mikedr

It worked. A bit freaky! Requires a larger space than I think is necessary. Pretty quick, tho.

cpsseals

Tried once but it wouldn't cooperate. I'm probably doing it wrong.

mikedr

I'm going to read up on the manual now that I've tested it out once. It was slicker than I had expected, although for very tight spots, it doesn't work well.

shotgun_banjo

So you think is it useful at all for folks who knows how to park properly or just a plain gimmick?

mikedr

At the end of the day, if you know how to parallel park, it's a gimmick. It doesn't work on one-way streets where you can also park on the driver's side. And requires more space than the adept parallel parker does.

Interestingly enough, it took me a while to get the hang of parallel parking the GLK, after coming out of an SRX, which is a longer, wider car with a terrible turning radius. My problem with the GLK is that I wasn't expecting its turning radius being so good, and as a result, was pulling in too much before I started turning the wheel in the other direction.

Other features on the GLK, though -- adaptive cruise and 360 camera -- are completely not gimmicks. I do find adaptive cruise to be gimmicky in stop and go traffic. I find it useful when driving on crowded but fairly normal speed highway traffic -- I set it at my desired speed, and then it'll slow and speed back up with the ebbs and flows of the traffic.

And the 360 degree camera is a necessity for our parking situation at home -- we have no driveway, and the guardrail opposite the garage is a short single car width away (effectively turning our two car garage into a single car garage, unless you own two Smart cars or something). The camera lets me use to the full extent possible the "half space" to either side of where the car goes.

shotgun_banjo

The 360 was one of things I wish the GLK had when I bought the car. I almost fell for a Infiniti EX just for that feature and as far as remember even the X3 did not have that feature on that year. How many cameras does the car has now? 6?

mikedr

Are there more than four? Definitely one under each side mirror, and at least one in the front, and one in the back.

The funny thing is, I knew we wanted a backup camera, and didn't think much else about the 360 view. My wife in particular will not entertain any vehicle in the future that doesn't have this option. Our required options list keeps getting longer: 360 cam; adaptive cruise; ventilated front seats; heated steering wheel; push-button start (I say the latter just because I'm still shocked how MB doesn't consider offering this on all vehicles, such as the CLA/GLA).

I *love* the fact that the S class has heated arm pads in the center and on either door. Hope that trickles down at some point.

shotgun_banjo

I know. Once you have it it is hard not to have it next time. I prefer a heated seat on the rear but only on MB-text not leather. I don't see the point of the heated arm rest on the glk, steering wheel yes.

Then if they can get rid of the centre hump in the middle of the car so that it will be as flat as possible it will be perfect like a CRV or RAV4.

NYCGLK

There are so many other features I wish GLK had than a self parking BS.

AvWuff

It actually does work on one-way streets, you have to simply turn on your left turn signal, this lets the car know that you are looking for a spot on the LEFT side, and the "P" icon with the arrow will appear on the left as you pass a large enough spot.

I use the feature all the time -- it's not that I can't parallel park, it's just that it's fun and easy to use, and generally gets it right the first time.

mikedr

Oh, very good!! I will have to try this.

koalatm

I'm still not even sure how to use this. They never demonstrated it. One of these days I'll read the manual but I don't find it terribly hard to just parallel park on my own. The 360 degree camera makes it incredibly easy!

AvWuff

It's simple:

Drive past a row of parked cars at no more than 30km/h. If it is a one-way street and the cars are on your left, do this while leaving your left turn signal on. Keep an eye on the blue "P" symbol that appears at the very bottom of the speedometer display. If there is no blue P, you are driving too quickly.

Once you pass a spot that the car can fit into, a small white arrow will appear on the right (or left, if one way) side of the P. Stop the car. If the white arrow has disappeared, you've gone too far and need more practice.

Put the car in reverse. Wait one second. "START PARK ASSIST?" will appear on the screen. Press "OK" on the steering wheel to engage. Now, take your hands off the steering wheel and gently let up on the brake. The car will back up and will automatically turn into the parking space.

Depending on the size of the space, it may require some back-and-forth. In a tight space, as you approach the front bumper of the car behind you, get as close as you can, until the Parktronic emits a loud constant BEEP. Now stop entirely. The screen says "Select D". Use the transmission stalk to select Drive. The wheel will turn all the way to one side, start creeping forward slowly. Stop when you are close to the rear bumper of the car in front.

You may need to do this several times to fit in the spot, but for easy spots, once you are in, it will just say "Park Assist Disabled" meaning it's done. Turn off the car and walk away.

Park Assist can also help you get back OUT of the spot. Start the car, turn on the turn signal, put the car in Drive (or reverse), and wait for "Start Park Assist?" to appear. When it does, press OK, and then the car will steer itself back out of the parking space. This is a bit finicky and sometimes doesn't work, I haven't yet figured out exactly when it will and won't prompt you to use Park Assist to exit the spot.

Enjoy!

balticgreen

Right, I actually use cruise control now. I never used it before because it was such a pain in the rear to constantly be engaging and disengaging it due to slowpokes and people hanging out in the left lane so you can't pass.

We have A LOT of stop and go traffic here in the D.C./Baltimore area and I don't find it gimmicky at all in stop and go. It's really quite nice to let the car do its own thing as we inch forward.

Mine has five and I have every option except running boards and trailer hitch (neither of which would add cameras). Four for the 360 camera: one under each wing mirror, one on the tailgate, and one right under the star on the front grille. The fifth is between the windshield and the rearview mirror. It's used for the lane departure and I think possibly also for the automatic high beams to detect headlights and taillights of other cars.

It is easy and much faster than doing it manually, at least for me. I am sure that's appreciated by people behind me when they're waiting for me to park so they can pass. I know I get irritated when someone in front of me is parallel parking and takes forever, especially if they mess up and have to either fix it or start over.

In order to be prompted OUT of the space, you need to have used Park Assist to get IN to the space. Let's say that there was a huge section of curb open, so you just pulled right up to the curb and parked without actually "parallel parking" per se. Now you come out of wherever you went and find that other cars are sandwiching you in, unfortunately the car won't help you get out of the space.

AvWuff

Yeah I know that, but even when I used it to get in, I can't figure out what I need to do to make it reliably prompt me to help get out. Do you turn on the car, put it in gear, and then wait? Turn on the turn signal? Put it in reverse? I'm just not sure.

balticgreen

Oh, you need to signal out of the space. I forget if it prompts before or after putting the car in gear, but you definitely need the turn signal on.

ashwats

How useful is the parking sensors? (Camera probably useful only daytime?) Didn't realize its bundled with the partronics so skipped it. Now I am concerned I will be missing an important feature.

koalatm

The parking sensors are very useful. Our garage is pretty tight so it really helps to get the vehicle in the right spot.

The cameras work great at night. I'd say better than they do during the day.

mikedr

The camera works at night, too -- your backup lights when you engage reverse provide illumination.

Parking sensors are also very useful in tight quarters. We use the front ones to pull up as far as we can go into our garage to maximize walk around space around back -- basically, just drive in until all the lights turn on. The back ones (as well as the front ones) also display on the camera, in addition to having separate lights.

super7pilot

It's a gimmick, As parallel parking is in fact a BASIC car handling skill that should be required by the drivers licensing depart. And if one can't manage to perform a basic skill then they shouldn't be driving.

balticgreen

It is a required skill to get a license here. That said, there are millions of licensed drivers who have trouble driving forward in a straight line and you want them to be competent enough to back up and turn at the same time? That's quite ambitious.

super7pilot

Well it would be nice and the roads much safer.