[Crystal330i]

Does anybody have any experience with Aliexpress custom steering wheels?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...Cquery_from%3A

Looking to pick one up for my F30. So far customer service with the seller has been great, and he was able to include heating as well as well as other stuff like perforated leather. It's going to cost me just 450$ cad - 3 times less than other stores like Bimmer Plug (they want close to 1700$ for the same features, and it probably comes from China as well). Just wanted to get some more opinions before I pull the trigger. I don't doubt the leather quality, but anybody have experience with the electronics, heating element, buttons, etc?

Note: I already have an OEM airbag - don't trust these Chinese ones for safety reasons, so that isn't a concern.

[eff32fl]

That's a good deal. A custom steering wheel shouldn't be more than like 800 USD imo. Vendors charging like 1500 is just crazy.

[Crystal330i]

Just placed the order for it... I'll update this thread with a review when I receive it

[Crystal330i]

Just received the wheel! Waited around a month or so for it to come in.

Initial impressions are awesome. Been driving around with it for 2 days now and don't see any drawbacks whatsoever. The stitching is perfect, leather quality is great, and heating function works well. It's my first time with perforated leather, and I'm glad I made the decision to get it - super comfy, especially when it's hot out. I also asked them to make the leather a little bit thicker than normal, since I have large hands, and it's perfect - just the right size.

The buttons feel OEM - felt exactly like the old M sport wheel I had, just a tiny bit more firm, since it's new. Doesn't feel like a cheap chinese plastic at all, which is what I was worried about. All electronic functions work too, except obviously the M1 and M2 buttons since I don't have those coded.

Was expecting the paddle shifters to be junk, since I have a pair of magnetic ones anyway, but they felt surprisingly good out of the box. They have a certain weight to them that makes them feel high quality, which is something I didn't expect - a nice bonus. I ended up leaving them on, and no complaints there either.

All the wiring inside the wheel seems to be all in the right places. I disassembled my old OEM m sport wheel twice, and this one looks almost exactly the same. The heating element cable was a tiny bit short - I had to wiggle it in a bit to get it connected - but there was no tension on the wire after I plugged it in, so I'm not too worried about it.

My only complaint for the wheel is that they forgot to put the M logo on the steering wheel trim in the middle - but this is partially my fault too. They sent me a photo of it before they shipped it out, and I didn't even notice it was missing. However, I messaged the seller about it, and I was able to get a 25$ credit back from them. I don't really mind, since it doesn't look to bad anyway.

All in all, for only 441 canadian bucks, this might've been the highest value car part I've ever purchased lol. I saved almost 50-75% compared to if I was to get a wheel from an American based vendor. For anybody else on the fence, I say to go for it - just make sure you choose a vendor that has good reviews/feedback.

[gameson]

sorry but link is 404…curious to see the vendor as it looks good.

Originally Posted by Crystal330i

Does anybody have any experience with Aliexpress custom steering wheels?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...Cquery_from%3A

Looking to pick one up for my F30. So far customer service with the seller has been great, and he was able to include heating as well as well as other stuff like perforated leather. It's going to cost me just 450$ cad - 3 times less than other stores like Bimmer Plug (they want close to 1700$ for the same features, and it probably comes from China as well). Just wanted to get some more opinions before I pull the trigger. I don't doubt the leather quality, but anybody have experience with the electronics, heating element, buttons, etc?

Note: I already have an OEM airbag - don't trust these Chinese ones for safety reasons, so that isn't a concern.

[Crystal330i]

Originally Posted by gameson

sorry but link is 404…curious to see the vendor as it looks good.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...Cquery_from%3A

You can see in the description the available options they have - fully customizable.

[antiserious]

How easy would you say the customization process was? Did they give you a list of what the different customization options cost? Curious how much the different options cost.

[Arthurrs]

Was the airbag included? If so, any compatibility or safety issues?

[Crystal330i]

Super easy, they usually have all the options laid out for you to see and you just contact for easy pricing. Options are pretty cheap, most expensive is usually the heating function.

As for the airbag, that's the one thing I don't trust with a chinese wheel - Didn't want to risk it in case of safety issues. They definitely fit since my friend also purchased one, but didn't want anything going wrong in case I did get into a crash. I managed to source one off a facebook marketplace post for cheap, you can read this thread about this airbag stuff
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...php?p=30991984

[antiserious]

Just ordered one as well, I’ll update as I go through the process!

[antiserious]

Not sure if I ordered the wrong one or what, but that seller doesn’t allow for customization. They just flat out refunded me