Quote:
Originally Posted by alpinewhite3
The 330i has a 14.1:1 steering ratio while the 330i xDrive has a 14.9:1 steering ratio. Contrast that with the Giulia, for example, whose steering ratio is 11.8:1. It seems like a quicker steering ratio would be an easy way to make the feel more nimble and light and therefore be more fun to drive. So, why don't they give it a faster ratio? What would the downsides be?
I only bring this up because i drove my friend's Impreza sport wagon last night (it has a 13:1 ratio), and it was surprisingly super fun and nimble to toss around in day to day driving. Obviously the 330i is a much better all around vehicle but I was left feeling a bit envious of the easy going and playful nature of the wagon - almost like a point and shoot with your pinky at low speeds, go cart type of feeling. I think a lot of it has to do with the ratio because the wheel itself wasn't super light either - similar to F30 lightness.
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Probably worth adding that BMW and other volume luxury brands tune the steering based on the most common driving style which is one hand on the top of the wheel.
Bmw pretty much explicitly stated that in a C+D article on the 3 series development. Steering optimized for 2 hands on either side (where the driver has the most leverage on the wheel) feels very heavy and is harder to be accurate when the driver has just one hand on the top where there is significantly less leverage