Parking assistance technology has seen major advances in the last few years – from 360-degree cameras to fully automated parking systems. BMW has been a leader in automated parking for some time now, and their current Parking Assist technology results from that work.
Across the current BMW range, Parking Assist is available on every vehicle. This doesn’t mean you get the feature as standard, though – like most BMW options, there is a cost to add Parking Assist. Still, the highest-spec models include this feature for free.
So which vehicles include Parking Assist as standard, and how much does it cost on the remaining BMW models? We’ll cover both these questions here and also talk you through how the system works and whether we think it’s worth adding as an option.
What is BMW Parking Assist?
Let’s start by talking about what the Parking Assist feature is. In short, this technology allows your BMW to identify a parking space and park itself. This can be parallel parking or parking in a bay. When you are looking for a parking space, once you activate Parking Assist, the car will automatically identify a suitable parking space if you are within 5ft.
Once identified, you can confirm the space using your central screen, and the car will essentially do the rest. Your BMW will control speed and steering to reverse you into the bay or parallel space, and once the car stops, it will identify the distances to other objects to confirm how wide you can open your doors.
That’s not all – with Parking Assist, you also have Back-Up Assistant, which works as a memory system. With Back-Up Assistant, the car will remember the last 50 meters of driving and can directly reverse to follow the path you have just driven. This works even if you turn the car off, making it incredibly easy to reverse out of difficult spaces.
Do all BMW Models come with Parking Assist?
Every model in the current BMW range includes Parking Assist. Below, we’ve broken each car down into two sectors – those BMW models where parking assist is a standard feature and those cars where parking assist costs extra.
BMW Models with Parking Assist as standard
The following BMW models include the Parking Assist feature as standard. As you’d expect, these are the highest-spec models in the BMW range, with most optional features included as standard.
- X5 M
- X6 M
- X7 M60i
- XB7
- 740i
- 760i
- i7
- iX 50
- iX M60
- XM
BMW Models with Parking Assist as an optional extra
The following BMW models include the Parking Assist feature as an optional extra. The cost of the Parking Assist pack varies depending on your model; some include Parking Assist as a standalone feature, and some include it as part of a larger options pack. These packs, including the Executive and Premium packs, combine several options.
- X1 28i – $4,200 (part of the Premium package)
- X3 30i – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- X3 M40i – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- X3 M – $3,650 (part of the Executive package)
- X4 30i – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- X4 M40i – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- X4 M – $3,650 (part of the Executive package)
- X5 40i – $800 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- X5 45e – $800 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- X5 M50i – $800 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- X6 40i – $800 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- X6 M50i – $800 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- X7 40i – $900 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- 230i – $700
- M240i – $700
- 228i – $700
- M235i – $700
- M2- $200
- 330i – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- 330e – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- M340i – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- M3 – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- 430i – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- M440i – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- M4 – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- 530i – $800 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- 540i – $800 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- M550i – $800 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- M5 – $3,450 (part of the Executive package)
- 840i – $100
- M850i – $100
- M8 – $100
- Z4 30i – $3,000 (part of the Premium package)
- Z4 M40i – $3,000 (part of the Premium package)
- iX 50 – $2,000 (part of the Convenience package)
- i4 e35 – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- i4 e40 – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
- i4 M50 – $700 (part of the Parking Assistance package)
Is the Parking Assist feature worth choosing?
Overall, the BMW Parking Assist feature is one of those options that most drivers won’t get a huge amount of use from. It’s an impressive piece of technology, but on my own BMW, I’ve only used it a handful of times to park. If you’re less confident at parking, it might be worth adding this option though.
We have to mention the Back-Up Assist though. This is seriously impressive and incredibly helpful in tighter spaces, especially in car parks, and a great feature to impress new passengers. Like the Parking Assist, this will be a far more useful feature if you live in a city.
For our money, the value of the Parking Assist is surprisingly good in comparison to some other options. If you’re looking for other options on your BMW and would like to find out more, check out the links below:
Which BMW Models Have A Heated Steering Wheel?
Which BMW Models Have A Harman Kardon Surround Sound System?
BMW Climate Comfort Package Explained
BMW Convenience Package Explained
Which BMW Models have Wireless Charging?
Which BMW Models Have Ventilated Seats?
