Ford?s Active Park Assist for Lincoln

[SVT666]

Ford?s Active Park Assist for Lincoln

Ford has announced that it will begin offering push-of-a-button parallel parking assistance on two Lincoln models later this year. The Ford system, which is similar to that offered by Lexus, uses ultrasonic parking assistance radar and electronic power steering to navigate a Lincoln MKS or MKT into a parking spot without any physical input from the driver.

The system will be available on mid-2009 MKS sedans and the 2010 MKT ? Lincoln?s upcoming crossover that will be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month.

According to Ford, drivers press an instrument panel button to active at a sensing system that will detect a ?feasible parallel parking space.? The system then prompts the driver, who must accept the spot. Then the steering wheel will move independently and navigate the vehicle into the parking spot. For safety, the system can be overridden.

Ford says it is planning to introduce the Active Park Assist system into other models equipped with electronic power steering. The automaker says it is working to develop a system that will trigger the power steering to prevent a vehicle from accidentally drifting into a different lane of traffic

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Ford's system looks like it's much faster and better then the Lexus system.
Hemi666

[2o6]

Can it do Perpendicular parking? Toyota's system can do both. However Ford's is much faster. Toyota's takes 30 - 45 seconds, versus 15 for this one. The Lincoln also looks like it can use tighter spaces, whereas the Toyota's has to have a rather wide gap to do it.

[CJ]

Just know how to park and you'll be fine.  Drivers ed needs to  be tougher.

[2o6]

Just know how to park and you'll be fine.  Drivers ed needs to  be tougher.

For older people (Lincon's prime clientele) I could see it as an advantage. But if those old people can't park a car, then they probably shouldn't be driving.

[the Teuton]

If you've never driven a big vehicle like the new X5 or the 7 Series, park distance control and backup cameras/radars make those cars bearable.  Otherwise, they'd be awfully difficult to parallel park.

[ChrisV]

I still agree with the "need to learn how to drive" comment. I just taught my stepson how to parallel park in the 7 series without PDC or cameras...

[the Teuton]

I still agree with the "need to learn how to drive" comment. I just taught my stepson how to parallel park in the 7 series without PDC or cameras...

The visibility is a little better in the E38 than the newer cars.

Still, I wouldn't call the E38 easy to park.

[ChrisV]

Well, yeah, if you come from a small car, that would probably be right. but again, that's where experience comes into play. After driving panel vans and cars with absolutely horrid visibility for a while, it all becomes second nature.

That's why I say people should drive as much and as many different vehicles as possible. A good driver can adapt tot he vehicle, and not require the vehicle to adapt to them.

[hotrodalex]

BOO!

If you can't park by yourself you shouldn't be driving.

[the Teuton]

BOO!

If you can't park by yourself you shouldn't be driving.

When you're parking within inches of the car behind you and your car is huge and has lousy visibility, these sorts of things do come in handy.

[NomisR]

That's why I say people should drive as much and as many different vehicles as possible. A good driver can adapt tot he vehicle, and not require the vehicle to adapt to them.

Yeah, agreed.. but doesn't mean you have to like every single vehicle though.

[hotrodalex]

When you're parking within inches of the car behind you and your car is huge and has lousy visibility, these sorts of things do come in handy.

Get a car that you CAN park then.

[the Teuton]

Get a car that you CAN park then.

But supposing you're a 5'0" soccer mom and you need a lux SUV, what are your options that don't require the sensors?

[Submariner]

If you've never driven a big vehicle like the new X5 or the 7 Series, park distance control and backup cameras/radars make those cars bearable.  Otherwise, they'd be awfully difficult to parallel park.

I've never had trouble parking numerous Large cars, including my own.  I have PDC, but generally I find it more annoying than anything.  People should just take a few hours out of their life to learn how to park a car.

[hotrodalex]

But supposing you're a 5'0" soccer mom and you need a lux SUV, what are your options that don't require the sensors?

Hire a chauffeur.

[ChrisV]

Yeah, agreed.. but doesn't mean you have to like every single vehicle though.

But if you drove and understood more, you WOULD like more.

That's the point.

I never said I like every car out there. But every car out there has potential, and I can still have fun in it.

What pisses me off is intentinally trying to remain inexperienced and hateful, and arguing that that is a valuable attitude to have and goal to achieve. Why IS the negativity and hate such a valuable thing to hold tightly to, and the learning of new things so angrily railed against?

[SVT666]

It's nice for all you people to say that if you can't park your land yaught, then you shouldn't be driving, but let's see you say the same thing when you're 75 years old.  You're going to have to pry my steering wheel from my cold dead hands.  When I'm 75 years old, I would love a system like this.

[ifcar]

When you're parking within inches of the car behind you and your car is huge and has lousy visibility, these sorts of things do come in handy.

The systems don't work for tight spots.

[hotrodalex]

It's nice for all you people to say that if you can't park your land yaught, then you shouldn't be driving, but let's see you say the same thing when you're 75 years old.  You're going to have to pry my steering wheel from my cold dead hands.  When I'm 75 years old, I would love a system like this.

Just because your 75 doesn't mean you can't drive something smaller. I'm sure a Honda Fit would be a fine car for that situation.

[ChrisV]

It's nice for all you people to say that if you can't park your land yaught, then you shouldn't be driving, but let's see you say the same thing when you're 75 years old.  You're going to have to pry my steering wheel from my cold dead hands.  When I'm 75 years old, I would love a system like this.

Fine for you, but I plan on driving like Paul Newman did when I'm 75...

[NomisR]

But supposing you're a 5'0" soccer mom and you need want a lux SUV, what are your options that don't require the sensors?

fixed.

[2o6]

fixed.

Yes, because a Honda Fit is all anyone needs. 

[NomisR]

But if you drove and understood more, you WOULD like more.

That's the point.

I never said I like every car out there. But every car out there has potential, and I can still have fun in it.

What pisses me off is intentinally trying to remain inexperienced and hateful, and arguing that that is a valuable attitude to have and goal to achieve. Why IS the negativity and hate such a valuable thing to hold tightly to, and the learning of new things so angrily railed against?

It seems like you liked every single car you ever drove.  Do you actually have a car that you do not like at all and would avoid driving if you had a choice? 

For me, I like driving all sorts of car, I even go out and play with the company trucks and forklifts just to see what it's like.  But certain cars I dislike has to do with the way they're designed and the type of clientele they cater to.  They attract certain types of drivers and they don't make them better drivers but instead make them even worse.  That annoys me.

[the Teuton]

The systems don't work for tight spots.

You've apparently never used the expensive ones.

[ChrisV]

It seems like you liked every single car you ever drove.  Do you actually have a car that you do not like at all and would avoid driving if you had a choice? 

Actually there have been a lot of individual examples I've not liked so much. But most of the time, it's been because that particular example has been poorly maintained, or poorly modified.

I don't need to hate a car or think one is crap to have another I like a bit better for whatever reason if the choice is there. That is, I can like most every car and still have favorites without having to hate a car to justify HAVING those favorites. And there are so many cars I've never owned that the choice is usually to get something different, rather than get another one of the same (the exceptions to that rule are when I'm building custom projects, and there are numerous different ways to go, I may have more than one example just to explore different versions and custom paths...)

For me, I like driving all sorts of car, I even go out and play with the company trucks and forklifts just to see what it's like.  But certain cars I dislike has to do with the way they're designed and the type of clientele they cater to.  They attract certain types of drivers and they don't make them better drivers but instead make them even worse.  That annoys me.

I always separate the cars from the owners. Every car (especially the more expensive car) has a certain group of owners that are dislikeable. If I used the owners as the measure of whether a car was worth liking, I'd never like ANY car, especially the decent ones. Now, given the choice I may not BUY a car with a negative owner image, but I may still like the car. For example I really like the 300C and think certain custom ones look excellent. But, I doubt I'd ever own one with the current negative owner image associated with them around here. But that negative owner image doesn't stop me from liking the car itself.

You've seen the list of cars I've actually owned. Most of them tend to be more unique than popular. Cars like the Fiat, or my Comet, or my Renault 4CV. And the ones that tend to be more common, I like to customize to make them more unique and less "off the rack." And since I'm into more genres of modified car, I rarely take the way they are designed in stock form as a limitation to liking them.

[SVT666]

Fine for you, but I plan on driving like Paul Newman did when I'm 75...

Oh I plan on it, but if I can't drive like Paul Newman or the mobility in my neck and back are diminished, this is a great system to have.

[SVT666]

Just because your 75 doesn't mean you can't drive something smaller. I'm sure a Honda Fit would be a fine car for that situation.

It's easy for someone to say when their not 75 years old.

[Laconian]

It seems to work a lot quicker than Toyota's and needs less buffer space. The Lexus system only worked on spots with a TON of room fore and aft - the kind of stuff I could do blindfolded. :P

[CJ]

Yes, because a Honda Fit is all anyone needs. 

Pretty much.

[2o6]

Pretty much.

Then why do you have a Swedish land yacht?