Light steering

[anonymous-user]

I drove my Dad's MGF today for the first time and it was my first experience of electric power steering. It is horrible, how on earth can anyone drive with steering THAT light?
It felt like it was going to chew me up and spit me out for daring to move the wheel, it is probably lovely to park but 90% of driving isn't parking.
And if it is parking steering that people are after there could always be a parking steering button like on my old Fiat.

Just want to know if anyone actually enjoys the steering being really light or is it just me being used to the Mini and big heavy Scooby.

[a_bread]

I'm totally with you on that one. Over-light steering is horrible.

But there is the matter of feel that goes beyond just weight. Without good steering feel, sensitivity and connectedness, you would have crap steering whether it's light or not.

[anonymous-user]

It's not the weight of the steering for me so much it's the lack of feel. EPAS can be really heavy if set up that way, doesn't mean it gives you any feedback. Too many cars now with "sport" mode which does nothing more than make the throttle over-sensitive and adds weight to the steering. Sucks

[twink]

Did it have speed sensitive steering? Quite nice when you get used to it. Nice and easy to drive/park around town but (in the case of my Vectra at least) once you're past about 50 the power steering turns off all together.

[anonymous-user]

twink said:

Did it have speed sensitive steering?

Not sure about that, I don't think it does though.

[carreauchompeur]

I drove a Fiat Punto at work once with a "city" button which made the steering even more comically light. Horrible car.

[redtwin]

You've never driven a Cadillac Sedan Deville have you?. Anything more than one finger to spin it and the steering is too heavy for me.

Bear in mind I cut my teeth on big American land barges where luxury was measured by how disconnected the wheels felt from the rest of the car.

[anonymous-user]

carreauchompeur said:

I drove a Fiat Punto at work once with a "city" button which made the steering even more comically light. Horrible car.

Thats what mine had. I only used it to park though.

[M4cruiser]

I love very light steering ...

The first Proton MPi 1500 was great, really light steering.

Some "power" systems are too heavy for me.

[kambites]

I didn't think the F had electric power steering? Your Punto did, however.

Personally I don't really care whether steering is light or heavy (as long as it's not really extreme); it's feel that matters, not weight.