Self-parking Lexus no match for our auto critic

this is the best quote "Lexus executives themselves
admit that they don't expect customers
to use the system, but they're proud of
it nonetheless."

if this dosen't prove lexus is all marketing and no substance nothing does

edit - can't park your own car

This is why we see Lexus fails to capture the hearts of international customers. They can see right through the marketing! How else could a Toyota derived knockoff be perceived so highly in the US and have ZERO image abroad? Marketing.

How could a brand like Audi, a company who consistently DELIVERS in terms of luxury, driving dynamics, and quality yet doesn't market be perceived so highly internationally but devoid of a solid image in the US? Lack of marketing.

Americans = sheep who are easily manipulated via marketing. If they say it can compete with the boys, it can! 10 years from now, you'll hear these same Americans talk about Hyundai being as prestigious as MB.

Audiboy,

Instead of constantly blaming Americans for Audi's marketing shortcomings, why don't you start blaming Audi? If it were true that Lexuses were just "Toyota-derived knock-offs" then your arguments might would begin to hold a little water. The problem(s) is(are) that Lexuses are not just rebadged Toyotas, Audi does not care about North American customers, and that Lexus was not expected to be an instant success the world over, but they are still doing quite good for themselves.

audiman needs an enema to relieve some of that bitter back pressure

They are proving that they make a vehicle that is capable of doing what other car companies say can not be done. It is a great car!

except it can't actually do what you need it to do.
the system only works if the spot is 6 FEET bigger than the car.
people might need help with tight spots not giant parking spots.

No david wrong, other car companies could do it if they tried, but they reaalize that it is useless, if you can park your own car you should not be driving a car. Take the bus!

david i agree with you Lexus can market a useless system and sell cars

BMW, MB or audi could not do that

Let's not forget that the Toyota Prius was already parking itself in Japan in 2003...

Self parking is a good idea for those that have head injuries and are unable to turn their heads to know if they're about to ram the Lexus into the car in back.

Enjoy your day,

el34

This is the best comment, You have to have a head injury to buy a Lexus...now its all beginning to make sense...

If you are agreeing with EL34, then you definately have a head injury.

Of course it wont be considered magnificent until the next BMW 7-series can do it!

Lexus woke up and decided to play the game the Germans have been playing for years. And unlike the Euros who would swear up and down that their new self-parking system was "revolutionary" and "magical," they shamelessly admit what's what. The Germans would have use the development of their new technology to show their skills and that they have the best engineers. Lexus does as well. When this becomes available on a German car, do you think that brand is going to "admit" that it's useless.

To me, it's a waste-of-time feature, whether it is offered by Lexus or BMW. What's next? A car that drives automatically into your garage when you get home?

If you can't even accomplish a simple task such as parallel parking, just go surrender your driver's license and take public transit for the rest of your life.

So Lexus wakes up (on the wrong side of the bed) and 'invents' a system for a perceived need to park a car, and their own execs admit the system is flawed...the Germans go out, find a need and come up with technology that responds to that need, no they still don't understand the game...they should stick to the marketing hoopla, that they do better than anyone..

Guaranteed when the 7-Series gets it the tunes will change. No question about that.

Will, I've been agreeing with you lately.

This, however, is not one of those times.

"And unlike the Euros who would swear up and down that their new self-parking system was "revolutionary" and "magical," they shamelessly admit what's what."

Is it just me, or isn't Lexus marketing the eight-speed and self-park as "revolutionary" in every LS ad I see? Lexus would never put what they said in an advertisement; they still want the general public to believe this is a world-beating, super-useful feature. They don't have a high horse that they ride on above the German manufacturers. They're in it to make money.

I've seen no Lexus ad where they call any of those features "revolutionary" particularly. However I have seen new LS ads stating that the car is "Unprecedented" which is an accurate statement. No other cars in the class have an 8-Speed or self-parking.

" they still want the general public to believe this is a world-beating, super-useful feature. They don't have a high horse that they ride on above the German manufacturers."

Agree.

My guess is you will NEVER EVER see a self parking feature like this in a Benz, Audi, BMW, or anyone else for that matter. There just is no need for it...Lexus has shown the only value of it is in the marketing and once you are the first to introduce a gizmo for marketing purposes it loses its cache...who wants to be known for copying a failed Lexus technology that is less than perfect and fails to respond to any actual need?

bmw wouldn't put such a system on the 7 unless it actually worked.
but i still wouldn't want it personally...too gimmicky.

This technology was designed for people who couldn't parallel park. Sure, it doesn't do as good of a job as a professional might, but it wasn't designed to be the best. It does what it set out to do, doesn't it? Even the self-driving Mercedes S-Class has a few glitches in it. It's called technology.

but, actually, it doesn't do what it's suppossed to do. let me know when you find a 24 foot parking spot in manhattan.

lexus is about parking.
let's get back to the driving!

Truer words have never been spoken.

Now if Lexus comes out with a self washing car then I'lll be impressed.

Of course they should work on those breaks and I would not want to be driving down a mountain without good stopping power.

awesome ,,so true

Self parking is fun- believe me.

Fun..a gizmo...if you are going to spend research dollars on something, how about safety or performance or better yet, develop a design philosophy...why on a system nobody needs or really been crying for..oh i forgot, marketing marketing marketing....

oh huu, you always miss the point.
why would anyone need help getting into a 24 foot spot? sad.

so to make yourself feel better you mock the M3.

the regenerative braking system in the M3 has a very clear purpose. using that power to recharge the battery leaves every ounce of horsepower for the fun part: driving. something that is, unfortunately, lost on lexus fanatics like yourself. why can't you just be an adult and accept that different cars excel in different areas?

The reviews of the Lexus parking system are typically trivial at best. Simply find a big enough space for this big car, and it will park. The system does not defy virtual space as many critics seem to expect it to do.

not looking for the car to defy any laws of physics. but people sometimes need help getting into a tight spot. technology might be helpful in those cases. this technology, however, doesn't meet a need. therefore, it's a gimmick.

i've made an revolutionary discovery, Lexus made the self park system so that the driver that hates the Lexus so much, can get out faster and won't jump out of the car driving in its magical 8th gear.

Only the typical insecure German worshiper would make that comment.

ii have a German S6 and the backup and parking system is much more usefull then the 460 system

all show and no go

It doesn't use the camera, and it works fine in the rain- not sure where you heard otherwise.

The point of the self-parking is to prove that the technology works as advertised.
Why are people here so defensive about some feature on a car that others might find useful? If only other car makers could match the quality and reliability of Lexus, we would all benefit as consumers.

But people, isn't this the point of technology? As primarily German fans responding to this topic, I would have thought most of you would appreciate advancement in technology. How many times has the ABS warning light flashed on your dashboard? I see more use in a self-parking system than I do in ABS. And do you think the first S-Class ABS system was perfect?

I disagree that no other auto manufacturer will use self-parking. BMW has already used it on a 5er wagon prototype I saw in a video. The whole point of technology in the luxury car segment is to make the experience as laid-back and as effortless as possible. When one manufacturer introduces a new wave technology feature that could use some work, it is other manufacturers' job to find out what works and refine the system. Looking forward to BMW and Mercedes' self-parking systems. (The ones that actually guide the car, not just grid read-out ones, which Lexus already had.)

I don't smoke, but the cigarette lighter has gotten more use than my airbags, but that was not the ultimate point I was trying to make. By the way, the self-parking system allows you to "avoid objects" while parking.

Mercedes has this NightView Assist feature that is supposed to let you see objects further off into the distance at during night driving. Even though Cadillac already had this type of system, the Mercedes system, while improved, is still not as useful as it could be. I know of a Fifth Gear review of the S-Class and I'm sure many more to back that up. Let's also not forget the fiasco the S-Class's Distronic Plus had with that tunnel crash! ;) Those two systems from Mercedes were marketed as important safety features, moreso than the self-parking system. Neither one of those systems were as harshly criticized as the self-parking feature on the LS.

I've driven a car without ABS. My first car was one of the very first cars to come equipped with ABS. The system stopped working after a while, but did get fixed. ABS keeps your tires from spinning when you slam on the brakes in emergency stops. I'm a pretty slow driver, and can't even remember the last time I had to make an emergency stop. Same goes for traction control. ABS and TRAC lights flash in your car whenever they're in use. All I'm saying is that neither one has flashed in my car yet.

"Between the appaling brakes of the LS and your inabbility to park AND avoid children at the same time ..."

This statement is what's appalling. The brakes on the LS are not of dire concern. The LS brakes fine. And who said the system doesn't stop when an object gets in the way? Newsflash: it does.

You don't understand what ABS does, you say "ABS keeps your tires from SPINNING when you slam on the brakes in emergency stops" No thats not what ABS does. ABS prevents the wheels from LOCKING while braking. The purpose of this is to allow the driver to maintain steering control under heavy braking and, in most situations, to shorten braking distances.

The fact that you have not had the need YET, says nothing. The one time you wished you had them could very well be the one time they save your life. Now find me an instance when the same is true for...self parking...or some other amazing Lexus technology...I think the issue here is most people don't understand these seamless safety systems and feel they are useless as they can't see something happen like a neat self parking gizom...something very easy to understand..

will. did you know that BMW has a brake system called CBC ( Cornering Brake control )? I know that Lexus never would have thought about a system that is developed to aid in braking through a cornering. Then lexus would have to develope an actual sports car. Cornering Brake Control is actually a better safety feature than ABS by itself. I am going to explain this system to the lexus impaired people on here ...

Cornering stabilization employs wheel speed sensors, steering angel sensor ( measures the steering angle ), lateral angle sensor ( measure how hard the vehicle is turning ), yaw sensor ( measure cars rotation ), brake sensor ( measures the amount of pressure being applied ).... By monitoring the sensors the car has the ability to detect any of the deviation from the path of the car when cornering and gently apply brakes to the individual wheel to keep the car on the intended path. This allows the driver in an emergency situation when they swerve to avoid and obstacle at speed to maintain control without having to use the steering to over compensate. Try that on a lexus and see what happens ...

the last time i checked the ABS light comes on when there is a problem with the system...not when it actually comes on.

Too many buttons to push and too many measurements to make to park a car.

Besides, anyone spending 80k will most likly know how to park a car, but a car with warning sensors that can be bypassed is an excellent idea

this is a great technology for those who are disabled and/or handicap.

if you are too lazy to parrallel park, then get a chauffeur or take public transportaion.

Self parking is an amazing piece of technology that epitomizes the supremacy of Lexus in the Automotive world. In one fell blow to the Germans, Japanense engineers have constructed a superlative marvel of engineered steel that can not only park, maasage and make small talk withs its driver and passengers but can simultaneouly deliver a crisp sport ride all in the hushed silence of a newborn's sigh ..

Scortched with the above .. BMW and Mercedes promptly release they legions of mindless hordes ..all suspicously name GoGo something .. to swamp the blogsphere with FUD. After all, releasing future and half baked technology has been their particular temple of expertise... even if their electronics were manufactured by blind gremlins with arthiritis...

"the supremacy of Lexus in the Automotive world"

i can hardly control my laughter.

again, lexus makes very high quality, reliable cars. they're also very quiet and comfortable. they keep their 50 and 60-something buyers who couldn't care less about driving very happy. however, they're not fun to drive, the ride is often too soft, and the styling so pedestrian that you can hardly pick one out in traffic.

do mercedes and bmw make perfect cars? no. but so many of them are great looking, fun to drive and deliver wonderful performance. and, surprise, those are apparently desirable features the world over. furthermore, both brands are able to charge solid premiums over their infiniti and lexus competitors. i wonder why?

Gogo has been around here for ages. He was just banned four times. And as far as I recall he likes Peugeot or something (French cars).

You know, in the review of the LS460, the tester did note that the suspension offered a "crisper ride." Obviously you've never driven one, and maybe he hasn't either, so both of you are going off of what othershave said...

His second paragraph may have included great imagery and other insensitive remarks, but his underlying point about the Germans and their technology is the same one that I was trying to make earlier: the Germans have come up with a lot of other just as useless technological pieces without even half the criticism.

Then stop complaining about it! And everyone knows that Lexus is far more criticized than any other brand on this site, evidenced by things such as the "boosting" system, which I get the impression was specifically implicated to annoy me and make me feel bad... ;)

Oh is that what it is? I just always thought all of you were just extremely cocky and egotistical. That's another problem that this site is victim to often. German fans simply cannot ignore comments they do not like. Do you know how many ignorant comments I just ignore They're not worth responding to! Most German fans feel otherwise apparently.

Also, it's a shame that most cannot realize that half of the "Lexus maniacs" are pure mockeries of actual Lexus fans, just trying to annoy real ones. Guess that plan backfired, for the people they are annoying the most are...the German fans. lol!

again, you just don't get it.
read sailor's comment again huu.

why exactly is it pointless to provide maximum engine power to the driver?

Why is it pointless? It's a cheap way to save fuel and reduce Co2 emissions...you really are ignorant.

let's see how long it takes huu to log-in to his 7 accounts and de-boost me.

"when a consumer is turned on, the system uses the battery instead of loading the engine!"

lol!!! ;)

We're so used to the Germans coming out with the latest cool technology. I guess the world just can't handle when a Japanese brand joins the elite club. The LS is a nice car, not the "greatest," but a nice piece of machinery nonetheless.

a rational comment from someone. finally.

Why are so many people angry about Lexus developing something like the self park feature? If I had that car I would never use it but its just nice to have. Right now it might be too slow or impractical, but I'm sure it will become better in the future. "It's all just marketing" I don't think people are that dumb. They aren't going to rush out and buy that car just because it has that one feature! I've driven the LS460 and its a superb car, but I'd still rather have the A8L.

I have seen everyones posts on here and it appears that the self park is a waste or time and money. How many times in the real world is someone going to be able to find a spot that is 6ft longer than their car? I live in chicago and it would take me about a year if I had to rely on the fact of finding a space to park that was 6 ft longer than my car. The idea is cool but it is NOT Functional at all in today's society.

With my daily commute to and from work, I could make an argument that the cruise control feature on my car is useless.

You can't judge the merits of a feature just by looking at your own wants or needs.

lexusis350 - 3/23/2007 7:36:53 PM
Show Comment -3 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
This technology was designed for people who couldn't parallel park. Sure, it doesn't do as good of a job as a professional might, but it wasn't designed to be the best. It does what it set out to do, doesn't it? Even the self-driving Mercedes S-Class has a few glitches in it. It's called technology.
---
Are you saying people who buy Lexus can't drive? LOL...ouch

TruenoAE86, this one's for you.
http://auto-presse.tv/technik.php?action=view&newsid=12880
Think about the size of Japanese garages.