Hi
This is probably a stupid question but I'm putting it out there anyway. I own an '03 KJ XI Verada and have a lot of trouble swinging it into car parks. I'm not the only one either, my boyfriend and brother both said they found it difficult to park.
Is this because it's a front wheel drive and it's a common problem with these cars, or is it something else?
I'm sorry if this is a really obvious question, I just want clarification that there's actually nothing I can do about it.

Thanks guys

Hi
This is probably a stupid question but I'm putting it out there anyway. I own an '03 KJ XI Verada and have a lot of trouble swinging it into car parks. I'm not the only one either, my boyfriend and brother both said they found it difficult to park.
Is this because it's a front wheel drive and it's a common problem with these cars, or is it something else?
I'm sorry if this is a really obvious question, I just want clarification that there's actually nothing I can do about it.

Thanks guys
It's a large car and has a terrible turning circle. All big cars are the same. You should try parking my EVO - it has like a 13m turning circle!

It's a large car and has a terrible turning circle. All big cars are the same. You should try parking my EVO - it has like a 13m turning circle!
Can i try parking your EVO?:D

Best way to avoid your parking issue is to reverse park. I find it a lot easier to swing it in backwards.

all FWD cars have problems with turning circles.

I have found the turning circle of the Magna/Verada to be especially bad.

:stoopid: for reverse parking.

:stoopid: Reverse parking ftw.

Hi
This is probably a stupid question but I'm putting it out there anyway. I own an '03 KJ XI Verada and have a lot of trouble swinging it into car parks. I'm not the only one either, my boyfriend and brother both said they found it difficult to park.
Is this because it's a front wheel drive and it's a common problem with these cars, or is it something else?
I'm sorry if this is a really obvious question, I just want clarification that there's actually nothing I can do about it.

Thanks guys


i totally agree!! i have a 97 and im not confident in tight parking like i was in my old car :(

handbrake + full lock....

but seriously, reverse parking definately helps, or just 75 point parking

handbrake + full lock....

but seriously, reverse parking definately helps, or just 75 point parking


a 75 point turn sounds just like me atm lol!!
im just not used to having a bonnet, i had avan prior and i could reverse park/paralel park anywhere but not im a lil nervous. PLUS i love my car much more now than i did before lol :)

I found parking my Verada a bit of a challenge...for the first week I had it after upgrading from a Barina. I wouldn't class it as difficult at all. Is certainly easier to get in/out when reverse parking though.

Definalely go the reversing... The front wheel drives cant turn in aswel ( I think ) because the front tyres dont 'bend' at full lock... If you watch a commy or falcon for example, at full lock it appears the wheels are no longer straight up and down but at a random angle... Looks hell weird to me...!

I found parking my Verada a bit of a challenge...for the first week I had it after upgrading from a Barina. I wouldn't class it as difficult at all. Is certainly easier to get in/out when reverse parking though.

+ one, here. Reverse parking is much easier to get out of. And as your Spatial memory is good for about 8 seconds, reverse parking becomes easier as it easier to remember where the things are you just drove past in scoping out the carpark.
Where as, with 'nose in' If you just get in your car, by the time you've started and belted up, more time passes and things ( like cars and pedestrians) have more time to enter your planned exit route. Where only a few seconds pass when reversing in, also less moving cars and pedestrians can enter that area.

BTW, Emergency vehicles will usually reverse park for that quick getaway. So do Hoods and Hit men.lol
But the magna always has had a large turning circle 11.2 Meters If I recall correctly.

easily solved buy parking as far away from the shops in the carpark as possible :) plenty of room to maneuver and stuff all chance someone will open there door on your ride too.......... just have to then put up with a 5 minute walk through the carpark with your missus in your ear the whole way :(

But the magna always has had a large turning circle 11.2 Meters If I recall correctly.

feels like 112meters to me ;)

easily solved buy parking as far away from the shops in the carpark as possible :)

You just sounded like my GF when she 'tries' to park (and she has a mazda hatchback) lol But yeah, same with the TE. Went from a VR commo to the TE and was shocked at the turning degree difference. But it's ok, ya get use to if your an alright driver!

Funnily, to get the car into my garage, I HAVE to reverse in. Reversing is a single attempt but to drive front in, it is impossible even with 3 point turns! Can anyone explain the mechanics of that??
Is it just some (probably simple) physics im missing here, Same car, same 3 legged elephant turning circle, but in reverse it can be done.........:confused:

Funnily, to get the car into my garage, I HAVE to reverse in. Reversing is a single attempt but to drive front in, it is impossible even with 3 point turns! Can anyone explain the mechanics of that??
Is it just some (probably simple) physics im missing here, Same car, same 3 legged elephant turning circle, but in reverse it can be done.........:confused:

same reason that forklifts are steered by the rear wheels im guessing lol

:stoopid: i mean if its hard to park maybe the spot is a tad too small? :think:


well the local shops for me the spots are atleast a foot or so longer and a tad wider compared to knox city or the other shops near me!

reverse park FTW!! :D
found it much easier to reverse park my car then putting it in forwards

+1 to reverse parking.

Also helps protect my front bumper, as it catches on just about every carpark concrete stop, whereas the rear usually clears them :)

Agreed, the turning circle is very bad. I worry about catching my left side front bumper on the concrete pylons in car parks and therefore try to find spots where I can swing right and keep the pylon on my driver's side. I find good rear visibilty, vertical bootlid/bumper and big mirrors makes reversing parking fairly easy though.

reverse park, plus this KJ is packin reverse sensors ;) hehe! had them fitted when i had a rear end accident, best thing ever! but annoys the hell out of passengers lol

Yeah + 1 to reverse :)

Or if you fail at reverse parks then get used to walking.

After reading this i think you all need to learn how to drive. If you cant park a car, how on Earth did you ever manage to get a license?

After reading this i think you all need to learn how to drive. If you cant park a car, how on Earth did you ever manage to get a license?

Maybe because you don't actually park in your test?

Maybe because you don't actually park in your test?
Maybe you should have to do a park in the test. So you can show a basic competency.

Heaven forbid if people actually learnt a driving skill and didn't just cut laps of car parks so they could find a park that they can drive into. Just because its easier. lol

Maybe because you don't actually park in your test?

We have to do a park in our test over here in WA.....

Maybe because you don't actually park in your test?
In VIC You do, I had to complete a 45 deg park and a parralell park, not that hard.
but yeah if you cant park, Dont drive.

We have to do a park in our test over here in WA.....
In Victoria you will be given one of 4 low speed manoeuvre's to perform.

1, Point to point reverse
2, Reverse parallel park
3, Angle park
4, 3 point turn

When i was instructing i had my students performing these tasks with blindfolds on. They were that good. And if they weren't i kept hammering them until they got it. No excuses.

although magna`s are limited in the steering angle and have a woeful lock,try parking an old HQ or HG holden or something,no power steering,fat tyres,and as wide as the parking bay itself and a low seating position to boot,now thats slightly challenging sometimes

After reading this i think you all need to learn how to drive. If you cant park a car, how on Earth did you ever manage to get a license?

mate considering that reverse parking is actually classed as "parking" and on most mines sites everyone has to reverse park there cars incase of an emergancy

oh and for the record i have to reverse park in my driving test, but hey what would i know i dont know how to drive :doubt:

mate considering that reverse parking is actually classed as "parking" and on most mines sites everyone has to reverse park there cars incase of an emergancy

oh and for the record i have to reverse park in my driving test, but hey what would i know i dont know how to drive :doubt:
What?:confused:

oh and for the record i have to reverse park in my driving test, but hey what would i know i dont know how to drive :doubt:
If i was teaching you i would have had you doing a reverse park using the old Scandinavian flick method. :D

']What?:confused:

if you reverse a car into a parking bay that means your parked yeah? therefore reverse parking is still classed as parking a car


If i was teaching you i would have had you doing a reverse park using the old Scandinavian flick method. :D

you should of seen how i done mine lol

After reading this i think you all need to learn how to drive. If you cant park a car, how on Earth did you ever manage to get a license?
I don't think this is about the inability to drive the car. Its just people commenting on how they are more difficult to swing into a tight parking space than many other cars, and you can't deny that. You could be the worlds best driver but you'll still find it more difficult to park in a tight spot than a car with a tighter turning circle of otherwise similar size, no matter how marginal the difference in difficulty is.

For example, I've never really had an issue parking my car, and as of yet I haven't run it into anything failing to "drive" into a parking space, but I can still freely admit its harder to park than say dads Camry, which is a similar size car but has a tighter turning circle.

Russ Swift style for the win.

I always forward-in to parks. The main problem i have is when im parking into a place where there is a gutter at the front of the parking space. 9/10 ill scrape the bumper on that gutter.

I have once scraped the front drivers corner on a pole, i only really managed to scrape some of the paint off the pole and onto my bumper. Sometimes it takes a second attempt (reverse out and do it again, this time a bit more centred). Then again the only cars ive really driven have been Magnas. Learnt in a 1st gen, then drove my own, drove my dads TJ, now my TL.

Wow......Swing out more....HOLY BATMAN PROBLEM SOLVED WITH PARKING.

In Victoria you will be given one of 4 low speed manoeuvre's to perform.

1, Point to point reverse
2, Reverse parallel park
3, Angle park
4, 3 point turn

When i was instructing i had my students performing these tasks with blindfolds on. They were that good. And if they weren't i kept hammering them until they got it. No excuses.

I had to do numbers 1, 2 and 4 in my test years ago. Maybe that's what's wrong with new drivers these days, they drive in a straight line and stop for their test? :doubt:

FWDs have bigger turning circles due to the fact that the transmission sits between the engine and the wheels, limiting the degree which the wheels can turn. Your commodore or falcon has about 0.5 metre less turning circle last I checked. The problem is made worse on some FWDs which have a lot of over hang up front, aka the Veradas.

Turning circles

VE Commodore: 11.4m

Ford Falcon: 11m

Mitsubishi 380: 11.2m

Toyota Aurion: 11m

So what's the argument again?

In Victoria you will be given one of 4 low speed manoeuvre's to perform.

1, Point to point reverse
2, Reverse parallel park
3, Angle park
4, 3 point turn

When i was instructing i had my students performing these tasks with blindfolds on. They were that good. And if they weren't i kept hammering them until they got it. No excuses.

I will take it that you mean 'blindfolds' metaphorically....

As for your general comments, if you think parking is what makes a good driver, or even matters - you shouldnt be anywhere near a car, let alone spilling your rubbish onto impressionable students.

While parking might be important to the state authorities to prove you can 'drive', in the real world, things like keeping alive on the road matter a hell of a lot more.

Turning circles

VE Commodore: 11.4m

Ford Falcon: 11m

Mitsubishi 380: 11.2m

Toyota Aurion: 11m

So what's the argument again?

OP has none of those cars... :nuts:

In about season 4 of Top Gear, Clarkson is shown how to handbrake park a car. Not only does this beat any turning circle, it looks cool too.....

OP has none of those cars... :nuts:
380 has the same turning circle as a TL Magna and TJ Magna - 11.2m.

I always park at WILSON PARKING Citipark car park in Perth and I always reverse right into the bay next to the column as it is easier to do that and the car next to you won't have to bang their doors on yours cos the gap from the column is big enough. I use the bricked wall part as it is easier to see how close your rear is to the wall because the concrete ones doesn't actually reflect very well.

And yes I hate forwards parking as much as anyone here but in shopping centres, time is money :hmm: or so they say so forwards parking. I do get in once easily but on some slanted parking angles...:nuts:

I will take it that you mean 'blindfolds' metaphorically.... Of course i did!


As for your general comments, if you think parking is what makes a good driver, or even matters - you shouldnt be anywhere near a car, let alone spilling your rubbish onto impressionable students. Driving a car at low speed is in some ways just as important as driving one at highway speeds. At low speeds a car drives differently than it does at a higher speed. More finesse is needed on the steering wheel and foot controls to keep it moving at the appropriate speed and for manoeuvring. Its like a motor bike, riding one at 100 km/h is piss easy but try to do it at 5 km/h. So really its teaching students a variety of skills that is applicable in real world driving. And parking is just one of them. Also, spilling my rubbish to students is what i do best and has earned me a brilliant pass rate. Try 97%. But it isn't my doing. Its the kids that have listened to what i instruct and put it into action is what earned that pass rate. So i must be doing something a little bit right.


While parking might be important to the state authorities to prove you can 'drive', in the real world, things like keeping alive on the road matter a hell of a lot more. Unfortunately i cant teach kids how to emergency brake, swerve and recover, counter oversteer and understeer as i do not have a skid pan at my disposal. In a perfect world students would be taught these competencies as a part of their licensing but Governments dont really want to put the $$$ into what i think is basic training in this area... Funnily enough they concentrate license tests on odd things like parking and mirror checks.

Funnily enough they concentrate license tests on odd things like parking and mirror checks.
mirror checks are important when your car starts understeering into a gutter! DUH!

Also, spilling my rubbish to students is what i do best and has earned me a brilliant pass rate. Try 97%. But it isn't my doing. Its the kids that have listened to what i instruct and put it into action is what earned that pass rate. So i must be doing something a little bit right.
Unfortunately i cant teach kids how to emergency brake, swerve and recover, counter oversteer and understeer as i do not have a skid pan at my disposal. In a perfect world students would be taught these competencies as a part of their licensing but Governments dont really want to put the $$$ into what i think is basic training in this area... Funnily enough they concentrate license tests on odd things like parking and mirror checks.

Thats another issue, the fact that state authorities think that because you manage to keep your speed at the posted limit, can merge, park a car a few times within a tolerance, and check your mirror - you can drive. That is a joke, so cant really have a go at you for teaching them to pass, as thats what your job is.

If they *think* they can drive because they have their licence and they passed an exam, thats another issue.

380 has the same turning circle as a TL Magna and TJ Magna - 11.2m.

EF Falcon: turning circle = 10.9m, length = 4996mm, width = 1861mm, wheel base = 2791mm
AU Falcon: turning circle = 10.9m, length = 4907mm, width = 1870mm, wheel base = 2793mm
BA Falcon: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4916mm, width = 1864mm, wheel base = 2829mm
FG Falcon: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4955mm, width = 1868mm, wheel base = 2838mm

VR Commodore: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4861mm, width = 1794mm, wheel base = 2731mm
VT Commodore: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4884mm, width = 1842mm, wheel base = 2788mm
VZ Commodore: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4876mm, width = 1842mm, wheel base = 2789mm
VE Commodore: turning circle = 11.4m, length = 4894mm, width = 1899mm, wheel base = 2915mm

TR Magna: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4747mm, width = 1775mm, wheel base = 2722mm
TE Magna: turning circle = 11.2m, length = 4787mm, width = 1785mm, wheel base = 2722mm
TL Magna: turning circle = 11.2m, length = 4860mm, width = 1785mm, wheel base = 2722mm

KR Verada: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4831mm, width = 1775mm, wheel base = 2722mm
KE Verada: turning circle = 11.2m, length = 4930mm, width = 1785mm, wheel base = 2722mm
KW Verada: turning circle = 11.2m, length = 4978mm, width = 1785mm, wheel base = 2722mm

DB 380: turning circle = 11.2m, length = 4842mm, width = 1840mm, wheel base = 2750mm

So looking at the above table, considering Magnas and Veradas are considerably shorter and narrower, it has in general, a larger turning circle except of course for the lardy VE. The 380 has improved on the turning circle, eventhough its the same as a 3rd gen, but it is wider and has a longer wheelbase with less overhang.

Having a lot of overhang is good when doing u turns (if there is nothing on the footpath blocking you that is) but is a pain when parking in 90deg parking slots.

EF Falcon: turning circle = 10.9m, length = 4996mm, width = 1861mm, wheel base = 2791mm
AU Falcon: turning circle = 10.9m, length = 4907mm, width = 1870mm, wheel base = 2793mm
BA Falcon: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4916mm, width = 1864mm, wheel base = 2829mm
FG Falcon: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4955mm, width = 1868mm, wheel base = 2838mm

VR Commodore: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4861mm, width = 1794mm, wheel base = 2731mm
VT Commodore: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4884mm, width = 1842mm, wheel base = 2788mm
VZ Commodore: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4876mm, width = 1842mm, wheel base = 2789mm
VE Commodore: turning circle = 11.4m, length = 4894mm, width = 1899mm, wheel base = 2915mm

TR Magna: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4747mm, width = 1775mm, wheel base = 2722mm
TE Magna: turning circle = 11.2m, length = 4787mm, width = 1785mm, wheel base = 2722mm
TL Magna: turning circle = 11.2m, length = 4860mm, width = 1785mm, wheel base = 2722mm

KR Verada: turning circle = 11.0m, length = 4831mm, width = 1775mm, wheel base = 2722mm
KE Verada: turning circle = 11.2m, length = 4930mm, width = 1785mm, wheel base = 2722mm
KW Verada: turning circle = 11.2m, length = 4978mm, width = 1785mm, wheel base = 2722mm

DB 380: turning circle = 11.2m, length = 4842mm, width = 1840mm, wheel base = 2750mm

So looking at the above table, considering Magnas and Veradas are considerably shorter and narrower, it has in general, a larger turning circle except of course for the lardy VE. The 380 has improved on the turning circle, eventhough its the same as a 3rd gen, but it is wider and has a longer wheelbase with less overhang.

Having a lot of overhang is good when doing u turns (if there is nothing on the footpath blocking you that is) but is a pain when parking in 90deg parking slots.

:wtf:

In Victoria you will be given one of 4 low speed manoeuvre's to perform.

1, Point to point reverse
2, Reverse parallel park
3, Angle park
4, 3 point turn

When i was instructing i had my students performing these tasks with blindfolds on. They were that good. And if they weren't i kept hammering them until they got it. No excuses.



I had to do numbers 1, 2 and 4 in my test years ago. Maybe that's what's wrong with new drivers these days, they drive in a straight line and stop for their test? :doubt:


when i did mine i had to do 2 and 4... so in vic u only do 1 of the 4? and u call us bad drivers...righteo then! besides, parking is the least of perth drivers' worries... let them worry about merging, roundabouts and how to keep left first, then we'll deal with front facing parking...

http://www.bremund.com/fun/thread-delivers.jpg

Honestly, when I posted that question, I thought I'd probably get a few posts either agreeing my car has a bad turning circle or I'm a crap driver - and I got 6 pages of varying opinions between! It's been an interesting read and I'd like to thank those who confirmed my suspicions that it's a bad turning circle and specially those who explained why (the thing about the location of the transmission was of interest).
I find my car's not so bad to park in 45 degree angle parking, it's really only an issue if it's a narrow car park and i end up parking close to the line (but everyone in my town does that in cars much smaller than mine), it's straight parking when there's cars on either side I have issues with.
Yesterday I attempted 3 times to get into a car park, then saw another one that had a car on one side and painted lines on the other, and reversed into that. I've never tried reversing in before and was surprised that I got it first go - particularly since I thought reversing my car was a pain because of the wide bit between the back window and side windows (hard to see around when reversing out of a car park).
I think there are a few reasons for my lack of confidence in parking my car, and this is not limited to it's bad turning circle but rather:
I got my P's with a barina and drove a VT Commodore before that

I used to be a confident driver, but after not driving for some time and then having an accident in my ex's car, and then his continual doubt in my driving ability led me to avoid driving as much as I could for close to a year

I didn't think to park it when I test drove it

I'm only 152cms tall - may not sound like it affects you much, but I seem to have a lot more blind spots than people at least 10cms taller than me, and I have the seat up as far as it will go plus extra foam padding - try not to laugh TOO hard at that

It's taken me longer to adjust to a bad turning circle because I had a fear about parking cars before, given that's how I had my one and only accident. My current boyfriend is good at telling me I can drive and park, and lets me swear with frustration every time I hit the curb (noticed a few others do that too), as well as letting me park as far away as I like to make it me feel more confident about parking it. I feel better now knowing it's not strictly my lack of ability to park in general (which I was really beating myself up about), but knowing it's more just my lack of confidence is making it difficult to adjust to the way my car is. I will attempt to practice reverse parking and see if I can get confident doing that.
Thanks for all the feedback guys, I really appreciate it.

just park by feel

I DO :ninja:

i've gotten tons more confident reverse parking.
give it a few goes mann, it is so much easier

just park by feel

I DO :ninja:

They do that in Europe, well at least in France. A friend of mine went there for a holiday and was shocked to see how people parallel park there. No body leaves their car in P or have handbrakes engaged, or so he tells me.

They do that in Europe, well at least in France. A friend of mine went there for a holiday and was shocked to see how people parallel park there. No body leaves their car in P or have handbrakes engaged, or so he tells me.

true.... so that u can move the cars by pushing them if u box someone in...