04-28-2015, 02:21 PM | #1 |
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Steering feel
For those of you who have received your vehicles, how is the steering feel? Is it a huge deviation from the feel of hydraulic steering? I dislike the video game feel of the F15 electric steering, and am hoping the M division "fixed" it for the F85/F86.
Last edited by UrbanExtant; 04-28-2015 at 02:27 PM.. |
04-28-2015, 02:43 PM | #2 | |
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I'm not a fan of any mode other than "Comfort" though - the other two settings just seem artificially heavy with no benefit. My M1/M2 modes change all other settings to various extremes, but I'm sticking with "Comfort" on the steering all the way around (which is, I believe, the way BMWNA configured their COTA track cars for the press). |
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04-28-2015, 02:46 PM | #3 | |
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04-28-2015, 02:51 PM | #4 |
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Weight isn't as important as directness. The e9x seemed hard wired to my inputs. Drove the m4 briefly and think it feels less direct but no track time to test it further. Comfort mode is the sweet spot on the m4 as its not artificially heavy.
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04-28-2015, 03:04 PM | #5 |
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I agree directness is important, but for me anyway, so is weight, and road feedback. The F15, and the F30, have steering so light one could sneeze and be three lanes over without knowing it. There is also little to no road feedback, which is the main thing I miss the most with the trend towards these electric power steering systems. The M division talked up their "fix" to the steering system, so I wondered if it lived up to its hype. My X5 M has been sitting at the VPC in SC waiting for me to get to the performance center to get it in two weeks, so I'm living vicariously through everyone on here who has taken delivery of theirs.
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04-28-2015, 03:31 PM | #6 |
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I've noticed that the steering in the "comfort" setting is light but precise and responsive. I actually prefer this setting for every day driving. The steering feels much better than my E70.
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04-28-2015, 03:55 PM | #7 | |
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I liked the heavy steering on my E71, but don't miss it. The only thing you don't notice in "Comfort" that you you do notice with "Sport" and "Sport Plus" is the super wide tires getting caught in the truck tracks on the road. In comfort the car maintains the direction you pointed it in, in Sport onwards you have to perform minor corrections more frequently. That said, I drove through the mountain passes on US2 this weekend, and Comfort (with suspension and drivetrain in Sport Plus) was by far the most fun (and it was a LOT of fun). |
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04-28-2015, 04:00 PM | #8 |
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Thanks for the responses. It seems it'll be distinctly different from what I'm used to, but I won't be disappointed. The steering has been the aspect of this purchase I've been most nervous about, simply going on what I've experienced in BMW's recent vehicles.
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04-28-2015, 04:35 PM | #9 |
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My Thoughts...
Test drove a X5M on Saturday... I planned on doing a little write-up on my experience, but quickly... here are my impressions of the steering feel.
Background: I have had in order: E46 330, E60 550 Sport, E90 M3, and currently drive an E70 5.0 Sport. Also, my wife has an F15 3.5 (without sports package) which I drive a lot and my dad has a 2013 Cayenne Turbo, which I drive on occasion. Going into the test drive... I loved the heavy feel of the E70, HATED the light steering in the F15. The Cayenne is heavier than the F15, but much lighter than my E70. I drove the X5M with the steering in sport plus mode, because of my limited time, I wanted to see if that setting was heavy/tight enough. I'm happy to report that although definitely lighter than the E70, the steering felt great. I like when the steering has a nice "elastic" return to center feel. And the new X5M has that. Nice road feel and it certainly felt responsive. To me the X5M steering is most comparable to the Cayenne. In fact, I think they are very close. Much more precise feeling than then E70 and light years ahead of the awful F15 steering. The X5M steering is not light, it just feels right and very precise like the Cayenne - and what this does for both trucks is to give the driver the impression that you are driving a very sporty "car" that is not nearly carrying as much weight as it is. I was hugely impressed. After the 20 minute test drive, the heavy feel of my E70 was not nearly as enjoyable before. The E70 now felt bigger, heavier, and the steering less responsive. The E70 now felt more like a battering ram than an ultra-performance SUV like the X5M. And here I was worrying about whether I would like the steering in the new X5M. |
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