[WXdrivefun]

Another BMW m340i review from 'Remove Before Race'

The reviewer comments the disappointment of same numb and vague steering on the M340i with x-drive in timeframe 22:35
Another thing to note the M340i that is reviewed has Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires (High Performance tires) and has M adaptive suspension option..

Any BMW m340i owner feel the same? I thought the engineers improved the steering feel over the previous generation F30 series.

Is it really that noticeable and deal breaker nowadays considering all new vehicles sold now are electrically power steering?

[MineralM]

Originally Posted by WXdrivefun

Another BMW m340i review from 'Remove Before Race'

The reviewer comments the disappointment of same numb and vague steering on the M340i with x-drive in timeframe 22:35
Another thing to note the M340i that is reviewed has Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires (High Performance tires) and has M adaptive suspension option..

Any BMW m340i owner feel the same? I thought the engineers improved the steering feel over the previous generation F30 series.

Is it really that noticeable and deal breaker nowadays considering all new vehicles sold now are electrically power steering?

I have about bad steering feel all the time. I have an xdrive and all season tires and the steering is perfectly fine. Comfort is nice and I like the heaviness of the sports mode. If you drive the car hard the steering feels responsive and intelligent at the limit. I think a lot of people don't push the car to see what it's made off.

[Burrcold]

It's one of the only things I didn't like about the M340i. The steering is so artificial and either vague when in comfort (although more precise in my opinion) or overly heavy and vague for no reason in Sport.

[siegester]

I totally get this and agree. Steering feel isn't great. I miss the feel of my old E82 still. With that said, I still love the car

[Benjamin_Nicholas]

Another no-name video blogger.

Wake me when C&D or MT bemoans.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by Benjamin_Nicholas

Another no-name video blogger.

Wake me when C&D or MT bemoans.

You would have been awake for months now then. Both of them have commented on it, especially C&D. They still find the vehicle to be best in class overall, but the steering definitely holds it back.

[Germanauto]

I was with this reviewer until he claimed the C43 has better steering and is even comparable to Porsche's steering. Absolutely laughable. I've pushed both these cars at the limits and the Merc's steering is just as artificially weighted and numb feeling. The 340 is clearly the superior car overall, but the steering crosses it off my list. Can't spend that type of money on a car only to be left feeling "meh oh well."

[Ikester19]

Originally Posted by WXdrivefun

Another BMW m340i review from 'Remove Before Race'

The reviewer comments the disappointment of same numb and vague steering on the M340i with x-drive in timeframe 22:35
Another thing to note the M340i that is reviewed has Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires (High Performance tires) and has M adaptive suspension option..

Any BMW m340i owner feel the same? I thought the engineers improved the steering feel over the previous generation F30 series.

Is it really that noticeable and deal breaker nowadays considering all new vehicles sold now are electrically power steering?

When I first got my car the steering felt quite numb. I've put 10,000km on the car and would say the steering feels a lot better now than it did when new. I do get a fair amount of feedback from the steering and when driving spiritedly it does feel good. The steering feel definitely does not compare to a hydraulic but for what it is I'd say it's quite good. I think peoples interpretation of what steering feel should be is different and opinions are subjective.

Overall the M340i as a package is best in class, its positive points certainly outweigh the few negatives. But if one is basing their buying decision specifically on steering feel then they perhaps should consider a sports car, not a luxury sport sedan in this case.

[TheDudeMan]

Coming from an F30, I think the steering feel has improved and is very direct.

There are also multiple factors to steering feel such as tires, alignment, and wheel sizes. It could be a possibility that the specific car you drove had numb steering, but with a tire/wheel swap it would wake it up.

Think about this, if you had E90 328i steering or even E46, you may have complained that it was too stiff. It all comes down to preference. Unforutently, BMW focuses on the masses and not us enthusiasts.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by TheDudeMan

Coming from an F30, I think the steering feel has improved and is very direct.

There are also multiple factors to steering feel such as tires, alignment, and wheel sizes. It could be a possibility that the specific car you drove had numb steering, but with a tire/wheel swap it would wake it up.

Think about this, if you had E90 328i steering or even E46, you may have complained that it was too stiff. It all comes down to preference. Unforutently, BMW focuses on the masses and not us enthusiasts.

You also have a 330i that has a brand new EPS rack compared to the M340i (which has a slightly revised version of the old F30 rack).

[TTG]

I am totally fine with its steering feel / response & etc.

People need to get over that we are not going back to hydraulic days and this car is a huge improvement over the outgoing F30.

It also feels MUCH MUCH better than its Audi & MB competitors.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by TTG

It also feels MUCH MUCH better than its Audi & MB competitors.

That's a matter of personal opinion. Coming from an S4 and S5 into the M340i and now into an RS5, I would say that the M340i steering was the worst out of all 4. The S4/S5 have lighter steering, but have more road feel and are more precise in my opinion. The RS5 (not a competitor I know) goes a step even further. The G20 330i has more natural and direct feel vs the M340i. Again...personal preference I guess.

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by Benjamin_Nicholas

Another no-name video blogger.

Wake me when C&D or MT bemoans.

Have you been asleep for 10 years?

Literally C/D is the number one source of criticism for BMW steering. They loved the old steering feel and were even accused of bias towards BMW back in the day.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a1...steering-feel/

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by Ikester19

When I first got my car the steering felt quite numb. I've put 10,000km on the car and would say the steering feels a lot better now than it did when new. I do get a fair amount of feedback from the steering and when driving spiritedly it does feel good. The steering feel definitely does not compare to a hydraulic but for what it is I'd say it's quite good. I think peoples interpretation of what steering feel should be is different and opinions are subjective.

Overall the M340i as a package is best in class, its positive points certainly outweigh the few negatives. But if one is basing their buying decision specifically on steering feel then they perhaps should consider a sports car, not a luxury sport sedan in this case.

It's certainly possible you have just gotten used to the steering and know how to get the most out of it?

What BMW used to do so well was give you a sports car experience in a 4-door car. That is why the likes of the E46 and E90 are so beloved while the F30 is so bemoaned. A dedicated sports car isn't practical enough or affordable for everybody. The G20 is certainly a great car, and if I absolutely needed 4 doors I'd pick it.

[EXE46]

These reviewers all seem to rehash the same old story. Steering isn't nothing like the E 3' series. Everybody who's not a newcomer knows this. Does it frustrate me sometimes yes but not to the point where I grow to dislike the car like I did my old Lexus 3IS.

Electric steering just can't match the hydraulic we were used to. Some say Lexus, Genesis, insert your poison here does it better. However, I didn't notice significant difference coming from a Lexus although it sure was better. However, when I sold my last bimmer it did take me awhile to acclimate to the electric steering wheel of the Lexus as well as not having a manual transmission then. I have even seen some people chastising Porsche for their electric steering though some say it's the best lol.

With that said, BMW needs to fix the steering because sometimes I find my self over correcting due to this lack of feel or dead-spot. Which only occurs under certain driving conditions in my experience. Aside from that small inconvenience it's still a blast to drive daily.

[EXE46]

Originally Posted by jstein55

Have you been asleep for 10 years?

Literally C/D is the number one source of criticism for BMW steering. They loved the old steering feel and were even accused of bias towards BMW back in the day.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a1...steering-feel/

Haha, maybe our friend is hibernating eh or prepping, the White Walkers are coming...

[Alex_bm]

I have P4S with adaptive susp. Tried different tire pressure and there is some effect, but overall the steering still sucks. It is an improvement over Fx generation when it comes to on-center response. However otherwise it is just not very intuitive in general and has that rubbery sensation previously associated with cheaper cars.

Was wondering if there is a way to code off VSS... has anyone tried this?

Still puzzled how steering can be so much better on Macan GTS. 911 and cayman are in a different realm completely.

As others stated though, M340i is such a fun daily as an overall package. I wish Dinan or another vendor would come up with a solution for the steering.

Originally Posted by WXdrivefun

Another BMW m340i review from 'Remove Before Race'

The reviewer comments the disappointment of same numb and vague steering on the M340i with x-drive in timeframe 22:35
Another thing to note the M340i that is reviewed has Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires (High Performance tires) and has M adaptive suspension option..

Any BMW m340i owner feel the same? I thought the engineers improved the steering feel over the previous generation F30 series.

Is it really that noticeable and deal breaker nowadays considering all new vehicles sold now are electrically power steering?

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by Alex_bm

I have P4S with adaptive susp. Tried different tire pressure and there is some effect, but overall the steering still sucks. It is an improvement over Fx generation when it comes to on-center response. However otherwise it is just not very intuitive in general and has that rubbery sensation previously associated with cheaper cars.

Was wondering if there is a way to code off VSS... has anyone tried this?

Still puzzled how steering can be so much better on Macan GTS. 911 and cayman are in a different realm completely.

As others stated though, M340i is such a fun daily as an overall package. I wish Dinan or another vendor would come up with a solution for the steering.

I wonder if its the tuning rather than the rack itself. BMW uses ZF steering racks I think, and so does Cadillac in vehicles like the ATS-V, which have very communicative steering feel, so maybe its the tuning?

[Ikester19]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

It's certainly possible you have just gotten used to the steering and know how to get the most out of it?

What BMW used to do so well was give you a sports car experience in a 4-door car. That is why the likes of the E46 and E90 are so beloved while the F30 is so bemoaned. A dedicated sports car isn't practical enough or affordable for everybody. The G20 is certainly a great car, and if I absolutely needed 4 doors I'd pick it.

Yeah I agree I may have gotten used to it to a certain extent however i still feel it has somewhat improved especially driving at slower speeds compared to when I first got the car. Took the car out last weekend on some back roads and was quite impressed as the steering does feel a lot better when driving at higher speeds.

Yes I totally agree with your sentiments on the E46/E90 steering. My previous E90 323i had much more steering feel but I think the size of the car too was the sweet spot for me. It did feel alot more like a sports car.

[hans007]

I totally agree this is not great steering feel. Driving my M340i in some twisty canyon roads in LA.... the steering was definitely the thing that wasn't the most satisfying or confidence inspiring. Still is very numb. For normal driving its fine, I don't even mind it on say a regular freeway drive, but it does feel like a video game .

Wish it had the new steering rack (i've never driven the 330i, but I have driven the Z4... so I'm assuming thats the same and that felt much better) . That said the I-6 is worth it.

[chenry]

Originally Posted by hans007

I totally agree this is not great steering feel. Driving my M340i in some twisty canyon roads in LA.... the steering was definitely the thing that wasn't the most satisfying or confidence inspiring. Still is very numb. For normal driving its fine, I don't even mind it on say a regular freeway drive, but it does feel like a video game .

Wish it had the new steering rack (i've never driven the 330i, but I have driven the Z4... so I'm assuming thats the same and that felt much better) . That said the I-6 is worth it.

I agree

Think I'm going to give those Dinan monoballs a try to see if they improve things

Like you day to day things are fine but canyons and autoX make me want something more

[Benjamin_Nicholas]

Originally Posted by TTG

I am totally fine with its steering feel / response & etc.

People need to get over that we are not going back to hydraulic days and this car is a huge improvement over the outgoing F30.

It also feels MUCH MUCH better than its Audi & MB competitors.

This. 100%.

The car is best in class. Period.