9 cool tech options for your car

Cars that park themselves. Driver-passenger split screen computers. Night vision. Just a few of the innovations that make driving easier, safer and more fun.

Ford isn't the first to take a crack at the self-parking car, but it is the first to make it genuinely useful. Ford's Active Park Assist can actually maneuver your car into a parallel parking space in less time and with less hassle than doing it yourself.

And it'll probably do a better job of getting the car into the space. Plus, it works in a variety of conditions. You don't have to wait for a space on perfectly level ground with good lighting.

All you have to do is press a button and slow down to less than about 20 mph. Sonar sensors on the side of the car scan for a viable space. When one is found, just pull forward until the car tells you to stop. Then put it in reverse, take your hands off the steering wheel and back up slowly. The car handles the rest like a pro.

Of course, it's up to you make sure the space is legal. Ford isn't going to pay your parking tickets.