Perceived vs. Actual Usability – Lexus “Self Park” Feature

Have you seen the TV commercials for the Lexus LS 460 “Park Assist” feature, or more technically named, the “Lexus Advanced Guidance Parking System?” The Lexus demos and commercials show the feature to be incredibly simple and easy to use. However, reviews and videos are being published showing the feature to be unusable. Here’s a great example of perceived (marketing) usability vs. actual (real-world) usability. Check out the links below and see both sides of the debate.

– Lexus Demo

– Lexus Commercial

– Video 1 (Easy to use – “Easy as pie!”)

– Blog Review (Unusable)

– Video 2 (Unusable)
[Warning - Video contains some colorful language!]

Join the discussion – have you actually seen or used the new feature in the Lexus? What do you think of the feature? Is it usable or unusable?