more for a car with the system fitted.

crosstownk

I haven't used the Mercedes park assist but I have used the PSA system. It does work well and parks the car accurately but in my opinion, it's a bit on the gimmick side. Firstly you have to stop before the parking space, switch the park assist on, select the type of parking you require (parrallel or perpendicular), switch on the indicator to select which side you intend to park then drive past the parking space while the systems determines if parking is possible. Then the vehicle parks.

In my opinion it's to much hassle and the vehicle does drive past the parking space quite a bit which can usually mean that traffic behind you will block the space. I don't bother with it.

That said, some people are quite poor at parking (by their own admission) and are more than happy to use the system as they see it as very useful feature.

Basically, if you're confident and well able to park then chances are you won't use it much.

As for tight spaces, the system has a minimum size into which it will park allowing reasonable room for doors to open (perpendicular parking). If you parallel park with a wall or hedge on the driver side, it will leave you with very little room to open the door!

whippet

I use it all the time in my Superb. Actually to the degree that i'd say i'd make a show of myself trying to parallel park in another car!