This article was first published in the September 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online
Self-parking systems all work in a similar way. Ultrasonic sensors on the side of the car measure the available space and, if it's large enough, alert the driver via a dashboard display to select reverse. The steering inputs are autonomous but the driver retains control of the throttle, brake and (on manual cars) the clutch. The driver must respond to a series of prompts to select forward or reverse until the car is happy it's finished the job. The technology is still relatively crude, but in the future, autonomous cars will be able to park themselves.
WIRED lived with each of the cars for a week, carrying out a series of parking manoeuvres in everyday conditions. When the systems allowed, we attempted parallel and perpendicular procedures. These included parking on Victorian streets in London and in supermarket car parks. We included real-world hazards, such as parking next to motorbikes. In each case, WIRED followed the manufacturer's instructions.
The C-Class shares much of its tech with the S-class luxury saloon. Several times, though, the Active Parking Assist sensors failed to read an appropriate space, whether parallel or perpendicular. In common with all the cars here, the C-Class was also inconsistent on kerb distance. 6/10 Standard on C-Class (except the SE model, £1,295 extra). Vehicles from £30,185 to £70,345
The Passat uses a simple graphic with a diminishing bar and an audible "beep" to tell you when to go forward or reverse. It's the most intuitive setup here - and will brake to stop you hitting anything. It's also the only system on test to feature a "drive away" function that guides you back out. It struggled with perpendicular parking, requiring a stream of manoeuvres and taking over 30 seconds to park in a supermarket. While attempting to parallel park in a narrow space, the VW gave up, leaving WIRED at an angle, far from the kerb. 7/10 £200 option on SE, SE Business, GT & R-Line. Vehicles from £23,460 to £37,170
The Focus coped well with parallel parking between two cars, but the sensors failed to identify a parked motorbike, and only emergency braking avoided a rather costly collision. It also struggled with perpendicular parking, striking a kerb in a supermarket car-park test. 5/10 Standard on Titanium X model; £375 on Zetec and Titanium. Vehicles from £18,595 to £26,985
The Toyota Auris is the only model here not to offer perpendicular parking - and it left WIRED unconvinced by its ability to parallel park. It steered into a kerb, narrowly avoiding damage to the alloy wheel and declared itself complete even when the front wheels were pointing out into the road. 4/10 Standard on Excel models. Vehicles from £21,685 to £23,995 toyota.co.uk
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
