[SmartCat]

Now that Harrier and Innova too has fallen in line, pretty much all mainstream cars now have electronic power steering. So do you find the current steering setup in your car?

Before that, let me explain different terminologies used by reviewers while describing car steering characteristics:

STEERING FEEL: It is an all encompassing term that describes the steering weight, steering feedback, steering quickness/sharpness and return to center action.

Steering weight: How easy it is to twirl the steering wheel. Both hands or pinky finger? Light steering makes it easier to park and quickly darting through traffic. Disadvantage is that it disconnects you from the feel of driving a car. If you do not enjoy driving in the city, light steering is probably to blame. Typically, steering weighs up as speeds go higher, but there are steering setups that stay light. This makes high speed driving less confidence inspiring.

Steering feedback: While driving, steering feedback is the sensation (vibration) transmitted to your palm via steering wheel. Similar to keypad haptic vibrations on your smartphone. In some cars (eg: Hyundai), these sensations are almost completely removed resulting in a somewhat sterile driving experience. But the advantage is that road imperfections are not transmitted to your palms, resulting in a feeling of good ride quality. In some other cars, the steering wheel transmits a lot more vibrations/ sensation to your palms, resulting in a more involving drive. This is especially useful for those try to push their car closer to the limit on winding roads, because you can now "sense" the amount of grip tyres have.

Quick/Sharp steering: In cars with quick steering, small steering inputs result in relatively larger turn angles of the wheels. Such cars are nicer to drive both in the city (for darting through traffic) and on the hills (for quick direction changes). Meanwhile, slow steerings are suitable for large heavy SUVs with high center of gravity. Because in this case, quick direction changes might affect the stability of the vehicle, especially at higher speeds.

Steering return to center: After you make a turn and release the steering, some steerings rapidly return to the center position while others are slower to return to center. Some drivers prefer a fast return to center action, especially while driving in the ghats. The latest generation Maruti car steerings don't bother to come back to center, and you have to do it yourself. This can get tiring/irritating especially on winding roads.

Here is my "steering feel" review of some of the cars I drive frequently. Do note that my observations are relative. When I say "steering is quick", I'm not comparing it with a 60L BMW, but only with the other cars that I get to drive frequently.



Hyundai Venue: Steering is horribly light at parking speeds, very light at city speeds but progressively heavier as speed picks up. Hyundai has almost completely dialed out steering feedback too. According to me, this makes the Venue a mind-numbingly dull car to drive within the city. However, the steering is quite sharp, which makes rapid direction changes possible. And the return to center action is "normal". It is a much better car on the highway - at these speeds, steering weight & quickness is near-perfect.

Honda BR-V: Steering has some weight at parking/city speeds, and it gets progressively weightier at higher speeds. On the ghats, the steering weight, sharpness and rapid return to center action makes it surprisingly enjoyable to drive. Steering feedback too is significantly better than the Venue. However in all the parameters, it is a couple of notches below what I'd consider as ideal.

3rd gen Maruti DZire: Has a heavier feel than even BRV at low speeds. But the biggest flaw in the steering setup is the lack of return to center action. One has to manually turn it back to the center.

2011 Honda Accord: Old school hydraulic unit with near-perfect steering feel. Scores well on all four aspects from a driving enthusiast point of view. However, it is not as good as 1st gen Civic.

Related (but old) thread:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...est-worst.html (Steering Feel & Feedback - Your Nominees for the Best & the Worst!)

[GTO]

This is why I don't mind EPS anymore. The early electric power steerings were sad, but the latest ones are very well-tuned. It is far easier to deliver lightweight feel at low speeds & heft at high speeds in an EPS. BMWs do great EPS, Jeep Compass has a lovely EPS and there are many more examples.

With hydraulic steering wheels, very few tune it properly (e.g. Honda Civic, 1st-gen City); most goof it up. The Toyota Fortuner is too heavy at low speeds, while the pre-facelift Harrier / Safari were heavy at low speeds and dangerously nervous / light at 120 kmph. Drive the Harrier / Safari Facelifts with the EPS and you'll see them as being distinctly superior.

I love the EPS steering of my F10 530d; buttersmooth & light at city speeds with good heft at high speeds ("sport" mode firms it up more). The Thar HPS, on the other hand, requires effort in the city. Its fatter tyres have added a little steering weight too.

[saket77]

Topic which is close to my heart. And you will understand why- because the benchmarks, i.e..2 cars in my garage are Maruti Zen- with no power steering and 8th Gen Honda Civic- with a perfectly tuned hydraulic power steering unit. Both these cars deliver an amazing feedback and are near perfect in all respects.

My other drive is Hyundai i20 automatic- steering is light at parking speeds and weighs up at higher speeds but the feedback is sorely missing. I would prefer it to weigh up a little more at higher speeds. Feedback? What is that in i20? The steering feels totally disconnected in this aspect. The missing feedback; this is the trend with most modern consumer cars that I have driven. The connected feel of non-EPS cars is simply missing.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Great thread! Clarifying at the start what feel, feedback etc. mean is a good idea.

2006 Ford Fiesta (hydraulic power steering):

• Smack in between light and weighty at parking lot speeds but weighs up very well as you pick up speed.
• Has a supernatural connection with the driver; incredibly confidence inspiring.
• Drenches you in feel when taking corners spiritedly. Practically no vagueness even in the dead centre position.
• Strong feedback which gives a detailed account of what the wheels are up to, as well as the surface they're on.
• One of the quicker steering racks out there.
• Strong return to centre.

2021 Skoda Superb (electric power steering):

• Light at parking lot speeds, weighs up progressively with speed. Direct, natural and confidence inspiring.
• Good amount of feel but a little more feedback would be welcome (certainly isn't numb, though).
• A little less quick than the Fiesta.
• Sports mode firms up the steering and makes it a touch sportier. Still feels natural, wonderful for twisty roads and highway driving.
• Strong return to centre.

The Fiesta's steering rack is clearly the sportier of the two, whereas the Superb's aims to deliver a more relaxed experience in normal mode. Still, sports mode does spice it up. Objectively, they're both great steering racks; very well suited to their respective applications.

(I got this information from my parents. I'm 17 right now and do not drive.)

[Su-47]

Like most people, I like a light steering that gathers up weight with speed. My current car (4th Gen city) has a light steering, and I wish it weighed up more with speed. I absolutely hate Maruti's "refusing to return to center" steering and I found the one on Baleno to be quite scary.

One car which surprised me is Jeep Compass -- wasn't expecting such a nice steering.

My next statement is going to sound like "Bandar kya jaane adrak ka swaad", but I didn't enjoy the E90 BMW 3-series steering and found a Cooper-S from similar vintage so much better. Perhaps I don't like the "pure steering" feel of an RWD.

[Ashtoncastelino]

My 2006 Swift's Steering feedback is SUPERB ! After driving the newer MSIL cars for a while, I learnt how dead and disconnected the steering feedback the newer MSIL cars are only then I valued my Swift's Steering feedback. Yes the 2005-2011 Swift/Dzire, Ritz and SX4 steering racks are notorious for the bush giving away and creating a racket, but after repairing and solving the same on my Swift, the original feel is back.

The Steering weight is decently weighed in low speeds, it gradually increases as speed increases and it is super fun to push this car through corners and turns just due to this.

[--gKrish--]

Of all the cars I've driven, I've found the Fiat Linea/Punto, the first-gen Figo/Fiesta, and E90's steering to be well-tuned. Some people may say that they are on the heavier side at parking speeds, but I've never found them uncomfortable. They are lighter than non-PS cars yet do not take away any of the feel/feedback.

Although newer EPSs have come a long way with how they progressively weigh up with speed, I've felt that they still lack sharpness at very small inputs. I've observed that the tire profile also plays a part in this.

On a side note, irrespective of how the EPS is calibrated, I think the steering gear ratios and total free play in the system play a significant role in how the steering feels. I happened to drive a car with its EPS off. Obviously, it needed a lot of effort; however, it felt vague at dead center without the motor assist.

[fhdowntheline]

Quite frankly after driving some great cars ( Linea T Jet, Duster) and some really dull ones ( Nissan Micra) , I dont care any more. My present rides are "decent' in terms of steering feedback, the Verna is heavier in terms of feel than the Tiago in both low and high speed regimes.

[WhiteKnight]

Thank you for the thread.

I've not voted, as I see one aspect missing- Steering precision, especially at high speed. Many new generation cars have steering that a split second slow to inputs and has artificial heft at the central position. You won't be able to predict where the car would be. This is not to my taste.

I find Skoda/VW steerings to be good for my use, as they are not too heavy, have sharp response.

I am okay to live without lot of feedback, as the cars I have has more endurance to speed than what I do and I don't get to situations where I need to have my palm telling me when the car is about to lose grip. I also think mainstream EPS has better ability to suppress feedback, and make the drive more effortless, compared to most hydraulic power steerings.

Having said that, there had been few awesome cars with hydraulic Power steerings that were accessible to all, such as Ford Fiesta, Mitsubishi Cedia (Lancer had a shade more heavy steering), Suzuki Baleno- not the new one, which is absolute opposite in character. I am not mentioning Fiat, as I found the steering to be too heavy for a passenger car. May be I didn't have enough muscle

[shankar.balan]

I like a steering which feels weighty at low speeds and tightens up nicely at higher speeds for better control. Ideal steering is one which causes the vehicle to go in the intended direction basis active inputs from the pilot.

I try and practice more anticipatory driving and hence I am not generally prone to these sudden changes in direction, unless of course it is necessitated by a badly behaved fellow road user or an unexpected obstacle.

For the most part our standard city cars all have a very light steering and EPS in particular especially here in India is kind of tuned and calibrated for lightness. This is because the manufacturers have to serve the lowest common denominator across the widest possible cross section of car users and I am sure, if this is put to the test, the overwhelming majority will opt for a light steering.

[The Rationalist]

I'm extremely wary of driving any car with light feel! I don't feel confident at all, maybe I'm a very aggressive driver. Part of it may due to having used a non power steering Zen for 14 years and then using 2 Ford's, one with hydraulic and electronic power steering. For me it's a deal breaker while deciding to buy a car, will never be able to buy with a light steering. Even my wife who drives very rarely, says she loves the Ford steering and feels more confident (one day she called me and said I went very fast and I was very surprised, I asked her how fast you went, she told 60 kms/hr and I started laughing! She said 60 meant fast for her and for me it may not, after sometime I realised that she's right!)

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

Thank you for the thread.

I've not voted, as I see one aspect missing- Steering precision, especially at high speed. Many new generation cars have steering that a split second slow to inputs and has artificial heft at the central position. You won't be able to predict where the car would be. This is not to my taste.

I find Skoda/VW steerings to be good for my use, as they are not too heavy, have sharp response.

The steering response must also be experienced im conjunction with the chassis and tyres. For example, I had the 4th gen City and while it had the sharp edge to it in terms of response, making it very agile for its size, the chassis and crucially the weedy 185mm tyres were a big dampener.

[RD410]

4 cars that I drive frequently -

WagonR 1.1 EPS - light enough, not feather light. Gives good feel in corners. Steering offers decent amount of resistance while cornering, so the car always remains in control. Feedback about road is zero. Return to center action is good, never felt any issue. For an A to B small car, the steeing is really good.

Grand i10 petrol EPS - ultra light steering. Very fluidic, feels like the steering of a boat. Zero feel or feedback. It remains ultra light, no matter what the speed. What makes it dangerous is that it offers zero resistance while cornering. The driver always needs to be careful about the steering input, otherwise the car would end up in a ditch. Return to center action is strong though. Overall extremely convinient, yet equally dangerous.

Alto 800 bs6 EPS - light enough, not feather light. Zero feel, zero feedback, no return to center action either. Steering action feels weird, feels like they've cheapened out on the parts. Easily the worst EPS I've used.

Ford Figo Tdci gen 1 HPS - light enough, not feather light. Decent feel, good feedback about road surface, very responsive. Overall very good steering if you are in the mood for some fun.

From all the above cars, I prefer that of Grand i10, because convenience

[vattyboy]

Out of All my Cars- CLA, COMPASS, CRETA, SELTOS and Ciaz

I love CRETA's steering the most.

CLA's steering feedback is most accurate but heavy at city speeds and there are very small difference in steering hardness at city speeds and highway speeds.

Jeep Compass transmits vibrations to the hand from undulations of the road which don't give a premium feel.

Seltos has a dead centre. No response from steering till 15° rotation.

Ciaz steering doesn't re-centre itself.

Creta's steering has all these things matched perfectly. It has the perfect steering.

[Kosfactor]

Super light, Quick and direct.

Thankfully I get to drive all kinds of cars, small blessings in life that I enjoy very much.

It should stay light enough at higher speeds too. I prefer vehicles that are quick to change directions at high speeds, others may find them slightly nervous at speeds - I like them very much.

I do not have that feeling that some others have where only their vehicle makes them feel complete at the wheel. I like driving other vehicles that are better than what I have in various aspects.

Steering? I like it direct, super light and quick! I like the brakes over servo-ed too.

I do not have much time to savor the roads for the most part, almost always busy and in a hurry. So a light but quick steering & soft controls are preferred. It gives greater control and less fatigue for long hours of pedal to metal driving.

OT: Soft horn pad is an added Bonus. BMW`s horn pad should be relocated to a foot pedal, that is how much effort it takes.