What cars have easy steering?

[jimbrewer]

What cars have the lightest steering? You know, like a 1960s Mopar where the steering wheel doesn't feel like it's connected to anything?

Wife has a bad back and the Mercury Marquis has about had it. A soft ride is important of course, but easy steering more so.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Most new cars have electric power steering, easy and have no feel whatsoever

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
Most new cars have electric power steering, easy and have no feel whatsoever

Some also have adjustable steering with a push of a button, so you can choose your own steering feel (or lack thereof).

 

[stephen9666]

My Cruze has really light steering. It's way lighter than our VW.


Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
Most new cars have electric power steering, easy and have no feel whatsoever


This generalization is so sweeping that it's probably inaccurate. I don't know if it's fair to say "most."

Some companies offer electric steering with decent feel and weight.

 

[supton]

I've only driven a handful of Toyota's but they all seemed very light, at least coming out of a VW (which was preceeded by a non-PS Saturn).

Father in law had a Dodge Shadow which had light steering too.

Originally Posted By: jimbrewer
the Mercury Marquis has about had it.


Panthers wear out? I didn't think it was possible.

 

[d00df00d]

If a bad back is the problem you're trying to address, I would strongly recommend looking at the seat and seating position first. All else is secondary.

Steering lightness is good, but too much lightness (and too little feedback) can be counterproductive. You know those minor course corrections you're always making as you drive? If the steering has the right amount of weight and feedback, your brain senses and corrects them subconsciously, and the car responds the way you think it will. Without that steering feel, you're not as quick to notice the car going off course, you're relying on your eyes to notice it, and the car doesn't respond as intuitively. So, your course corrections are bigger and more frequent, and they take more conscious thought. All of that can make driving more straining and fatiguing in the long run. You might not notice it on a 5-minute test drive, but after a while, trust me -- you will.

 

[wemay]

When placed on the 'normal' setting, our Hyundai's (we've had three) have all had the lightest steering of any car i've ever owned. 'Sport' setting firms it up quite a bit.

 

[crazyoildude]

Most anything with electric steering my friends Santa Fe is super smooth... Im old school and im always thinking what happens if something goes wrong electrically..Do you lose steering totally??

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
im always thinking what happens if something goes wrong electrically..Do you lose steering totally??

Probably about the same thing as if you had a hydraulic system and something went wrong with the belt.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
If a bad back is the problem you're trying to address, I would strongly recommend looking at the seat and seating position first. All else is secondary.

Steering lightness is good, but too much lightness (and too little feedback) can be counterproductive. You know those minor course corrections you're always making as you drive? If the steering has the right amount of weight and feedback, your brain senses and corrects them subconsciously, and the car responds the way you think it will. Without that steering feel, you're not as quick to notice the car going off course, you're relying on your eyes to notice it, and the car doesn't respond as intuitively. So, your course corrections are bigger and more frequent, and they take more conscious thought. All of that can make driving more straining and fatiguing in the long run. You might not notice it on a 5-minute test drive, but after a while, trust me -- you will.


Yes! I find it harder to drive with brain-dead steering. I think I read it called "on-center dead spot" or somesuch. If the steering is too light and you look away for a moment--you're never going the same direction when you look back. Or I never am.

Heh, if you look up Mirage reviews on youtube one reviewer described the steering as "set and forget". He shows him going into a turn, removing his hands, and the steering wheel stayed where it was.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

XJ/YJ/ZJ Jeeps with the GM steering pumps on them. Provided they have good ball joints. Every time I drive one I'm always afraid I broke the drank link off because there is ZERO weight on the steering wheel.


Originally Posted By: supton

Yes! I find it harder to drive with brain-dead steering. I think I read it called "on-center dead spot" or somesuch. If the steering is too light and you look away for a moment--you're never going the same direction when you look back. Or I never am.

Heh, if you look up Mirage reviews on youtube one reviewer described the steering as "set and forget". He shows him going into a turn, removing his hands, and the steering wheel stayed where it was.


That's true. It really doesn't return back to center.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
XJ/YJ/ZJ Jeeps with the GM steering pumps on them. Provided they have good ball joints. Every time I drive one I'm always afraid I broke the drank link off because there is ZERO weight on the steering wheel.


Originally Posted By: supton

Yes! I find it harder to drive with brain-dead steering. I think I read it called "on-center dead spot" or somesuch. If the steering is too light and you look away for a moment--you're never going the same direction when you look back. Or I never am.

Heh, if you look up Mirage reviews on youtube one reviewer described the steering as "set and forget". He shows him going into a turn, removing his hands, and the steering wheel stayed where it was.


That's true. It really doesn't return back to center.
Yeah I don't like Jeep steering, doesn't center either.

 

[bullwinkle]

Older ones-I can steer my 12,000 pound F-450 with one finger-it's WAY lighter than my XJ!

 

[Kuato]

If you liked the GM, what about another one, or a Crown Vic? Plenty out there with under 50k.

 

[PolarisX]

The Malibu in my sig is totally 180º from my Impala. The Malibu is so soft and has zero feedback. It's terrible.

 

[delirious]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: Miller88
XJ/YJ/ZJ Jeeps with the GM steering pumps on them. Provided they have good ball joints. Every time I drive one I'm always afraid I broke the drank link off because there is ZERO weight on the steering wheel.


Originally Posted By: supton

Yes! I find it harder to drive with brain-dead steering. I think I read it called "on-center dead spot" or somesuch. If the steering is too light and you look away for a moment--you're never going the same direction when you look back. Or I never am.

Heh, if you look up Mirage reviews on youtube one reviewer described the steering as "set and forget". He shows him going into a turn, removing his hands, and the steering wheel stayed where it was.


That's true. It really doesn't return back to center.
Yeah I don't like Jeep steering, doesn't center either.


It keeps you on your toes so you don't have "brain-dead" steering as mentioned in the other post. Add a lift kit and now we're talking :] especially from a good side wind going 70mph down the interstate.

At least this is what I tell myself :]

 

[glock19]

Both of my wife's Highlanders (2010 & 2016) have had incredibly light steering. You can spin the wheel a complete revolution with one finger at a dead stop.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: Miller88
XJ/YJ/ZJ Jeeps with the GM steering pumps on them. Provided they have good ball joints. Every time I drive one I'm always afraid I broke the drank link off because there is ZERO weight on the steering wheel.


Originally Posted By: supton

Yes! I find it harder to drive with brain-dead steering. I think I read it called "on-center dead spot" or somesuch. If the steering is too light and you look away for a moment--you're never going the same direction when you look back. Or I never am.

Heh, if you look up Mirage reviews on youtube one reviewer described the steering as "set and forget". He shows him going into a turn, removing his hands, and the steering wheel stayed where it was.


That's true. It really doesn't return back to center.
Yeah I don't like Jeep steering, doesn't center either.


Mine is usually pretty good about returning to center. But I have a chrysler steering box (not saginaw) and chrysler PS pump.


Originally Posted By: JeepWJ19
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: Miller88
XJ/YJ/ZJ Jeeps with the GM steering pumps on them. Provided they have good ball joints. Every time I drive one I'm always afraid I broke the drank link off because there is ZERO weight on the steering wheel.


Originally Posted By: supton

Yes! I find it harder to drive with brain-dead steering. I think I read it called "on-center dead spot" or somesuch. If the steering is too light and you look away for a moment--you're never going the same direction when you look back. Or I never am.

Heh, if you look up Mirage reviews on youtube one reviewer described the steering as "set and forget". He shows him going into a turn, removing his hands, and the steering wheel stayed where it was.


That's true. It really doesn't return back to center.
Yeah I don't like Jeep steering, doesn't center either.


It keeps you on your toes so you don't have "brain-dead" steering as mentioned in the other post. Add a lift kit and now we're talking :] especially from a good side wind going 70mph down the interstate.

At least this is what I tell myself :]


I hit something off road over the weekend now there's about 1/2 turn of the steering wheel before anything happens. Real fun to drive in the wind!


Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Older ones-I can steer my 12,000 pound F-450 with one finger-it's WAY lighter than my XJ!


The "newer" Cherokees and Wranglers (mid-late 90s) have heavy steering. Every new body style Cherokee I have drove, even mine after ball joints, has had a bit heavy steering. Unless it's like -20F out, then it's light.

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
Most anything with electric steering my friends Santa Fe is super smooth... Im old school and im always thinking what happens if something goes wrong electrically..Do you lose steering totally??

It depends on what electrical problem you get.

When I had my 2003 Saturn ION, a sensor failed, and there was no return to center when I drove. The steering was also lighter than normal.

My dad had some problems with his 2007 Pontiac G6. He told me that the BCM failed and it affected steering, but he didn't explain why. I didn't ask because it would remind him of the $500 he spent to have the BCM replaced.

Anyway I think if the alternator fails to charge, power steering will use the remaining battery power to function. Once the voltage drops to the point when the electronics can't function, then you probably lose steering boost.
If some catastrophic electrical failure happens, you would probably lose steering boost instantly.

 

[MCompact]

People tend to confuse steering effort with steering feel; "effort" refers to how hard or easy it is to turn the wheel while "feel" describes how well the steering communicates what is going on at the contact patches of the front wheels. Very few cars have really communicative steering.