Top 5 most challenging cars to bay park

Does the idea of squeezing into a tight space send shivers down your spine? Here are five land yachts you should avoid if parking’s a problem.

According to the BPA (British Parking Association), the average size of a UK parking bay is now 2.4 metres wide by 4.8 metres long. Sounds reasonable, right? Well, it might have been 40 years ago, when cars were several orders of magnitude smaller. But, nowadays, an average family saloon (such as Audi’s A4) comes close to filling those dimensions – especially in length.  

And things only get worse if you have a penchant for luxury limos or gargantuan electric SUVs. Which of these motoring monoliths is hardest to slot into your average Asda parking bay? Whether it’s down to poor visibility, extreme overhangs, or just sheer size, these are our five most challenging cars to bay park.

BMW 7 Series

At just under 5.4 metres long and 2 metres wide, even if you’ve judged the manoeuvre to perfection, BMW’s pinnacle luxury saloon will still overhang the average British parking space by nearly 60 cm. And then you’ve got the small matter of getting in and out with two cars parked tight to either side. 

While it might be one of the most technologically advanced cars on the road, it’s safe to say the big 7 isn’t the ideal companion for urban life. BMW hasn’t thrown in the towel and accepted defeat, though, the 7 Series has several tools up its sleeve to combat those hulking great dimensions.  

For one, optional rear-wheel-steering essentially shortens the wheelbase at lower speeds. Meanwhile, an impressive suite of semi-autonomous parking features and a 360-degree-birds-eye camera help to alleviate some of the stresses involved in backing up such a commodious car.

Audi A8 L

Predictably, Audi’s alternative to the 7 Series is similarly colossal. In long wheelbase guise, Audi’s opulent A8 measures in at over 5.3 metres long and 1.95 metres wide. Granted, that’s a little smaller than the largest bimmer, but it still makes the A8 more than 30cm longer than a full-sized Range Rover.  

Just like its Bavarian equal, the Audi also touts all-wheel-steering and the latest parking tech, including Park Assist Plus which allows the driver to remotely extricate the vehicle from a tight spot. That’s clever, but there’s no escaping the fact that parking this beast on narrow UK roads is akin to sailing a cruise ship down a canal. If manoeuvrability is a priority, move a few numbers down Audi’s A range.

Lamborghini Countach

Lamborghini’s infamous Countach might be wide at 2m across, but it’s not especially long by modern standards. Despite this, we’d argue this Italian stallion is one of the hardest machines to park on this list.  

Coming from a time before health and safety (the 1970s), the Countach features little in the way of driver assistance. In fact, with its brutally heavy control weights, unassisted steering, and letterbox-style rear window, it seems as though Bologna’s engineers did everything in their power to hinder the driver.  

If by some miracle you manage not to hit anything on your way in, you’ll have worked up quite a sweat wrestling this raging bull into the standard 2.4 x 4.8 metre slot. Apparently, according to some owners, the easiest way to execute a bay park in a Countach is by popping the scissor doors and hanging yourself off the sill – refer to earlier point about health and safety – so it doesn’t get our vote for practicality or welfare.

Tesla Cybertruck

From the bulletproof glass to the angular, stainless steel bodywork, Musk’s Cybertruckhas been stealing headlines for a while. But, for the sake of this list, let’s ignore all that and focus on the elephant in the room: its size.  

It might look like (and sound) like it belongs in the cosmos, but at just under 5.9 metres long and over 2 metres wide, the Cybertruck’s dimensions are equally out of this world. As with the Audi and BMW, all-wheel steering does afford a surprisingly tight turning circle, although we’d imagine the Cybertruck will still feel rather cumbersome in multi-storey car parks.  

At least with those heavy-duty body panels damage will be kept to a minimum if you do suffer a parking prang or two.  

Rolls-Royce Phantom EWB

To find the holy grail of problematic parking, you’ll need to part with a considerable chunk of change. Over £400,000 to be exact. And for that money you’ll receive nearly 6 metres of exquisite English craftmanship.  

For rear seat passengers (where you want to be), this generates yards of legroom and facilitates the reclining seats. For the driver, it creates an enormous inconvenience when it’s time to park up.  

When it comes to parking this palace on wheels, the only saving grace is the fact you probably won’t be the one driving.  

What’s the hardest car you’ve ever had to park? Tell us which motors you dread reversing.  

Hero image credit: BMW