Parking Assist (Automatic Parking)
Ever wished your car could just park itself? Parking Assist systems are turning that into reality. Broadly, parking assist comes in two forms: parking sensors and automatic steering for parking.
Parking Sensors: These are the classic ultrasonic sensors (usually little circular bumps on the bumpers) that beep as you get close to an obstacle. Most cars have rear parking sensors, and many have front ones too. They help you judge distance when parallel parking or maneuvering into a tight spot. As you back toward a wall or car, the beeps intensify and eventually become a solid tone when you’re very close. This way, you don’t rely purely on eyeballing distances – the sensors give you confidence to get close without tapping bumpers. A decent aftermarket kit with four sensors and an alert display can cost as little as $15–$20, making it a cheap upgrade that can save you from a costly scrape[33][34].
Automatic Parking (Park Assist): This is the more advanced feature where the car actually steers itself into a parking spot. In many modern vehicles, you can press a “Park Assist” button, and the car’s cameras and sensors will scan for a suitable parking space (parallel or perpendicular). Once it finds one, it will prompt you to stop, select reverse, and then it will handle the steering completely autonomously while you control the pedals (in some cars, it even controls acceleration/braking). It’s eerie but impressive to watch the steering wheel spin on its own as the car precisely backs into a tight parallel spot. Some systems can also pull out of the spot when you’re ready to leave.
For example, Ford’s Active Park Assist or BMW’s Parking Assistant can perform fully automated parallel parking maneuvers – the driver essentially just follows on-screen instructions and the car does the tricky steering. There are also cars (like certain Tesla, Nio models, etc.) that can even park themselves with you outside the vehicle (using a smartphone command), though those are high-end scenarios.
Parking assist features are fantastic for those who dread parallel parking in city streets or fitting into that last small spot. They reduce the chance of curb rash on your wheels or bumping into other cars. Even if you don’t use auto-steering, having sensors and backup cameras (often with 360° surround view on newer cars) makes parking much less stressful and safer (since you can spot a child or object behind you). The levels of automation vary – some cars will only do steering, while you brake; others might do it all. But in all cases, the driver should supervise the process and be ready to brake if something unexpected happens.