So, just how good is the steering feedback?

[fistpoint]

Originally Posted by Strive-2-B-A-Driver

I just drove an 05' RSX Type S today with 100,000 miles, fully stock with a fresh alignment. Wow it was so much better! FR-S lacks in feedback, it only feels tight.. The only way I could explain it. The RSX felt involving and alive

I love my RSX-S, it is a fantastic car and the steering is very nice. But I like the quickness of the FR-S more. Also, I've been in the RSX for over 9.5 years now, it's time for something new.

[Strive-2-B-A-Driver]

I do agree with everyone about the chassis, the RSX does have vague chassis feel and can get into a nasty oversteer state and unless you already know that the car does this, you might get into big trouble.

For the most part driving the BRZ/FRS was easy because of this, but in that video everyone hates that samsam posted.. hahah you can see that whenever I get those teeny slides coming out of the corners, it's a little bit of a surprise since I don't feel it from the wheel. I feel it more from the noise, chassis movement, and view angle. So every time it does that while I'm exiting a corner, you see me try to "catch" it but the slide is so small and by the time I react to it, the slide already passed. Chris Harris talked about something similar and said corrections don't even need to be made... I think this is more the stability control doing weird things though b/c it feels really unnatural, this is with all the programs shut off but I still think there is something going on

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k2_vvJ8f5U"]Stock FR-S Touge Test! - YouTube[/ame]

[Strive-2-B-A-Driver]

okay, a racetrack will never be as big as a single lane, so you don't technically need to have control of the car down to the inch, but it would be nice. Maybe some bushings will liven up the steering a little. haha

[czar07]

Some solid alloy bushings would probably make it perfect.

Anyway after reading this thread I can sort of feel the vagueness off the steering at low speeds. its much better at higher speeds in my opinion.

In terms of the mini slides, thats a feature of the chassis + suspension. its brilliant. I can always feel the slide coming in the wet, which is perfect.

[BuBlake]

Originally Posted by czar07

"I can always feel the slide coming in the wet, which is perfect."

Me too...

[DjDATZ]

The other two cars in my household are a Rondo and a smart fortwo... Neither are remotely as precise as my baby.

[naikaidriver]

I traded in my 2001 BMW 325ci for the FR-S and the steering isn't even close. The EPS on the FR-S feels more solid and there is more rotational resistance as apposed to the effortless steering the BMW. Responsiveness is similar and ratios were fairly similar but you could still feel the weight of the BMW.

Both cars you could feel undulations and changes in traction on the road surface and feedback is good but the E46 is not as forgiving as the FR-S by a long shot. The FR-S will let you know you're coming into or out of a corner too hot before its too late. The BMW will spit you off the pavement if it gets away from you.

This, of course is merely my opinion that comes from my personal experience driving both cars on the Tail of the Dragon in Deal's Gap and autocrossing both cars.

Scott

[Strive-2-B-A-Driver]

Originally Posted by czar07

Some solid alloy bushings would probably make it perfect.

Anyway after reading this thread I can sort of feel the vagueness off the steering at low speeds. its much better at higher speeds in my opinion.

In terms of the mini slides, thats a feature of the chassis + suspension. its brilliant. I can always feel the slide coming in the wet, which is perfect.

I think I can feel the car cutting in on the slides, that's why I don't like it. Like instead of a small slide and a graceful exit, the car seems to hiccup a little. I need to drive one w/ the TCS fuse pulled and see if it changes anything

[Bristecom]

So I heard the FR-S/BRZ has a damper in the middle of the steering wheel. I wonder how it would feel if we were to take that out...

[SubieNate]

I find that on the edge, the car is extremely predictable. But while driving I tend not to concentrate on one specific aspect, steering, feel through the seat, sound, etc, so I couldn't tell you exactly how good the steering is.

I can tell you that the steering feel, when I think about it, is the best of all the cars I've ever personally had any real seat time in. Granted, that list is relatively short, but hey. It's my experience and I'm loving the steering on this car and so does everyone else I've let drive it.

Nathan

[Capstan]

I'm not sure what the other folks on this thread are talking about, but in my experience the steering is very much disconnected from the road. I mean this in the sense that the wheel does not vibrate or move in any way when you go over bumps or irregularities in the road. This is very different from older cars I've owned with conventional hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering systems.

Personally I have no problem with it, the car drives like it is on rails. Constantly adjusting for bumps etc. is tiresome. But the fact is that you cannot actually feel the road through the steering wheel.

[Strive-2-B-A-Driver]

yeah electric steering doesn't have much of that, you feel it only when you're in a corner and you can kinda feel like change in pressure from the steering wheel. Like if the car begins to oversteer, the steering wheel will get a little lighter so it sort of warns you. Very vague but after a week or so it gets to be "normal"

[dori.]

Originally Posted by Capstan

I'm not sure what the other folks on this thread are talking about, but in my experience the steering is very much disconnected from the road. I mean this in the sense that the wheel does not vibrate or move in any way when you go over bumps or irregularities in the road. This is very different from older cars I've owned with conventional hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering systems.

Personally I have no problem with it, the car drives like it is on rails. Constantly adjusting for bumps etc. is tiresome. But the fact is that you cannot actually feel the road through the steering wheel.

well, THAT can very much be a function of the wheel/tire package

at any rate, I hope more cars get EPS (because that means it will get more refined. I'm sure hydraulic rack+pinion sucked for a while too).

still doesn't get better than a manual steering rack, but I digress

[BMWDavid]

While the FR-S/BRZ steering is quite nice and very accurate it does not have the fluidity of a good hydraulic system.

I've not been sold yet on EPS. My first exposure was on my '06 GTI. Since then I've driven a few cars with ESP and I come away with the same impression every time.

I guess you could say that EPS has a "digital" feel while hydraulic systems have a "analog" feel.

My wifes PT Cruiser while having quite low limits does in fact have a nicer steering "feel" than my GTI or BRZ.

Then there is my '89 Carrera...now that is a steering full of feel!