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Original poster

Parking sensors....do you trust them?

24 replies

CroissantNeuf · 29/02/2012 08:32

Didn't realise there was a 'Cars' section 'til now so thought I'd post in it....

We've recently bought a new car (secondhand new IYSWIM) and it has parking sensors which I've never had before.

Are they accurate? Can you completely trust them?

OP posts:

webwiz · 29/02/2012 08:33

Mine are wildly cautious and so beep like mad even when you are nowhere near anything else - very annoying!

HSMM · 29/02/2012 08:37

Mine are OK until there is a random post which sneaks in between the sensors and they don't see it, or a horizontal fence which is a bit too high, or a bit too low. Otherwise, they are fab. (Can't beat your eyes and common sense though)

BeckyBrandonNeeBloomwood · 29/02/2012 08:38

I trust mine way more than my own sense if distance! I guess like anything they can vary but I am shit at parking and so I couldn't live without mine! ( I have a citroen c4 by the way!)

NoWayNoHow · 29/02/2012 08:38

Mine are very accurate, and if anything, imply you're actually closer to something than you are. So don't worry about hitting something as if anything, it's more cautious.

BeckyBrandonNeeBloomwood · 29/02/2012 08:39

Meant to add... Mine do seem to be incredibly accurate which is why I rely on them so much!

Original poster

CroissantNeuf · 29/02/2012 08:42

I never thought about the possibility of horizontal fencing etc being out of its field of vision -good point.

However at the moment I still see it as an annoying beeping as I still park with my eyes/judgement and find it difficult to trust it (which is probably a good thing).

OP posts:

rubyrubyruby · 29/02/2012 08:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CharminglyOdd · 29/02/2012 08:58

I've never driven with them but I knew someone who had one. We had to park at a venue for a meeting and he relied on his sensors only and hit a post (it was low down). He did this twice more over the course of two years and - as he was an entitled twit (which I very much doubt you are OP! ) - insisted the post was moved, to the amusement of everyone else. I've also been a passenger in his car and he definitely doesn't use his mirrors although is old enough that he would not have had them for years after he learnt to drive.

I guess what I'm trying to say is it may make you over-reliant on technology and you could lose your parking skills? Probably good you find it difficult to trust.

CharminglyOdd · 29/02/2012 09:00

Should add - we all managed not to hit the post. It was painted white for a reason

Original poster

CroissantNeuf · 29/02/2012 17:41

lol at insisting the post was moved!

Imagine going through life getting everything that got in your way/annoyed you moved or eradicated

OP posts:

FaithHopeAndKevin · 29/02/2012 17:43

I do trust them.
But I have also reversed into our porch. in their defense, I was probably going too fast. It kind of went silence-bang-BEEP.

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 29/02/2012 17:53

They are a nightmare.

The ones at the back go mad when I am 3 feet from whatevers behind me. Fair enough that gives me room to open the boot but it means the front of the car is still stuck in the middle of the car park when I am reverse parking

I got so used to ignoring them I nearly hit a car in Tesco's

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 14/03/2012 00:56

I had sensors on my ols Almera (I always reverse into my drive)
I noticed they had 'died' when I was reversing into a very tight space between a garage (solid) another car (solid) with a wooden fence at the back.
They didn't beep, luckily I noticed and didn't hit anything.
I didn't bother having it fixed and my new car doesn't have them.

(My micra RPS drove me mad they were soooo hypersensitive)

MollieO · 29/03/2012 19:12

I test drove a BMW X1 and they have them front and back. They were very accurate indeed and I found it fab for parking. Better than my mum's Vw polo that beeps when you're about a mile from a hazard.

supernannyisace · 30/03/2012 19:05

Yes. I have, however, come to rely on them. We rented a car on hols earlier this year which didn't have them - and I really had to think and pay attention when parking.

Mine just has rear sensors, but DH has front and rear. It can be a bit annoying when trying to get out of the drive and there is beeping all around!

Beanbagz · 30/03/2012 19:12

Mine (XC60) are on the cautious side but i've worked out that i can get to almost a complete tone before i'm down to a few inches away.

DH has a camera on the back of his but it's such a wide angle lense that it makes things look miles away. Takes a bit of getting used to (the camera on the Prius i had before was much better).

GoblersKnob · 30/03/2012 19:19

No, not after the one on the brand new BMW (courtesy, while our car was being repaired) allowed me to drive into a wall (which I couldn't see due to the shit visability out of the rear window). Was not impressed.

MollieO · 30/03/2012 20:41

Goblers which model? I test drove the X1 and it had this traffic light system that was fab plus the wing mirrors automatically moved as you were parking. I was so impressed that it's gone to the top of my list for new car choice.

GoblersKnob · 30/03/2012 20:49

It did those things too, but you are talking to a girl who distinguishes cars by colour Did love the heated seats though (we had it over Christmas).

Dp says it was a 5 series, sport edition, M thing? (We are so car savvy) He added it was the 'bollocks'

It was the poshest thing I have ever driven, totally wasted on us, we drive a very old, quite knackered Golf estate

GoblersKnob · 30/03/2012 20:50

Oh by traffic light system did you mean it turns itself off at lights? Is very cool, had a keyless start too.

MollieO · 30/03/2012 21:28

No. When you put the car in reverse a outline picture of the car comes up on the satnav. As you manoeuvre either end of the car goes from green, to amber to red as you get close to objects. As you manoeuvre the wing mirrors automatically move to give you the best view. It is really fab and I'm completely taken by it!

southeastastra · 30/03/2012 21:30

when i tried a car out with that feature i thought it was the bees knees and it would definitely be a feature i would look for when buying a new car

however, you do just get used to where you car will fit wherever you go in the end

southeastastra · 30/03/2012 21:30

when i tried a car out with that feature i thought it was the bees knees and it would definitely be a feature i would look for when buying a new car

however, you do just get used to where you car will fit wherever you go in the end

MollieO · 30/03/2012 21:48

I loved the fact that the sensors were on the front and back. I also loved that I could turn it round and park it in a small area when it was the first time I had driven a car that size. It left me feeling very confident about driving a car that is significantly bigger than my current car.

I agree that you get used to the car after a while but I can't park my current car as well as my previous car (which was smaller) despite having had it 10 years (and my previous one I had 9 years).

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