[Danddd]

Hey Everyone,

I came from an '06 E91 wagon and loved the steering feel of the car. I got a 2016 F31 and after 6 months I still can't get used to the non communicative steering. 18" wheels and they are at the correct level of air pressure.

Are there any fixes out there or is this it? Really, to me the steering feel is why you buy these cars. Everything else about these new wagons are great.

Just looking for some feedback.

[RedKloud]

Increasing the tire pressures helps a little.

[geddylee]

This is it. They are glorified Camry's now.

[Danddd]

My wife's '14 V6 Accord has better steering feel. We're on a little driving trip this week and today going through winding roads, it was terrible. I had no confidence going through the curves because there was absolutely no feedback. I was so used to the '06.

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by Danddd

Hey Everyone,

I came from an '06 E91 wagon and loved the steering feel of the car. I got a 2016 F31 and after 6 months I still can't get used to the non communicative steering. 18" wheels and they are at the correct level of air pressure.

Are there any fixes out there or is this it? Really, to me the steering feel is why you buy these cars. Everything else about these new wagons are great.

Just looking for some feedback.

Yes, sadly, this is as good as it gets. Buy back your e91 if you want an improvement.

[Danddd]

Originally Posted by spuntyb

Yes, sadly, this is as good as it gets. Buy back your e91 if you want an improvement.

The E91 was getting very costly to upkeep. I drove a '15 F31 and since the '16 was supposed to have improved steering and a slight chassis upgrade, I was hoping that would solve the issue. Basically the sport mode just steers a little harder in the '16 over the '15. It's really too bad as you don't really get to take advantage of the handling unless you get used to the computer game feeling steering. Around town it's fine. Get on some twisty roads though....

[///M4ster Yoda]

Originally Posted by spuntyb

Yes, sadly, this is as good as it gets. Buy back your e91 if you want an improvement.

This. As others have stated newer BMWs are upscale Toyota Camry's. You need to revert back to the e9x series if you want steering feel. Just got an M4 and even that isn't great on the steering front.

[metallicpea]

Originally Posted by ///M4ster Yoda

This. As others have stated newer BMWs are upscale Toyota Camry's. You need to revert back to the e9x series if you want steering feel. Just got an M4 and even that isn't great on the steering front.

Yes, and sadly most owners are OK with the steering on their F30, so I see little hope for any real improvement. BMW, I dare you to prove me wrong

[SCMike]

My experience has been rather different. In my post-LCI F31 with ZMP and ZTR packages - I just press the Sport button, and the steering/handling is good enough for me to forget that it is 4WD and a bit higher off the ground. The 18" Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires in the ZTR Track Handling Package totally change the driving experience. Ignoring the body lean before the suspension sets, the F31 is no mean slouch through the same twisties that my E46 M3 and E92 335i used to pirouette through. OK - for really great steering feel I go out in my 987.2 Spyder. But the F31, as spec'd out above, has nothing to be ashamed about.

[metallicpea]

My F30 and E46 M3 are totally different animals in many ways, but steering is the biggest difference, and that says a lot. Driving them on the same roads back to back makes the steering on the F30 seem like a video game. Not that it isn't capable, but I have almost no idea of what it is doing until I feel the tires lose grip through the suspension. It is the only thing I do not like when I drive my F30.

[///M4ster Yoda]

Originally Posted by metallicpea

My F30 and E46 M3 are totally different animals in many ways, but steering is the biggest difference, and that says a lot. Driving them on the same roads back to back makes the steering on the F30 seem like a video game. Not that it isn't capable, but I have almost no idea of what it is doing until I feel the tires lose grip through the suspension. It is the only thing I do not like when I drive my F30.

I'm not saying there aren't things about the F series BMWs that I do like. The Tech (HUD) being at the top of the list. I just miss the ultimate driving machine is all. BMW used to make cars for us the enthusiasts and now they make cars for soccer moms and granny. Ohh well.

[scostu]

Originally Posted by Danddd

Hey Everyone,

I came from an '06 E91 wagon and loved the steering feel of the car. I got a 2016 F31 and after 6 months I still can't get used to the non communicative steering. 18" wheels and they are at the correct level of air pressure.

Are there any fixes out there or is this it? Really, to me the steering feel is why you buy these cars. Everything else about these new wagons are great.

Just looking for some feedback.

Yes..... very disappointing. Best options are to spend $$$ on coilovers and new ARBs.
And if you have Run flat tires.... get rid of them.

[AudiA4]

Originally Posted by Danddd

My wife's '14 V6 Accord has better steering feel. We're on a little driving trip this week and today going through winding roads, it was terrible. I had no confidence going through the curves because there was absolutely no feedback. I was so used to the '06.

My wife's Volvo XC60 R Design also has better steering than my F30 335i.

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by Danddd

The E91 was getting very costly to upkeep. I drove a '15 F31 and since the '16 was supposed to have improved steering and a slight chassis upgrade, I was hoping that would solve the issue. Basically the sport mode just steers a little harder in the '16 over the '15. It's really too bad as you don't really get to take advantage of the handling unless you get used to the computer game feeling steering. Around town it's fine. Get on some twisty roads though....

Couldn't agree more. I mean, you can mitigate it with some swaybars, springs, good rubber, etc., but you won't get back to the e91 feel. I think my f31 is better in every way other than my e90, but the numb steering is a huge bummer, and it really takes the driver out of the picture, makes it less engaging. Never mind that they won't even give us a wagon with a stick...

[jeebus]

My Toyota Tacoma has better steering feel than my LCI f30 M-Sport. But I still feel confident enough to drive the car hard. You just have to use different senses.

[metallicpea]

Originally Posted by ///M4ster Yoda

I'm not saying there aren't things about the F series BMWs that I do like. The Tech (HUD) being at the top of the list. I just miss the ultimate driving machine is all. BMW used to make cars for us the enthusiasts and now they make cars for soccer moms and granny. Ohh well.

You and I are on exactly the same page. I wasn't disagreeing with you at all, just trying to describe my random thoughts. I like all other aspects of my F30, even the suspension, just not the steering.

But my M3 is much, much more of the ultimate driving machine to me and the F30 is much more the mass market sportyish luxury car, and so I use them as such.

[scostu]

Check these....

http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1314333

http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1080995

[ynguldyn]

Originally Posted by SCMike

The 18" Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires in the ZTR Track Handling Package totally change the driving experience.

This plus one hundred. The difference between PSS and anything else is nothing short of mind blowing.

[anotheran]

Originally Posted by geddylee

This is it. They are glorified Camry's now.

yup . Steering feel is pretty isolated in the F3X. BMW heard customers don't like the feedback sent back when the car goes over uneven roads like potholes so this is what we get.

Best you can do with it is to artificially increase the weight of steering with sports mode and tire change as a few mentioned above

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by ynguldyn

This plus one hundred. The difference between PSS and anything else is nothing short of mind blowing.

Agreed on PSS being better than RFT.

I think OP should consider RE71R or similar tires as well. I switched out PSS on my F80 to RE11 and liked it better, and RE11 is an obsolete tire now compared to RE71R and others in that class

OP, hate to break it to you, this is what mainstream drivers want...(e.g. my wife LOVES the low effort F30 steering)

[geddylee]

I agree with all the posts in this thread. The truly shocking part though is that BMW went from truly amongst the best at steering feel - To now, not just watered down me too electric steering, but possibly truly the worst electric steering in the business. I have driven all the cars below and they all have better steering feel than any current BMW I have driven, possibly minus the M3/M4.


2014 Honda Accord
2015 Mazda 3
2014 Lexus IS
2015 Mercedes C300
2016 Lexus GS350
2016 Volvo XC90
2016 Porsche Macan


Who is worse than BMW at this now? Funny thing is they don't even care. Look at the new 5 series, all they care about is tech overload and luxury features. There is nothing about how the car drives better or that they are pushing the performance boundaries anymore. They are only about pushing volume now. IDrive is the most innovative thing they have left.

[RedKloud]

Waiting for the G20 with fingers crossed.