Anybody else having this problem?

Okay, this is pretty silly... but I am having a hard time making sure my car is straight when I park it. The window baseline slopes up towards the back, so I can't find a horizontal frame of reference. Whenever I park, I have to press P (I have to press P so it won't beep at me when I open the door), then open the door to check whether I'm parallel to the space markings. I guess the Gen II windows also had a slope but it seems more pronounced in the 2010. At least, I don't remember having this problem in my 2006.

Am I the only one with this problem? Any tips on how I can line up my car with less difficulty?

No you are not the only one, I can't see the lines and I can't tell where the front of the car is in relation to the curb.

Sometimes I stick my head out the window or open the door and just let it beep at me. Terrible close in visibility, price we pay for a low CD and good styling I guess.

Several times I have parked , gotten out, then got back in and reparked to get it sort of straight.

Am I the only one with this problem? Any tips on how I can line up my car with less difficulty?[/quote]

How long have you owned your 2010? Like any new car, reference points take some getting used to. After a few weeks of driving, you should be adjusted to the dimensions of the car and parking should be a breeze!

For me, it took about 2 weeks worth of driving. Now, it's like parking any other car. Good luck!

Glad I'm not the only one... I always feel like an idiot if I get out and see my car parked crooked. If it's bad, I'll get back in and repark it. However, I see a lot of very bad parking jobs where they haven't bothered to repark!

How long have you owned your 2010? Like any new car, reference points take some getting used to. After a few weeks of driving, you should be adjusted to the dimensions of the car and parking should be a breeze!

For me, it took about 2 weeks worth of driving. Now, it's like parking any other car. Good luck![/quote]

It's been six weeks already! I don't have a problem with the dimensions -- such as knowing how far forward to pull it before it hits the wall in front -- because it's pretty much the same as my 2006. My problem is making sure the sides are straight. It always seems lilke it's at an angle when I look out from the side window because of the slope of the windows so I can't tell when I'm actually straight.

I guess I'll figure it out eventually!

install a set of these from sigma

If I am parking in a lot between cars, or even with one car beside of me, I park so that I can look out my window and be even with the other car's door and window. It works for me and since I have been doing that, I do not hit any of the curbs as much anymore. When I get out, my little Prius ends up just about centered (at least lengthwise) with the other cars.:rockon:

Can you explain what these are, please? Thank you!

Except when the other car(s) are parked crooked!
Seriously, I've found that a lot of people park crooked, sometimes the one on the right is angled in one direction, and the other on the left is angled in the other direction.

I've been parking a bit crooked as well. lol. Glad I am not the only one. I also leave a lot of extra space up front.

True, I find that to be the case a lot in Rockville, what causes that?-------just kidding lol

I had the same problem parking, but after a couple months, now know the slope and know that it will look/feel like I'm parked crooked to be parked straight.

I also used to leave too much space in front, but have developed a better sense of that by using the visual of the base of the left-side mirror as a "guide" and look beyond it to the line at the front of the parking space (or the wall or whatever) to judge if I am too far. The base of the mirror must appear to go beyond the front "line" a little ways in order to be right. It would also depend on your height, imagine, how this would line up. This might only make sense when you are sitting in your car, looking at the base of the mirror housing, and seeing how it "lines up" with the parking space lines.

Also, when the lights are on and they are shining onto a wall, you will note a unique pattern, with a bit of a rectangle on top edge of the beam. If you are pulling into a parking place with a wall in front of you, that rectangle shape will get smaller and smaller as you get closer to the wall. It will get VERY small right before you would bump into the wall. That's another way to help judge the distance and get used to the place of the car in the world.

Haha, I also leave a lot of space when I park front ways. It's hard to get used to this stubby front that you can't see. Since you have the nav I would recommend back in parking where possible. Those little arrows make it really easy to park straight after some practice. Either that, or stick your head out the solar roof as you park

How 'bout a nice pair of Curb Feelers like these:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B000CPCS80?tag=priuschatcom-20

Too funny! I am having a heck of a time parking (pulling in backwards) too. I even try hard and end up slanted in the slot. Being inside the car I feel I am in straight but when I get out...
No big deal but it is nice I am not the only one.

I'm expecting to get used to it. I was a parallel parking whiz here in the city. Now with the Prius, I find myself backing up to another car behind me and leaving four feet extra space when I get out to look. I've been thinking of getting a little mirror that would stick onto hatch window or spoiler, letting me see my own bumper and the bumper of the other car behind.
Part of the problem is it's band-new, I don't want to back into another bumper.
Braile parking is bad for paint.

I am also having some problems with parking. It's had to judge distances. I am new to the Prius so hopefully this will correct itself.

I am training myself and I think I'm almost there. The car is straight when I feel it's pointing quite far to the right. If it feels straight to me, it's angled to the left.

I added a poll to this thread. Please respond. :bounce:

I had my Mazda Tribute for eight years and I could park that thing on a dime -- perfectly straight and inches from the wall.

Now after a month with the Prius, I have to take care not to angle it to the left while parking perpendicularly, and every time I think I'm about to plow into the wall, I'll look after getting out and find I still have a foot or more.

It's been getting better, but it's funny how much muscle memory is there to get in the way when the new car is smaller with a tighter turning radius.