Steering weight

[smorris_12]

Since I almost never change cars my experience of any model is limited to mine only, which kinda makes comparisons hard. So, I've had my 2.5Si for 3.5 years and something I've vaguely wondered about is the weight of the steering. People always moan about the EPS but I've always thought it fine. It seems weighted on a par with my E46 320d which, itself following a Jag S-Type, made me question if the E46 even had power steering. I've played with the Sport button which sharpens up the throttle but I can't say I've ever noticed it doing anything to the steering feel.

Having acquired an E70 X5, I can't believe how light the EPS is on that. Stupidly light. I read something somewhere that vaguely implied you could turn down the current to the motor which seems like an excellent idea. This has now made me ponder the Z.

Since I don't know what it felt like out of the factory, what should I expect? On a scale of 90s Mazda 626 (feather light) to 80s Lamborghini (set in concrete), what should the default EPS feel be for a facelift Si? Does the Sport button make a noticeable difference? Has someone recoded something and set it to heavy irrespective of the sport button? Is the motor partially seized and I should do something rapidly? Am I just a clot?

Thoughts on a postcard.

 

[enuff_zed]

I'm in the same boat; loads of zeds but nothing much to compare them too, except our daily 520d Tourer which is so big there can't really be a comparison. However, I agree that the Sport button seems to achieve very little change in the steering weight, though possibly that's because using it on Norfolk roads, as soon as I hit the button I have to hang on tighter to the wheel.
The one thing I do notice is how tight the turning circle is compared to most other cars on the road.

The wiring diagrams on NewTIS definitely show the Sport button interacting with the DME and the EPS ECU though.

 

[sp3ctre]

The one thing I do notice is how tight the turning circle is compared to most other cars on the road.

That’s so true. When I sold my Z4 that’s the thing I noticed right away. In the Z4 it was so easy to get into tight spaces!

 

[smorris_12]

I'm in the same boat; loads of zeds but nothing much to compare them too,

Ah, but (memory allowing) you can compare them to each other - inherently you'd spot an odd one out. I always understood the Sport button affected the EPS and it suddenly occurred to me there ought to be some sort of noticeable difference. I had the same problem in the S-Type. First car with heated seats so I didn't know what to expect. I would put them on and think "well, this seems a bit warmer" about 20 minutes later. Having later experienced them in other cars attempt to boil the blood in my buttocks, in hindsight, they were broken!

Regarding Z sizing - I find the width makes a big difference compared to the majority of traffic now as I can squeeze down the country roads. However, boring size comparison, the E85 is almost exactly the same length as a new Defender 90 (the SWB, three door thing.)

 

[MikeyH]

I have always compared the width of the E85 to an MGB but at a recent classic car show I went to, it's huge, I had forgotten how narrow the MG was.

 

[Rockhopper]

The sport button mine makes the steering very noticeably heavier. Don't really like it so I never use it.
The turning circle is probably because it doesn't have front drive shafts which limit the amount of lock you can apply because of the limits of the CV joint.