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BMW 3-Series and 4-Series Forum (F30 / F32) | F30POST > Technical Forums > Cosmetic and Lighting Modifications (exterior & interior) > Durability of M-Sport Steering Wheel?
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      07-04-2023, 03:55 PM   #1
thatgarrett
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Durability of M-Sport Steering Wheel?

Ok hear me out-

I, like pretty much everyone else who owns an f30 thinks the M-Sport wheel looks way better- the trim, the smooth leather, the buttons, the available stitched airbag cover- all of that is great!

But, I feel like I see posts all the time with people having wear, tear, and the shiny appearance happen to these wheels, something that doesn’t seem to happen much on the other wheels. Is this just overblown because you see more problems and less “oh hey my wheel is 10 years old and pristine” posts, or are they a bit fragile?

Reason I ask is that I have the sport line wheel which feels fine, looks brand new at 11 years old, and has paddle shifters and the stitching that matches everything. I want a heated wheel, and I could easily pick up a sport line that is heated and swap for less than $100, but an M Sport would likely be 5-6x as much at least. Part of me doesn’t want to mess with what isn’t broken, but the other part of me really likes the aesthetics of the m-sport wheel.
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      07-05-2023, 07:09 AM   #2
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my personal opinion is that on a daily driver the matte oem leather of the wheels will show wear regardless of how well you maintain it. my wheel doesn’t look bad at all, but it doesn’t look new either. i bought a brand new zero mile wheel last July.

I figure in a couple of years the wheel will look beyond what I consider passable, and Ill order a custom wheel to replace it. I’ll still get a OEM core wheel to maintain OEM heated function, but I’ll get different material, I personally prefer alcantara and/or perforated leather. i agree with your concerns and that’s what I think the best option is but it’s also an expensive option, a custom OEM heated wheel is probably $700-$1000.
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      07-05-2023, 07:34 AM   #3
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That was kind of my concern as well, and useful feedback. I had a fairly nice JDM Momo perforated wheel on 2 of my older cars that I liked a lot when it was new, but it would get shiny and feel a little sticky/goopy after using it for a few months, even after cleaning it with several different products it would come back within a week. Saving up and going custom seems like it wouldn’t be too much more expensive, especially if I had a cheaper, trashed OEM wheel with the heated core to use to be recovered
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      07-05-2023, 08:20 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thatgarrett View Post
That was kind of my concern as well, and useful feedback. I had a fairly nice JDM Momo perforated wheel on 2 of my older cars that I liked a lot when it was new, but it would get shiny and feel a little sticky/goopy after using it for a few months, even after cleaning it with several different products it would come back within a week. Saving up and going custom seems like it wouldn’t be too much more expensive, especially if I had a cheaper, trashed OEM wheel with the heated core to use to be recovered
im surprised you say that, i always found perforated easier to maintain and felt it looks cleaner for longer than regular leather. i was in same dilemma as you about replacing my M-Sport wheel, and saw an ad on F80 forums for a brand new wheel for a really good deal, so I decided to give it a go. Thought if I maintained properly from day 1, it'll last longer, I mean my wheel certainly looks better than 99% of the msport/m3 wheels I see in other people's pictures of their car's interior, but it still doesnt look as good to me as the day I got it. also just like you mentioned, when i clean it, it looks new and restores nicely but only a few days to a week later, it already starts to lose its matteness, which starts to bother me. if not for the good deal I got on it, I'd never go the OEM route tbh.
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      07-09-2023, 09:01 PM   #5
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If you want your steering wheel to have the factory matt finish back then I highly recommend Colourlock strong leather cleaner and then Colourlock leather protector. Have brought my 25 year old E36 Steering wheel back to life. Same goes for seats and door cards as they are getting shiny in no time and that's really bad looking.
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      07-27-2023, 12:38 PM   #6
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I originally also had concerns for wear, but didn't feel like the M-Sport wheel would be worth the swap and hassle. Instead, I opted to put a suede cover on the Sportline wheel, and been using it for 2 years. Gives a nice heft to the wheel, and doesn't look too cheap.

In photos it kind of does, but in reality it fits incredibly well and looks solid. I was always against covers because they seemed idiotic, but I found myself leaving this on as it brings a good bulky grip. Worth considering if you don't want to do a wheel swap and even moreso if you want to protect the wheel you have.

Also seems to work with heating and doesn't overheat.

This particular one is this: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B09...1?ie=UTF8&th=1
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