[Versipellis]

Originally Posted by Rated ///M Power

The LCI will bring back the faith everyone lost in BMW. The re-calibrated steering has significantly improved, if you ask me.

Wait, have there been people who've tested it already?

[mtbnole]

Originally Posted by mtbnole

understood, but if there is a software update, would it work with the pre-2016 hardware, and would it be beneficial?

Thoughts on this?

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by Versipellis

Wait, have there been people who've tested it already?

[GMe90]

For me, the problem with F30's steering is not how light the wheel is; the problem is lack of feedback from the steering wheel. If you drive the e90 and f30 back to back, you will notice a huge difference in feedback from the steering wheel. In the e90, you know exactly what the tires are doing from the feedback you get through the steering wheel. In the F30, you don't. You still get feedback from the seat and the general dynamics of the car, but not through the steering wheel.

[badassfajita]

Originally Posted by GMe90

For me, the problem with F30's steering is not how light the wheel is; the problem is lack of feedback front the steering wheel. If you drive the e90 and f30 back to back, you will notice a huge difference in feedback from the steering wheel. In the e90, you know exactly what the tires are doing from the feedback you get through the steering wheel. In the F30, you don't. You still get feedback from the seat and the general dynamics of the car, but not through the steering wheel.

Someone give this guy a medal, seriously--nailed it on the head. I tried so hard to like the f30 (looks sick in estoril blue), but the wheel felt so ponderous during turns. With my e92, I can make so many adjustments within a turn and feel confident that the car is going where I want it to go. The f30 just doesn't transmit anything through the wheel.

[BDWonder]

Originally Posted by stampchez

The reviews of the steering have been all over the place so I would like to hear what other F30 owners think.

Let us know what you think of your car's steering. Also please post what suspension/tires you have.

I really don't think it's that bad. It is the best electric set up I have driven. I felt that it was a bit light at first but I have gotten used to it. The feedback isn't as good as a hydraulic set up but I don't feel like there is any trouble with placing the car on line or feeling when to make corrections.

Is it as good as a hydraulic set up? Of course not, but electric is what we're stuck with for fuel economy and emissions reasons. Is it a deal breaker? Certainly not. It's just a different feeling to get used to.

Adaptive M/19" Bridgestone S001

I will be interested to hear what everyone else thinks.

no

[CaliCanadian]

Originally Posted by Robin_NL

Grouphug.




You can toss the F30 around like an idiot. Just like I did with my former 3 series E36/46/90 etc.
Understeer is very far away(also depending on the tyres) , and my Bridgestones almost don't shreek at all. Not like the tyres of let's say a decade ago. But still you just feel what the F30 is going to do. Anytime.
Slalom, autocross, trackdays(well not exactly, I'd choose a 1M for that). Some daily fun when traffic allows it:Roundabouts and flyovers. In sportmode it just feels alright. Like the former 3 series I had.

What's the point in hating? My ex E90 M3 was maybe 200lbs heavier than my current F30 335i and it too was a marvel around corners/trackdays as well(for it's size/weight and the competition). Only the damn brakes were gone after 5 laps at Assen Moto GP I recall....
About the F30 competition:
Try to toss an A4 around the things I mentioned above. Hate to say it, but it will get boring after 5 minutes for sure. A C350 maybe, after half an hour you think the same thing as in the Audi( I'm not talking RS/AMG stuff here, just the bread and butter F30competition)

ANY F30 is a great car for its purpose: To go from A to B in a rather sporty way. This time with more space/comfort and more electronic gadgets.

And with one push of the button...tadaa.

Cheers
Robin

I threw an A4 around the track a few times.. Got bored after 20 minutes.. which of course is when my run was over and I had to get off the track

[Versipellis]

So with VSS, does it change the steering resistance after passing a certain angle, or only the amount the wheels turn (gear ratio)? If anyone's autocrossed with one before, what's that like doing slaloms?

[CalCarNut]

I'd like to hear from those who swapped out the RFTs and went with something more performance oriented like the MPSS tire, etc. Wouldn't the steering feel change for the better over run-flats, etc? I don't have any issue with the steering..firms up with the different modes as expected but certainly need a lot more seat time to form a decent opinion compared to the long time drivers here on the forum...

[Labeef]

I used to hate my steering, till I drove me wife's Civic. Sure the E90 has the best feel, but the F30 is still communicative and firm.

[buckybadger]

Steering feel on F30 is not bad at all. Everyone has been criticizing/exaggerating it wayyy too much and this is coming from someone who used to own a E90.

[buckybadger]

Originally Posted by Labeef

I used to hate my steering, till I drove me wife's Civic. Sure the E90 has the best feel, but the F30 is still communicative and firm.

True but E90 "pot-hole-explosion" suspension and 6-speed transmission was terrible.

[hollandog]

I know it's bad comparison. I'm driving the 2013 MDX for 2 months and I can't wait to get back to the F30. There's not a single thing I liked about the MDX, maybe the cargo space.....that's it.

[RPM90]

Mine:
2013 335i Msport w/ M adaptive and VSS.

After 3yrs of driving I can easily say that I do NOT like the steering. It's vague and lifeless. The on-center play is quite big as I can turn the wheel left and right with no response from the front end. The effort required to the turn the wheel is the only thing adjustable and it's very fake. With increased effort you don't get increased feel, all you get is increased effort and that's it. There is an artificial feel of "loading up" when in a turn, where the steering effort gets even heavier but that's not directly related in feel due to the weight transfer on the wheels because you don't actually feel what's happening at the wheels just that there is more weight at the steering wheel.

Compared to my former E46 325i sport and 09 135i, the steering feel in my 335i is pathetic. In function it works and is accurate, but there is no feedback through the wheel to give me a sense of what's happening even though the car responds as it should.

I don't think this is all due to electric assist because there is still a mechanical link between the steering wheel and the front wheels/tires. The electric assist is in place of the hydraulic unit. And, I've driven other cars with electric assist steering that had very good feel, such as the Honda S2000.

I have one of the earliest Msports and 3 series as BMW has changed the steering rack in the F30 once or twice since my 335i has been built. There has been mechanical and software change so I can't compare 2014 and 2015 3's with my 2013.
I am hoping, ever so much, that BMW really did address and add feel to the 2016 3 series.

[3liter1]

Originally Posted by deznium

Steering feel on F30 is not bad at all. Everyone has been criticizing/exaggerating it wayyy too much and this is coming from someone who used to own a E90.

I agree. I drive both cars in my signature regularly. It's an apples to oranges comparison in many ways, old school vs new school. Overall, the super composed chassis in the 428i makes me forget about the more mechanical steering in the 128i. It's a better overall driving experience, at least over the uneven roads in the Northern NJ area. And I have non RFT tires on the 128i too.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by 3liter1

I agree. I drive both cars in my signature regularly. It's an apples to oranges comparison in many ways, old school vs new school. Overall, the super composed chassis in the 428i makes me forget about the more mechanical steering in the 128i. It's a better overall driving experience, at least over the uneven roads in the Northern NJ area. And I have non RFT tires on the 128i too.

Changes were made to the steering rack soon after the initial 2013 model year release, after I took delivery of my 2013 335i.
From what I can recall BMW has twice changed things on the rack before you got your 3/4 series so that can explain differences in experiences.

Compared to my 135i the 335i's steering is not even close in feel. It's not as smooth on effort at various speeds, not as tight on center, and there is no feel as to what the tires are doing.
It's accurate sure, but in a video game kind of way.
I drove a 2014 M235i and it's steering was better and actually had some feel. Hopefully the 2016 3's will be even better.

[BmwFlooner]

I had an early 2013 328i, now I have a mid-year (June/July-ish) 2013 335i. The steering differences between them are night and day. I was wildly disappointed with the steering on the 328i, and I'm not a 'steering feel' guy. There was a huge dead-zone on center that made highway driving a constant adjustment. It felt like couldn't just head in a straight line. The only solution was to drive in Sport that would tighten up the center.

My 335i (with VSS) has no such issues. It's very precise - I'm happy with it.

[Versipellis]

Originally Posted by RPM90

Changes were made to the steering rack soon after the initial 2013 model year release, after I took delivery of my 2013 335i.
From what I can recall BMW has twice changed things on the rack before you got your 3/4 series so that can explain differences in experiences.

Compared to my 135i the 335i's steering is not even close in feel. It's not as smooth on effort at various speeds, not as tight on center, and there is no feel as to what the tires are doing.
It's accurate sure, but in a video game kind of way.
I drove a 2014 M235i and it's steering was better and actually had some feel. Hopefully the 2016 3's will be even better.

I suppose this is why the 3's and 4's I've been test-driving recently felt pretty good compared to all the flak it's received

[DHS]

If you like driving on oil covered ice with bald tires, or if you liked driving '76 Fords you will like the current BMW electric assisted steering. No feedback, vague, too effortless, no idea what the front end is doing and feels totally detached. That is on a '15 435i M-Sport. E36 and E46 steering are probably the best BMW produced.

[kreuz]

I've been reading about the "legendary" E46 steering ever since I owned my E90 sport pkg, which I later traded for a '14 435i msport. I FINALLY got a chance to drive a pristine, stock one with just 40k miles last week and now I'm super confused... the e46 steering was very loose on center and, while heavier than my 435i in sport mode, was definitely not as communicative as my f32 and e90...

For quite some time I, too, missed the steering on my old e90 after I got my f32... until I took the f32 to some technical backroads a few times and thought to myself... what am I missing, really?

[scrape1]

Yeah, I do hate my steering. Enough that I am looking forward to ditching my ride. I have an F22 but the F30s I have driven felt the same to me. It's video game steering. Quickness, accuracy (and a little artificial weight thrown in for sport mode) doesn't help to mask the fact that it is completely numb and uncommunicative until the car starts understeering. It used to be that I could sense the crown of the road and the type of surface the front tires were on with my fingertips.

I have also found the weight of the steering to be occasionally inconsistent for no apparent reason, which might be the "lumpiness" another poster described earlier. Sport mode does nothing to alleviate the feel/feedback issue, so I don't even bother with it because it seems to aggravate the inconsistent weight issue.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by kreuz

I've been reading about the "legendary" E46 steering ever since I owned my E90 sport pkg, which I later traded for a '14 435i msport. I FINALLY got a chance to drive a pristine, stock one with just 40k miles last week and now I'm super confused... the e46 steering was very loose on center and, while heavier than my 435i in sport mode, was definitely not as communicative as my f32 and e90...

I sense some memories get a bit distorted. The E46 definitely has a lot of followers, but read some of the reports of the period and steering was criticised. I have read reviews in car magazines where the E46 was said to have vague 'on-centre' steering, weighting all wrong, etc. Reviewers stating how the E90 was better sorted.

In my view we can't take steering in isolation. Wheel size, tire choice and suspension settings, plus alignment calibration, all have a part in how we rate the steering. There are even variables in the steering of the E46.

Where we are at present, with a range of opinion, is nothing new when we reflect on the different 3-series generations.

HighlandPete