Toyota has a few parking assistance platforms, with the most recent being dubbed Advanced Park. It’s part of Toyota Teammate, the company’s most advanced driver assistance program to date. However, before Toyota Teammate, some Toyota models came equipped with Toyota Intelligent Park Assist, which could take over steering into a tight spot in some circumstances.

Aside from its intelligent parking programs, Toyota also has standard Park Assist, which uses sonar and signaling to guide the driver into a parking space. Whether your car has regular Park Assist or one of Toyota’s intelligent park assist systems, it’s important to know how to safely use the program before using it to squeeze into a streetside parallel space.

If you’re ready to learn more about Toyota’s

driving

assist systems and how they can help you park your ride, check out this guide to find pointers and tips to get you started.

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How to activate Intelligent Park Assist

If you drive a newer Toyota model, you probably already have at least the standard Park Assist system. This system uses a sonar signal to detect obstacles in your vehicle’s path and will alert you if you’re in danger of hitting something. Many newer Toyotas also come with a rearview camera, allowing you to back into a spot with more confidence.

Several years ago, Toyota also unveiled its Intelligent Park Assist system. This program takes things up a notch by applying sensors to the vehicle which allow the car to take over the steering for you, while you control the brakes and acceleration. First available on the 2016

Toyota Prius

, Intelligent Park Assist made it much easier to back into a parking spot.

Activating the Intelligent Park Assist is fairly easy. The driver simply needs to pull up to the intended parking spot, activate Intelligent Park Assist by pressing the button just left of the steering column, and follow the instructions on the multi-media display screen.

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How to activate Intuitive Parking Assist

Follow the Intelligent Park Assist program was Toyota’s Intuitive Parking Assist. Similar to Intelligent Park Assist, the intuitive program uses sensors to detect objects that are in the way if you’re parallel parking or trying to enter a garage or another small space.

Toyotas equipped with Intuitive Parking Assist feature a control above the steering column that allows drivers to engage and shut off the program. You’ll be notified by a buzzing noise and indicator display when the system is on.

Then, when you attempt to park, the Intuitive Parking Assistant will sound an alarm if your vehicle is approaching an object or impediment. It will also show a display on your multi-media screen, indicating to which side of your vehicle the danger lies. Finally, the system can apply brakes for you automatically if you’re about to collide with something while parking.

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How to activate Advanced Park Assist

Finally, the most advanced parking assistance system from Toyota is the Advanced Park program, which is part of the new Toyota Teammate driver assistance suite. First introduced on the

Toyota Mirai

, Advanced Park will not only help you to identify an open parking space, but it will also take over the steering for you when you enter and exit a parking spot.

Activating the system is simple. There is an Advanced Park button near the shifter for equipped vehicles. Just press it when you’ve stopped near a parking space, and let Advanced Park take over! Here’s how:

When you stop your vehicle, the system scans the area for an available parking space.

Press the Advanced Park button.

The system will scan the nearby open parking spaces to make sure your vehicle can fit.

On the multi-media display, you’ll see a visual guide to the closest available parking spots. Pick the spot that you wish to park in, and then select START.

Toyota Advanced Park will then take complete control of the steering wheel, acceleration, braking, and gear selection until your vehicle is parked.

When you’re ready to leave, Advanced Park can help you exit the parking space, too. Just turn the system on again and it will take over until your car is positioned toward an easy exit.

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Do all Toyotas have Advanced Park?

Unfortunately, not all new Toyotas offer Advanced Park. The

Toyota Highlander

, for instance, comes standard with Intuitive Parking Assist. The 2023

Prius Prime

has Toyota’s older Intelligent Park Assist. The 2023

4Runner

only has front and rear parking sonar assistance.

Sometimes people confuse park assist with Toyota’s automatic parking feature, which is included in every Toyota model since 2020. This isn’t a parking assistance system, though—instead, Toyota’s automatic parking will put your car into park for you if you exit the vehicle in a hurry.

It won’t move the car to a parking spot or handle your steering or braking. Automatic parking solely exists to prevent your car from rolling off if you accidentally leave it in neutral or drive when you exit the car. It will apply your parking brake or shift your car into park for you when needed.

Advanced Park, on the other hand, will take care of steering, shifting, accelerating, and braking, and you’ll find it on two 2023 models—the Mirai and the all-new Toyota Crown.

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