BMW X5 and X6 Forum 2014-Current
BMW Garage BMW Meets Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      04-28-2015, 02:21 PM   #1
UrbanExtant
Captain
358
Rep
729
Posts

Drives: F82 M4 Comp Pack
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Next to The Great Marsh

iTrader: (0)

Steering feel

For those of you who have received your vehicles, how is the steering feel? Is it a huge deviation from the feel of hydraulic steering? I dislike the video game feel of the F15 electric steering, and am hoping the M division "fixed" it for the F85/F86.

Last edited by UrbanExtant; 04-28-2015 at 02:27 PM..
Appreciate 0
      04-28-2015, 02:43 PM   #2
NoPII
Lieutenant
139
Rep
506
Posts

Drives: 2024 XM Label
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Seattle, WA, USA

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
Quote:
Originally Posted by UrbanExtant View Post
For those of you who have received your vehicles, how is the steering feel? Is it a huge deviation from the feel of hydraulic steering? I dislike the video game feel of the F15 electric steering, and am hoping the M division "fixed" it for the F85/F86.
It's definitely less connected than the E71 I had before, but it's still very precise, and much more relaxing in city traffic. I actually prefer it.

I'm not a fan of any mode other than "Comfort" though - the other two settings just seem artificially heavy with no benefit.

My M1/M2 modes change all other settings to various extremes, but I'm sticking with "Comfort" on the steering all the way around (which is, I believe, the way BMWNA configured their COTA track cars for the press).
Appreciate 0
      04-28-2015, 02:46 PM   #3
UrbanExtant
Captain
358
Rep
729
Posts

Drives: F82 M4 Comp Pack
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Next to The Great Marsh

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by alistairg View Post
It's definitely less connected than the E71 I had before, but it's still very precise, and much more relaxing in city traffic. I actually prefer it.

I'm not a fan of any mode other than "Comfort" though - the other two settings just seem artificially heavy with no benefit.

My M1/M2 modes change all other settings to various extremes, but I'm sticking with "Comfort" on the steering all the way around (which is, I believe, the way BMWNA configured their COTA track cars for the press).
Thanks for the great feedback. I may actually prefer the heavy steering options. I've been driving a 2013 diesel X5, which had notoriously heavy steering, and I loved it. First time I drove the F15, I looked at my partner and said, "OMG the steering wheel is going to fall off!!!"
Appreciate 0
      04-28-2015, 02:51 PM   #4
1MOREMOD
-
1MOREMOD's Avatar
United_States
11815
Rep
23,187
Posts

Drives: Race car->
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: check your mirrors

iTrader: (5)

Weight isn't as important as directness. The e9x seemed hard wired to my inputs. Drove the m4 briefly and think it feels less direct but no track time to test it further. Comfort mode is the sweet spot on the m4 as its not artificially heavy.
Appreciate 0
      04-28-2015, 03:04 PM   #5
UrbanExtant
Captain
358
Rep
729
Posts

Drives: F82 M4 Comp Pack
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Next to The Great Marsh

iTrader: (0)

I agree directness is important, but for me anyway, so is weight, and road feedback. The F15, and the F30, have steering so light one could sneeze and be three lanes over without knowing it. There is also little to no road feedback, which is the main thing I miss the most with the trend towards these electric power steering systems. The M division talked up their "fix" to the steering system, so I wondered if it lived up to its hype. My X5 M has been sitting at the VPC in SC waiting for me to get to the performance center to get it in two weeks, so I'm living vicariously through everyone on here who has taken delivery of theirs.
Appreciate 0
      04-28-2015, 03:31 PM   #6
AwesomeM3
Colonel
AwesomeM3's Avatar
United_States
1635
Rep
2,773
Posts

Drives: F95 X5MC
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: New Jersey

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2015 BMW X5 M  [10.00]
2020 BMW X5M Compet ...  [0.00]
2008 M3  [10.00]
I've noticed that the steering in the "comfort" setting is light but precise and responsive. I actually prefer this setting for every day driving. The steering feels much better than my E70.
__________________
2020 F95 X5///M Competition CarBahn Autoworks Stage 1 | 2023 Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica
Appreciate 1
      04-28-2015, 03:55 PM   #7
NoPII
Lieutenant
139
Rep
506
Posts

Drives: 2024 XM Label
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Seattle, WA, USA

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
Quote:
Originally Posted by UrbanExtant View Post
I agree directness is important, but for me anyway, so is weight, and road feedback. The F15, and the F30, have steering so light one could sneeze and be three lanes over without knowing it. There is also little to no road feedback, which is the main thing I miss the most with the trend towards these electric power steering systems. The M division talked up their "fix" to the steering system, so I wondered if it lived up to its hype. My X5 M has been sitting at the VPC in SC waiting for me to get to the performance center to get it in two weeks, so I'm living vicariously through everyone on here who has taken delivery of theirs.
It's been a while since I drove an F15 (a 35i at that) but my X6M seems to have plenty road feedback, which I didn't notice on the F15. Comfort is just enjoyably light with it.

I liked the heavy steering on my E71, but don't miss it. The only thing you don't notice in "Comfort" that you you do notice with "Sport" and "Sport Plus" is the super wide tires getting caught in the truck tracks on the road. In comfort the car maintains the direction you pointed it in, in Sport onwards you have to perform minor corrections more frequently. That said, I drove through the mountain passes on US2 this weekend, and Comfort (with suspension and drivetrain in Sport Plus) was by far the most fun (and it was a LOT of fun).
Appreciate 1
      04-28-2015, 04:00 PM   #8
UrbanExtant
Captain
358
Rep
729
Posts

Drives: F82 M4 Comp Pack
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Next to The Great Marsh

iTrader: (0)

Thanks for the responses. It seems it'll be distinctly different from what I'm used to, but I won't be disappointed. The steering has been the aspect of this purchase I've been most nervous about, simply going on what I've experienced in BMW's recent vehicles.
Appreciate 0
      04-28-2015, 04:35 PM   #9
ItaliaM3
Private First Class
85
Rep
109
Posts

Drives: 2023 G80 MT
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SoCal

iTrader: (0)

My Thoughts...

Test drove a X5M on Saturday... I planned on doing a little write-up on my experience, but quickly... here are my impressions of the steering feel.

Background: I have had in order: E46 330, E60 550 Sport, E90 M3, and currently drive an E70 5.0 Sport. Also, my wife has an F15 3.5 (without sports package) which I drive a lot and my dad has a 2013 Cayenne Turbo, which I drive on occasion.

Going into the test drive... I loved the heavy feel of the E70, HATED the light steering in the F15. The Cayenne is heavier than the F15, but much lighter than my E70. I drove the X5M with the steering in sport plus mode, because of my limited time, I wanted to see if that setting was heavy/tight enough.

I'm happy to report that although definitely lighter than the E70, the steering felt great. I like when the steering has a nice "elastic" return to center feel. And the new X5M has that. Nice road feel and it certainly felt responsive.

To me the X5M steering is most comparable to the Cayenne. In fact, I think they are very close. Much more precise feeling than then E70 and light years ahead of the awful F15 steering. The X5M steering is not light, it just feels right and very precise like the Cayenne - and what this does for both trucks is to give the driver the impression that you are driving a very sporty "car" that is not nearly carrying as much weight as it is. I was hugely impressed.

After the 20 minute test drive, the heavy feel of my E70 was not nearly as enjoyable before. The E70 now felt bigger, heavier, and the steering less responsive. The E70 now felt more like a battering ram than an ultra-performance SUV like the X5M.

And here I was worrying about whether I would like the steering in the new X5M.
Appreciate 1
      06-25-2015, 07:34 AM   #10
ajob
Lieutenant
ajob's Avatar
Monaco
455
Rep
492
Posts

Drives: X5 M
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Monaco

iTrader: (0)

The steering on my 2015 X5 M feels much more precise compared to the variable ratio steering of my former 2011 X5 50i
Appreciate 0
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:18 AM.




xbimmers
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST