Are parking sensors in cars helpful?

Yes. Very helpful. Especially for my wife who can now parallel park.

Regards

Mark

They can be useful if you park. Luckily my driver does that sort of thing.

Very useful. If you've got the option (or it comes as standard), a self dipping passenger mirror when reversing is also very handy.

With my old Volco 240 I find that I keep reversing until I feel the contact! Then I innocently pull forward a couple of foot as if nothing had happened. Works every time!

Fredrik

Further to th above I must caution against this to the extent that once I gently knocked about four iron posts out of the ground in a council car park having not felt the impact; they were joined by a galvanised rail! I parked a good quarter of a mile away that time. Oh, and there was a Deux Cheveux once that did not entirely withstand the rubber cased solid steel of the the old car, and I had to explain myself to the owner of of it, 'senza' front bumper. She saw the funny side, however...

Fredrik

Used to scoff at these, and I'm still not sure I'd buy them on a weeny hatchback but I have to say I'm impressed with them on my new car. They work well, picking up a bollard close to the rear corner, even a bucket left on the driveway.

Modern cars tend to have a bulging rear bumper for crash protection etc, and since almost all of them are painted rather then black plastic I reckon it is worth the pennies to avoid those little parking nudges!

Bruce

I ridiculed my wife who asked for them on our Saab convertible. Discovered I couldn't park without them with the hood up due to no rear viz. Wouldn't be without them now.

Very useful. Cars seem to be getting harder to see out the back of. And if you need to jump into a space briskly, esp if it's pissing rain, they take the guesswork out of it. Front sensors have their uses too, but it's the rear ones that can often make life that bit easier. Just don't use them as a substitute for observation (assuming you can see a damn thing!).

Cheers

Harry

I missed that option off my new car but I can add them on before the "final build" spec.

I see it that on most cars it's £300 (average cost?) well spent on the basis that the minute you hit something it's most likely going to cost more to either make a claim or pay for the damage yourself (moulded colour coded bumpers etc).

I would be interested in hearing how these systems cope with bollards/posts and very high kerbs etc rather than when you're reversing towards a consistent shape like a wall?

Paul

I find my beep very usefull at the rear - only issue is the two sensors at the off and near side all pick up cars to right and left and can be off putting if parking in small space

Mine came as standard with the car - but would certainly add as option next time around

I'm having the back bumper replaced at a cost of over a Grand after someone hit me up the arse. I'm covered and he's admited fault but the cost of sensors would be small compared to having to go into your own pocket for a reversing accident.

Objects to the rear (even clumps of long grass) can confuse them, mine even pick up the ground as I reverse up my drive, but for street parking they're pretty accurate and like most things I used to dismiss (like rain sensors), I wouldn't spec a car without them now. They seem to be increasingly a standard fit item - mine were.

Cheers

Harry

Thanks for the response. Seems very much in favour so I will go for it.

Max

I should point out that not only are they a great aid for parking, but also a great safety feature - I have to admit that on one occasion, whilst reversing, they warned me of a pedestrian who had "appeared out of nowhere".

The warning bleep probably saved me (and them)

I am aware that some large fleet buyers make them mandatory in that they reduce the incidence of damage experienced to fleet vehicles. (Must be quite a high frequency for this to be a fleet necessity)

Regards P

I thought mine was great till it went wrong and bleeped permanently whenever i was in reverse gear.When one is as hopeless as I am at parking backwards having that noise to contend with the whole time did not help

quote:

Originally posted by blythe:
The warning bleep probably saved me (and them)

Good point. I'm forever backing over people!

Paging Bruce,

Did you go for the A4 2.0T?

I went off the idea of buying the demo model, and went for a new one for the same price by dropping the spec. a bit and getting a reasonable discount. Pick it up on the 24th.

If you bought new, what did you think of the GAP and Autoglym options?

Steve

The sensors are a great assistance when parking - mine are sensitive to bollards, high kerbs etc. Perhaps they are a bit too sensitive but rather that than the opposite!

The only thing better I have seen was in a very large Toyota 4x4 which had a camera on the back of the vehicle and a video display built into the dashboard.

One note of caution - sometimes when parking I roll back in neutral rather than selecting reverse. Fine as long as you don't hit anything 'cause the rear sensors only work in reverse gear. I haven't hit anything yet, but I'm sure the day will come!

Peter

quote:

Oh, and there was a Deux Cheveux once

I guess "Two Hairs" is the kind of distance you intended to be away from the other car instead of actually hitting it.

The French did make an upside down corrugated pram called the "Deux Chevaux" many years back. Apparently this pram had the power of two horses, hence the name. Having driven one I'd have said only one horse though.

quote:

Paging Bruce,

Did you go for the A4 2.0T?

I went off the idea of buying the demo model, and went for a new one for the same price by dropping the spec. a bit and getting a reasonable discount. Pick it up on the 24th.

If you bought new, what did you think of the GAP and Autoglym options?

Steve-just spotted this.

I bought an A4 2.0T Avant S line (phew), and very lovely it is too. Loosening up nicely now after 2000 miles. Much more comfortable than my A3 and I've no regrets choosing the petrol engine.

I thought the GAP option looked poor, although I was hugely put off by the cocky teenager doing the hard sell-such a contrast to the sales staff when choosing the car.

My car was in stock, and I might have gone for the sealant etc but wanted to collect the car a few days later for a forthcoming holiday-meant no time for them to get it applied.

I hope you enjoy your new car.

Bruce

PS First car I've owned where Super Unleaded/Optimax etc has made a really obvious difference.

Bruce
re your PS. I have a Golf GTI and Optimax definitely much prefered (or Tesco's 99RON version). My previous company car (Saab9-3 Aero convertible) also prefered it.

Makes no discernable difference in my K series Caterham though. I guess it depends how the ECU adapts.

Thanks for coming back Bruce. Good to hear that you're pleased with it.

I can't fault any of the sales staff that I've spoken too so far, and that includes other dealerships that I rang to compare prices. Just hope the service side is as good.

I've gone for the Autoglym, still thinking about the GAP.

Apologies to Max for going off topic.

Regards,

Steve