5 Compact SUVs With Park Assist (Self-Parking Feature)

Many consumer-oriented cars now feature self-driving features. The biggest benefit of using a self-driving car is the reduced risk of accidents because sensors often act as the eye and ears of the driver.

Of course, technology hasn’t achieved complete autonomous driving yet but park assist may just be the next best thing.

For more on autonomous driving, also check out some affordable electric cars with autopilot.

Sub-compact SUVs With Park Assist

Below are some sub-compact SUVs with self-parking capabilities.

1. 2022 Corolla Cross

Toyota continues to improve its manufacturing game. As a result, most of their recent cars come standard with a host of safety assist and driver assistance features, inclusive of the park assist system.

The park assist feature in the Corolla Cross is called TIPA (Toyota Intelligent Park Assist).

Toyota’s parking sensors use ultrasonic wave technology to calculate the distance between other cars and obstacles. They reduce the headache of constantly moving in and out of tight spaces.

These sensors provide almost accurate measurements of the parking space and send this information to the Multi-Information Display (MID). Lastly, it helps to steer the vehicle into the desired space.

The only input needed by the driver involves controlling the brake and accelerator pedals. The Corolla Cross is so loaded, it’s also among compact SUVs with lane assist.

How Do You Use The Intelligence Park Assist?

The park assist system is activated at the touch of its button. All you need to do is to follow the instructions displayed on the screen and apply the brakes when due.

However, for this system to operate, you need to be in ‘Ready’ mode driving at a speed below 19 mph.

Parallel Parking With Toyota

To achieve parallel parking with ‘Intelligent Park Assist’ follow these simple but effective steps.

• Pull up beside the vehicle behind your prospective parking spot
• Then press the button at the left of the steering column
• Once that’s done, the Multi-information Display will update you on the process

Pulling up close to the parking space allows the system to confirm if the spot is a good fit. Once the car finds the right spot, it gives a confirmation sound.

2. Mini Cooper

The Cooper is another brilliant car that features a lot of technological and safety aids. One of which is the optimal ‘Parking Assist’ function.

The vehicle uses ultra-sonic sensors built at the front and rear to detect and send warnings to the driver if it’s getting too close to another car or object.

How Do You Activate The Park Assist on the Mini Cooper?

• This feature automatically steers your Mini through tricky and parallel parking spaces
• All you need to do is to activate the system by engaging the reverse gear or using the park assist key manually
• It will display the search for the parking space and other important information on the control screen
• Once the parking sequence starts at the press of the button, the car will automatically measure the parking line and guide itself into it

However, just like Toyota’s Intelligent-Park-Assist process, the driver equally has to be in charge of the accelerator and brake pedals.

For a better safety position, the Cooper features a functional camera built in at the windscreen which stands at the same level as the rearview mirror. This stance helps the vehicle avoid collisions or pedestrian accidents.

3. Buick Encore

The Encore GX is another remarkable car produced by General Motors (GM). Buick is a renowned and reliable brand that has made its mark in the industry.

Added to the Encore GX’s functionality are inbuilt technology and driving aids for an easy and comfortable driving experience.

The active park assist feature in this Buick uses 4 front and rear sensors to steer itself into a good parallel parking space without the risk of collision.

These four sensors are majorly collision avoidance sensors and their maximum ranges are 4′ (front) and 8′ (rear). Hence, Buick applies extra safety measures to ensure any impact is avoided.

How Do You Operate The Park Assist in the Buick Encore?

• To activate this system, press the park assist button at the gearshift knob.
• Use the touch screen to select what kind of parking you want.
• It supports left-side parallel parking, right-side parallel parking, and perpendicular parking.
• It will then display information on the screen telling you when to shift gears, move forward, or stop the car.

The rear sensors meet the need to find the perfect parking spot while the reverse gear assists sensors as it delivers warnings to notify you of obstacles behind.

If your vehicle has Avoidance Collision Warning, it equally helps avoid crashes if predicted.

Parallel Parking in the Buick Encore

There’s a host of buttons between the dashboard and the gear selector. One way to identify the park assist button is that it’s marked with a ‘P’ sign, sound waves, and two squares.

However, it may not be so in all models, still, there should be some similarities even though yours looks different.

The parallel parking will not activate until your Buick slows down to 7 mph or lower. Pull up in front of the parking space and shift the car into reverse. The car automatically takes control and steers.

Note: A red light on the on/off switch shows if the park assist is activated. Finally, the responsibility falls on the driver to brake when necessary.

If you’re intrigued about EVs instead and are on a budget, explore some electric cars with park assist. You don’t always need to spend too much to have modern features.

Compact SUVs With Park Assist

Indeed, self-parking features are better appreciated in compact SUVs. That’s because it gets a little more difficult to park with larger vehicles.

These are some compact SUVs that are equipped with Park Assist systems.

4. Ford Escape

The Ford Escape is one of the best compact SUVs produced in 2022. It’s a fine make of performance, technology, and luxury. One of the best technological aid embedded in this Ford is its active park assist 2.0.

This feature reduces the stress and difficulty of parking by taking control of the steering, braking, and even acceleration.

Also, parallel parking and reverse perpendicular parking are available with its active park assist system.

Parallel parking

The steps below are helpful in using the parallel parking feature.

• The park assist button is next to the vehicle’s shifter knob, labeled with a ‘P’
• To activate this feature, start by pressing the button
• Then use your turn signal to specify what side you would like the vehicle to find the perfect parking (left or right)
• When your Ford Escape finds this space, the system will chime and deliver a “Spot Found” message on the screen
• The vehicle then begins to steer itself into place

Reverse perpendicular parking 

• To activate the reverse parking, press the park assist button TWICE
• Use the turn signal to show which side you would like the vehicle to scan
• When the spot is found, the system takes over and steers the vehicle into the spot

Note: Ford’s active park assist only operates at a speed of 22 mph or below. You can also cancel the process by grabbing the steering wheel or pressing the park button again.

5. Hyundai Tucson

The Hyundai Tucson is an affordable car with parking assistance. It uses ‘Remote Smart Parking Assist’ to navigate in and out of parking lots. This parking process is distinct from all the others we’ve discussed.

It uses the smart key button to control the vehicle.

How Do You Use The Tucson’s Remote Smart Parking Assist?

• Pull your vehicle in front of the desired space
• Place it in the ‘Park’
• Click on the Remote Smart Park assist button on the center console
• Your Tucson will display instructions on using your smart key on the screen
• Exit your vehicle and stand within 13 feet of the vehicle
• Hold down the key till the process is complete
• The vehicle can travel up to 23 feet while holding down the button

To cancel the remote parking, simply release the forward or backward button. Then press the remote start button.

The system can also identify objects in its way and steer away from such obstacles.

Final Thoughts

When we mention self-driving features, most people immediately think of a car pulling itself on a road trip. However, little features such as park assist are also self-driving features.

An exact opposite of the park assist feature can also be found in modern Teslas. The smart summon feature enables a Tesla to drive itself to its owner’s location on command. Find out if Teslas can park themselves.

While these features aren’t perfect yet, they’re quite impressive and should be applauded.

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