Which small BMW has the best steering
Discussion
I have been looking at <2013 125i coupes recently as I believe they were among the last which featured fully mechanical steering with no electronic assistance.
Firstly, am I correct and secondly, what are my alternatives for small BMWs with fully mechanical steering and nat asp 6-pot engine? The later the better.
Firstly, am I correct and secondly, what are my alternatives for small BMWs with fully mechanical steering and nat asp 6-pot engine? The later the better.
To get the teminology correct, what you're looking for are cars with hydraulic power steering as opposed to the more modern (more efficient but less steering feel) systems that use electric motors. I thought the 125i had the electric rack introduced to the rest of the 1 Series range during the 2007 facelift though, and it was only the 135i that kept the hydraulic steering rack.
Edited by LocoBlade on Saturday 9th February 23:13
I think on a 1 Series the 130i didn't get EPAS until the 2006 facelift (Road Tax Band dropped from K to J).
I have a 56 plate Z4 Coupe with EPAS and an 06 plate 325i with HPAS - the HPAS is just so much better!
So whether "small" means a 1 Series or 3 Series it definitely needs to be pre-facelift.
I have a 56 plate Z4 Coupe with EPAS and an 06 plate 325i with HPAS - the HPAS is just so much better!
So whether "small" means a 1 Series or 3 Series it definitely needs to be pre-facelift.
I've got a 2008 125i and can confirm it definitely has EPAS as part of Efficient Dynamics - however, I really don't find it too much of an issue, as the steering feel is no better or worse than the E46 I had previously. Plus you have the benefit of it not being parasitic, so lets the engine focus more on shooting you up the road at a amusing rate.
HustleRussell said:
Wow it’s a real bummer that I have to buy a 12+ year old car to get proper HPAS. As much as I love the Z4MC it’s a bit serious for me as an ownership prospect
If you want naturally aspirated. As someone has said, the turbo six cylinder petrols continued to have HPAS until the end of the line. The N55 in the 135i Coupe and 335i Saloon/Estate/Coupe/Covertible is amazingly smooth for a turbo engine, definitely worth a test drive if you haven’t tried one already.If you want a manual transmission then there seem to be more manual 1-Series about than 3-Series, same goes for the naturally aspirated options.
The good news is that the E series BMWs seem to stand the test of time pretty well when it comes to rust and wear pretty well. Suspension usually needs refreshing if it hasn’t already and there are loads of aftermarket options.
I’ve got a 335i Estate as a family car and whenever I start looking at alternatives I’m reminded what a good and cost effective package it is (apart from high tax bracket and in-amazing fuel consumption). Test drove a F31 and while it was more modern, the overall feel in terms of steering and control weights was poor, IMHO of course.
LocoBlade said:
I thought the 125i had the electric rack introduced to the rest of the 1 Series range during the 2007 facelift though, and it was only the 135i that kept the hydraulic steering rack.
Correct.Unless you can find a 125i specced with the 'active steering' option (I think that was what it was called, but very few were as it was expensive) as I believe this option meant the hydraulic rack was used instead of the EPS?
iSore said:
EPAS on the original 1 Series is fine. It feels good and is completely reliable.
Yeah but you know- BMWs used to stand out in this regard. I can buy lots of cars which have 'fine / good' steering. I think the nicest steering I've experienced which wasn't in a Caterham / Lotus was my mate's E36 318i. It was just perfect. HustleRussell said:
iSore said:
EPAS on the original 1 Series is fine. It feels good and is completely reliable.
Yeah but you know- BMWs used to stand out in this regard. You either accept it, and move on, or just own/drive old cars that are 20-25+ years old?
aeropilot said:
HustleRussell said:
iSore said:
EPAS on the original 1 Series is fine. It feels good and is completely reliable.
Yeah but you know- BMWs used to stand out in this regard. You either accept it, and move on, or just own/drive old cars that are 20-25+ years old?
The steering in the 1 Series is direct but still feels quite remote to me.
The E46 steering is quite direct too, especially with the quicker racks. However it is still a bit light, but becomes much, much nicer/informative when under cornering load.
nw942 said:
I've driven 1 Series M and E46 M3s (both HPAS).
The steering in the 1 Series is direct but still feels quite remote to me.
The E46 steering is quite direct too, especially with the quicker racks. However it is still a bit light, but becomes much, much nicer/informative when under cornering load.
Did the 1 Series M models have HPAS? My 57 plate 123d had EPAS and I think the M models came along after that. Mind you the EPAS on my 123d was far better than the installation in my E86s. The steering in the 1 Series is direct but still feels quite remote to me.
The E46 steering is quite direct too, especially with the quicker racks. However it is still a bit light, but becomes much, much nicer/informative when under cornering load.
My E46 325ti Compact had HPAS but it felt pretty heavy and inert - the HPAS in my E91 is much better. Maybe not the best BMW I've had, but far and away the best steering.
Maybe my E86 needs to go from 3.0Si to M?!
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