Best cars with front parking sensors
Once the preserve of high-end cars, front parking sensors now come on cars of all shapes and sizes. Check out our picks
Of the many pieces of car technology that have become commonplace in relatively recent times, the one we perhaps take for granted the most is the humble parking sensor. Even the most experienced of drivers can find it tricky to park a car in a tight spot from time to time, and having parking sensors at your disposal helps take the edge off any difficult or stressful manoeuvres.
Another reason why parking sensors have become so much more commonplace nowadays is that they’re incredibly useful to have, even on more compact cars. While cars have as a rule of thumb gradually increased in size over the decades, car park bays haven’t, so even family cars can find it a bit of a squeeze to slot into tighter spots.
Nowadays, most new cars are available out of the box with rear parking sensors, and a large chunk of those can also be equipped with front parking sensors either as standard or as optional extras. When fitted, these front parking sensors give you an audible warning when there’s an obstruction ahead of you. On some cars, there may even be a screen on the instrument display or centre console that will alert you to which direction the obstacle ahead of you is.
In addition, front parking sensors can work in tandem with other handy parking aid tech. For example, there may be cameras in the bumper or front grille that can show you potential obstructions the sensors may not be able to pick up. These sensors can also be complemented on some cars with partially autonomous parking aids, which depending on the make and model can control functions on the car such as its steering when you’re parallel parking or reversing into a bay spot.
You can check out examples of great cars with front parking sensors, ranging from superminis and small SUVs to larger family cars, high-end saloons and even a two-seater sports car.
1. Ford Fiesta
Our pick Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium (with Parking Pack)
Used deals from £6,450
Monthly finance from £143.42*
If you’re after a car that’s easy to squeeze into a parking spot, then there are worse options out there than a supermini. As their name implies, superminis are some of the smallest cars you can buy, which makes them ideal for nipping around town or slotting into parking bays. It helps, too, that they typically have light controls and good turning circles.
Most of the time, superminis only come with rear parking sensors, though there are some out there that are also available with front parking sensors, with one such example being the Ford Fiesta. They’re not standard-fit equipment, as they’re only available on Fiestas fitted with the optional Parking Pack, so make sure the example you’re looking at has this equipment pack fitted if front parking sensors are a must-have. Since the Ford Fiesta has long been one of the most popular used cars in the UK, finding a used or nearly new model fitted with front parking sensors shouldn’t be too difficult, either.
2. Jaguar F-Type
Our pick Jaguar F-Type 3.0 Supercharged V6 R-Dynamic
Used deals from £26,970
Monthly finance from £501.65*
Whether or not you like the way the Jaguar F-Type looks comes down to personal preference, but there’s no denying it has the traditional proportions of a two-seater sports car. The cabin is towards the back of the car, with the seats positioned just ahead of the rear wheels, and much of the front is dominated by a large fascia and a long bonnet.
This does mean accurately placing the F-Type in a tight parking spot can be tricky, since you sit low down in the car and have a long bonnet to look over. Helpfully, the Jaguar F-Type came as standard with front and rear parking sensors, and as part of a tech refresh in 2017 the F-Type’s sensors were also used as part of a partially autonomous driver aid that controls the steering for you when you’re parallel parking.
3. Mercedes S-Class
Our pick Mercedes S350d AMG Line
Used deals Limited stock
The Mercedes S-Class is a huge luxury limousine, which means it isn’t the easiest car in the world to accurately place within the boundaries of a parking space. Thankfully, front and rear parking sensors aren’t anything new on Mercedes’ flagship car (this tech has been featured on S-Class models in one form or another since 1995), so all versions of the current car and the previous generation of Mercedes S-Class are equipped with these sensors out of the box.
As is par for the course with parking sensors, the setup on the S-Class alerts the driver to nearby obstacles with beeping sounds, though there are also visual prompts on the car’s dashboard to help prevent any dings and scrapes. Depending on the trim level and options boxes fitted, the parking sensors can be complemented with a 360-degree parking camera, and even a partially autonomous driving assist that controls the car’s steering and brakes for you when you’re reversing into a parking space.
4. Nissan Qashqai
Our pick Nissan Qashqai 1.3 DIG-T Tekna+
Used deals from £10,891
Monthly finance from £227.84*
There are plenty of family SUVs to choose from nowadays, though going by the new car sales charts few are as popular as the Nissan Qashqai. Right from the first-generation Nissan Qashqai’s launch in 2007, the car has regularly been a strong seller in the UK new car market, which means plenty of used examples have since found their way onto used and nearly new car marketplaces such as BuyaCar.
As a result of its popularity, it shouldn’t be too tricky to find a used Nissan Qashqai fitted with front and rear parking sensors, which help take a bit of the stress out of squeezing into really tight parking spaces. Depending on the spec and the available options packages, the Qashqai can also come with a 360-degree parking camera, which gives you an even clearer view of your surroundings – for example, one of the cameras is installed the car’s front bumper, and you can select the video feed from this camera to be displayed on the car’s dashboard-mounted touchscreen.
5. Range Rover Evoque
Our pick Range Rover Evoque P300e S
Used deals from £8,757
Monthly finance from £227.27*
Being the smallest car Land Rover makes, the Range Rover Evoque promises to be the easiest model in its line-up to navigate busy town and city centres in. With its raised driving position and good forward visibility, the Evoque should offer a good view out of the road ahead, though even in a car like this it’s still useful to have front parking sensors to prevent nasty bumper scratches and alloy wheel scrapes.
Helpfully, the latest version of the Range Rover Evoque gets standard front and rear parking sensors, so you’ll get an audible warning when you’re getting too close to walls, bollards and other parked cars. On models equipped with the surround view cameras and ClearSight Ground system, you can also display a video feed on the touchscreen display from a camera mounted in the front grille – effectively allowing you to see through the car’s bonnet, and giving you a view of upcoming obscured obstacles such as curbs.
6. Renault Captur
Our pick Renault Captur 1.6 E-Tech PHEV S Edition
Used deals from £9,115
Monthly finance from £168.05*
One of the selling points of an SUV or crossover over a conventional car is its improved forward visibility. Because they’re taller and have typically have higher ride heights (the distance between the ground and the underside of the car), SUVs offer a raised driving position, which gives you a better view out.
However, that raised ride height can make it harder to prevent clunking into lower objects such as bollards when you’re forward parking. Usefully, you can alleviate this on some small SUVs such as the Renault Captur, which are available with front parking sensors. As is the case with some similarly-sized superminis, front parking sensors aren’t available on every Renault Captur model, though if front parking sensors are high on your priority list, the Captur’s Techno, R.S. Line and S Edition trims did come with this feature as standard.
7. Skoda Superb
Our pick Skoda Superb 1.5 TSI SE L DSG
Used deals from £14,050
Monthly finance from £204.65*
It’s one of the more overused phrases in motoring, but the Skoda Superb is a car that lives up to its name. With a comfy ride, lots of space, good equipment levels and a massive boot on the estate version, and the Skoda Superb makes a great pick if you’re after a spacious car. Opt for a used one, and it’s possible to pick up a lot of car for your money.
Not every aspect of the Skoda is superb, though, with perhaps its biggest hindrance being its sheer size. Being two metres wide and a whisker under 4.9 metres long, the Skoda Superb is a big car, so you’ll need your wits about you when you’re driving down narrow roads or tight multi-storey car parks. There is a bit of respite in the fact the car was available with front and rear parking sensors, though be aware not every version of the Superb came with them as standard: originally, the flagship Laurin and Klement trim was the only version with all-round sensors as standard, though from 2020 onwards all trims bar the entry-level S spec came with front and rear parking sensors.
8. Volkswagen Touran
Our pick Volkswagen Touran 1.6 TDI SE Family DSG
Used deals from £11,290
Monthly finance from £163.29*
With its boxy proportions, handy practical touches, and a seating capacity for up to seven people, the Volkswagen Touran can make an appealing choice if you’re after a versatile and roomy family car. Placing the car accurately on the road is straightforward for the most part, too, thanks to the Touran’s light controls and good all-round visibility.
There is a slight fly in the ointment when it comes to driving nose-first into a parking spot, though. As is the case with many other people carriers, the bonnet slopes downwards, which means from the driver’s seat it’s hard to judge exactly where the front of the car is. Helpfully, all versions of the current Volkswagen Touran get front and rear parking sensors as standard, so even on the entry-level SE models, you’ll have a handy heads-up that you’re about to dent or scrape your front bumper.
VOLKSWAGEN TOURAN BUYERS' GUIDE
*Representative PCP finance - Ford Fiesta:
48 monthly payments of £192
Deposit: £0
Mileage limit: 8,000 per year
Optional final payment to buy car: £2,923
Total amount payable to buy car: £11,926
Total cost of credit: £2,426
Amount borrowed: £9,500
APR: 9.9%
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