My van steers better than my M4. Ouch.
Discussion
I’ve made no secret of my affection for my BMW M4. It’s a cracking car that covers the bases of being a big hairy chested coupe that has power delivery that just works in the real world. I like the way it sounds despite the criticism, I like the interior, it grips hard and stops well and goes harder than it needs to to be impressive and urgent. If you give it a shoe full, the e diff thing works brilliantly with (allegedly) controllable slides on tap. Mine is a manual version but it has so much torque you can treat it like an auto most of the time. It also - to my eye - looks great as a coupe and yet as I discovered last night it still works to take clients out for dinner.
Perfect, then - well not quite. You see, I’ve not driven the car for about a year. It has been sat in the garage patiently waiting for me whilst I’ve been busy with other stuff and in fact I only taxed it because I realised we didn’t have another suitable 4 door car to collect customers from the airport in and ferry them about.
This year I’ve been driving my 986s and more recently my Elise, but mainly I’ve been driving my trusty 68 plate Peugeot Boxer van which, for a van, has brilliantly weighted and accurate hydraulic steering.
You’ve read the title of the thread and I’m not, unfortunately, joking when I tell you that honestly the van has more feelsome and accurate steering than the M4 which is just dead in your hands.
It’s competent in every other way but the steering is like a heavy version of a Sega(Tm) arcade game.
I don’t know if it’s the software, the tyres or the size of the tyres that is to blame - or even the geometry (I think it feels short on caster.)
So - what to try first to bring it alive a bit? I’ve tried tyre pressures and “mode” but those button things are not so helpful and just vary the weight from what I can see of it.
Perfect, then - well not quite. You see, I’ve not driven the car for about a year. It has been sat in the garage patiently waiting for me whilst I’ve been busy with other stuff and in fact I only taxed it because I realised we didn’t have another suitable 4 door car to collect customers from the airport in and ferry them about.
This year I’ve been driving my 986s and more recently my Elise, but mainly I’ve been driving my trusty 68 plate Peugeot Boxer van which, for a van, has brilliantly weighted and accurate hydraulic steering.
You’ve read the title of the thread and I’m not, unfortunately, joking when I tell you that honestly the van has more feelsome and accurate steering than the M4 which is just dead in your hands.
It’s competent in every other way but the steering is like a heavy version of a Sega(Tm) arcade game.
I don’t know if it’s the software, the tyres or the size of the tyres that is to blame - or even the geometry (I think it feels short on caster.)
So - what to try first to bring it alive a bit? I’ve tried tyre pressures and “mode” but those button things are not so helpful and just vary the weight from what I can see of it.
In fact I don’t have a problem with the sound - it makes all kinds of interesting noises that I find entertaining! The solution is to drive the car with sensible throttle openings and with the exhaust valves shut in built up areas and then it makes no silly noises. Sorted. Nothing to see here...
More importantly - any thoughts about improving the steering? Has anyone tried a different tyre other than Pilot sport?
PS
I actually posted this in GG and I’ve no idea why they moved it to car buying because this car is already bought!
More importantly - any thoughts about improving the steering? Has anyone tried a different tyre other than Pilot sport?
PS
I actually posted this in GG and I’ve no idea why they moved it to car buying because this car is already bought!
The hydraulic steering in the E92 M3 came in for a bit of criticism as well in the motoring press(I personally didn't find it to be that bad in fairness though) for lacking feel.
The electric steering on my 640d was terrible though, so I can understand where you are coming from regards the M4.
The electric steering on my 640d was terrible though, so I can understand where you are coming from regards the M4.
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