We’ve been trawling the net and listening to drivers’ concerns about reverse parking cameras. Here’s our list of rear view myths – busted:
1. “I can’t afford to buy a car with a snazzy rear view camera system.”
Well, reverse cameras are available even on our smallest, most affordable car – the Aygo – it comes as standard on x-pression, x-pure, x-cite and x-clusiv grades. So you can buy a snazzy car AND have a snazzy parking aid!
2. “I don’t want a driverless car to take away my control!”
Toyota’s Rear View Monitor for Yaris is a visual tool and therefore has no control over your car’s movements – or your input. You simply follow the guidelines in addition to your normal parking procedure.
3. “The camera is too complicated to use so I’ll rely on my eyes.”
The centre screen in your car automatically switches to rear view when you engage reverse in an instant. Primary colour-coding and no unnecessary menus make the whole process easy. The camera could see a wayward pedestrian or low-level obstacle that you may have missed…
4. “I don’t know what the blue and red lines mean on my screen.”
The blue lines show the direction your car would take if you went straight back. They bend slightly as you steer to indicate your current route too. The centre dotted blue line shows the centre of your whole car, allowing you to park neatly. The red line is a reminder of where to start braking, or stop. Also use your mirrors and check the part of your own car caught on screen to judge how much space you have left. Shown is our Yaris demonstrator with Rear View Monitor.
5. “I don’t need a reverse parking aid, I’m too good at parallel parking.”
Accidents can happen to anyone however confident they feel. The likelihood of an accident at low speeds or when parking is actually really high. According to The AA, up to 51% of drivers had a parking scrape in 2014 – and these may have been preventable with rear view cameras.
6. “If the car is dirty, the rear view camera won’t work anyway.”
Ok, this isn’t a total myth – but since the camera is nestled above your rear number plate (see our Yaris above) it’s very easy to wipe clean and this should only be needed if your car gets really, really mucky.
Do you think you need a car with a Rear View Monitor? If you have any questions just comment on our post and we’ll get back to you.
Find out more about the Aygo range or Yaris range – many of which feature Rear View Monitor.
why is a reverse camera not available on a GT86?
Afternoon Stuart, the GT86 comes without a camera because all of our models are built to strict build cost vs customer requirement specifications and on this model the focus is different to other models. It also keeps the GT86 so affordable with great performance and drivability offered at a relatively low cost.
Why is the camera available on the GT86 in other markets and is fitted as standard on some. Also why is there a camera attachment built in to the loom and sockets on the touch and go for it to attach to. After owning 3 GT86’s this is the one add on I would love to see. Evidence the many owners who have added 3rd market cameras.
Hi Paul,
Thanks for getting in touch. Although we can’t comment on other markets, camera is not standard on the GT86 here in the UK. Thank you for the feedback, we will pass this on to our Product Team.
Thanks.
I got my Yaris in March and absolutely love and the camera has given me so much more confidence, I love it.
Hello Sarah, thank you for sharing, that’s great to hear how you’ve been helped by the Rear View Monitor. Have a great weekend!
Stuart is being a bit economical with the truth. The latest Aygo reverse camera does NOT come with coloured lines. In fact it just gives a pretty view, absolutely of no practical use whatsoever.
Mike
Hello Mike, thanks for your comment about the Aygo reverse camera. We do not advertise Aygo to have guide lines. The view isn’t just pretty – we have driven the Aygo with this camera system and it does help you park in tight spots because you can judge how far the bumper is from the car behind. Similarly, low-level obstacles which would otherwise be invisible to the driver can be spotted and avoided thanks to the camera. It’s a great thing to have a small affordable car fitted with such a camera.
Just taken delivery of a new Aygo, 9 miles on the clock. The camera is totally misleading and clearly has the wrong focus, making it look as though there is 5 metres space when in fact there’s less than 1. !! DANGEROUS? Just plain silly.
Hi Frank,
Thank you for your post. Congratulations on your new Aygo we hope you are enjoying many happy miles, however we are sorry you feel this way about the reversing camera. The reversing camera is designed with safety in mind and to provide a wider view as possible from the rear. However if you are concerned by this, we would please advise visiting your local Toyota dealer so that they can perform a visual check on your reversing camera. Your local Toyota dealer can be found here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/find-your-dealer.json. Hope this helps and if you have any other questions please let us know.
Sorry, got my names mixed up! I should have addressed the comment to Simon Truscott.
My apologies to Simon, the previous poster
Hi, this is related but its about my Hilux. I just took ownership of a Hilux with 4500 miles on it and the reversing camera was fine … 4 days on the camera’s guide-lines have gone ..!! They were there, but now they’re not! There’s just a message at the bottom saying “be aware of surroundings” I’ve only been using the bluetooth audio to my phone & don’t know what I could have done to mess that camera up.! How can I get the guide lines back? Any ideas please?
Hi John,
Thank you for your post. We recommend visiting your local Toyota dealer so they can take a look at your settings. Hope this helps and if you have any other questions please let us know.
I have the Avensis BE 2014. It was advertised with lines on the reversing camera screen. Guess what there are none. Any ideas
Hi Mark,
Thank you for your post. We have double checked this with our product team and we are really sorry for any confusion caused but your Avensis would not have reversing grid lines visible on the reserving screen. Marketing materials showing the grid lines in place would be incorrect. Unfortunately it is not possible for this to be fitted retrospectively as this is factory fit only. Sorry we cannot provide a more positive response and let us know if you have any other questions.
Why do some Auris Hybrids have grid lines and mines doesn’t. Its the T-Spirit 2010 Nav top spec, yet has no grid lines
Hi William,
Thank you for your post. 2010 Auris Hybrid does not come with reversing guidance lines. Specifications vary across all models. We are always looking to improve therefore we appreciate all feedback we receive and feed this back to our product team.
Hope this helps a little further and if you have any other questions please let us know.
Hi, Is it possible to upgrade so that the Auris does show guidelines? The vehicle I am interested in upgrading is a 2012 model (12 plate) Auris T4. It does not have gridlines.
Thanks,
Kas
Hi Kas,
We’ve forwarded your query to our technical team and we’ll get back to you as soon as we hear anything. Thanks!
Hi Kas,
You won’t be able to change this unfortunately as your model is too early. There is no way of upgrading this function either, we’re sorry that it’s not the answer you were hoping for!
Does the screen for the camera display also double up as a sat nav display when in a forward gear???
Sorry to be a bit of a novice but I am thinking of buying a Yaris .33 VVT-i TR 5dr Yr 2012 with a camera but I don’t think it works as a sat nav. If so is there an upgrade I can purchase to do this?
Bernie
Hi Bernard,
Thank you for your post. We are glad to hear of your interest in the Yaris. Yes, the monitor does double up as a navigation unit as well as the reversing camera. An upgrade is available to purchase and this can be found at your local Toyota Dealer. Here they will be able to upgrade your system to include satellite navigation. Hope this helps and if you have any other questions please let us know.
Sorry for answering in this old post but could you tell me what are the reference points to use when doing a parallel park with the camera? If you can convince me there are reference points wich, when being used, will make paralell parking really easy i’ll call my Toyota dealer right away 🙂
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your post. We would not advise solely relying on the rear view camera to help parallel park. It’s essential to be using your physical reference points when looking around when trying to park. We cannot provide you with exact reference points as they can be different in every circumstance. Hope this helps. Many thanks.