[vip]

Just wanted to ask a few questions for those with active steering on their e92s.

How do you like it?

Any different compared to a e92 without active steering?

[TT3 iN NyC]

Originally Posted by vip

Just wanted to ask a few questions for those with active steering on their e92s.

How do you like it?

Any different compared to a e92 without active steering?

I dont like it, i LOVE IT!!!

NIGHT and DAY difference.

[kenneth]

You have to try for yourself! I love mine. Those who have it love it, but others will say they don't like the idea/feel of it.

[Mr. 5]

By recently adding the M3 wishbone links and tension links, I just made the steering wheel a bit harder to turn.

I'm sure this is the oposite of what the active steering does.
Isn't it?

[AV9]

doesnt active steering simply heighten the sensitivity of the the steering campability at higher speeds?

i personally do have it as well, but i havent drived aggressively enough to get a real feel for it...

[Kaju]

Active Steering is pretty nice. I have had my car about 1.5 yrs now, and every time I go in for service I get a loaner. After driving the loaner around for a day or so, I am so glad to have my car back and have active steering. Here are my impressions:
I've driven the current model M3 and M6. I'd rather have a M car with the normal super tight and responsive steering than my 335i coupe with Active Steering option. Versus all other models, I prefer Active Steering. At higher speeds you don't really notice a DRAMATIC difference with the Active Steering, but there is a difference. The car is more sensitive to steering wheel inputs. I find this a little annoying at times, because you have to be rather precise all the time, and it causes fatigue on longer trips. So, a litle iput left or right will send you off; in a regular car you have a little more play before the wheel input translates into movement. Now the car is not more responsive, just more sensitive. If you want a more responsive car, you need to mod your suspension or spend the bucks for an M. The Z cars are pretty tight also. At low speeds, Active Steering is a thing of beauty. Turning at traffic lights, parking, U turns at 40 mph with one finger and a half wheel turn... It's awesome. You will not need to rotate the wheel more than one turn ever, never need two hands. It's really really nice. If you do a lot of city driving, tight parking garages, etc. then buy Active Steering. I cannot see an advantage worth the money to drive on open roads, high speed stuff, going around corners, going to a track. When I drive normal steering BMWs, including all wheel drive, I (think) I prefer it to Active Steering when I'm moving pretty fast. The Active Steering is so sensitive it's difficult to get a good line going into a curve, you need to constantly recalibrate. Regular steering this is easier and a little more fun. For REAL track guys stay away. Normal every day folks will probably like it. Last thing, alignments are not covered under BMWs 4/50000 free maintenance plan. Active Steering costs a LOT more to align, about double - keep that in mind.

[GeekinE90]

Active steering makes the car feel more nimble and responsive on lower speeds. I had my AS malfunction once when I installed my KWs (one of the sensors got knocked out), and the car felt a lot more "lazy" and bigger/bulkier. AS is a luxury option, not really meant for track use, but lovely for daily driving.

[JO3]

Originally Posted by Mr. 5

By recently adding the M3 wishbone links and tension links, I just made the steering wheel a bit harder to turn.

I'm sure this is the oposite of what the active steering does.
Isn't it?

Not really. It's not about the power assist, it's more about the variable ratio of the steering. ie at parking lot speeds the steering wheel is 1.5 turns lock to lock, while on the highway, it's 3 turns lock to lock.

Originally Posted by Kaju

Active Steering is pretty nice. I have had my car about 1.5 yrs now, and every time I go in for service I get a loaner. After driving the loaner around for a day or so, I am so glad to have my car back and have active steering. Here are my impressions:
I've driven the current model M3 and M6. I'd rather have a M car with the normal super tight and responsive steering than my 335i coupe with Active Steering option. Versus all other models, I prefer Active Steering. At higher speeds you don't really notice a DRAMATIC difference with the Active Steering, but there is a difference. The car is more sensitive to steering wheel inputs. I find this a little annoying at times, because you have to be rather precise all the time, and it causes fatigue on longer trips. So, a litle iput left or right will send you off; in a regular car you have a little more play before the wheel input translates into movement. Now the car is not more responsive, just more sensitive. If you want a more responsive car, you need to mod your suspension or spend the bucks for an M. The Z cars are pretty tight also. At low speeds, Active Steering is a thing of beauty. Turning at traffic lights, parking, U turns at 40 mph with one finger and a half wheel turn... It's awesome. You will not need to rotate the wheel more than one turn ever, never need two hands. It's really really nice. If you do a lot of city driving, tight parking garages, etc. then buy Active Steering. I cannot see an advantage worth the money to drive on open roads, high speed stuff, going around corners, going to a track. When I drive normal steering BMWs, including all wheel drive, I (think) I prefer it to Active Steering when I'm moving pretty fast. The Active Steering is so sensitive it's difficult to get a good line going into a curve, you need to constantly recalibrate. Regular steering this is easier and a little more fun. For REAL track guys stay away. Normal every day folks will probably like it. Last thing, alignments are not covered under BMWs 4/50000 free maintenance plan. Active Steering costs a LOT more to align, about double - keep that in mind.

I actually feel the opposite about the steering sensitivity on the highway. I don't think it's sensitive enough. When I switch from my IS300 to my 335, I feel that I have to make very exaggerated movements with the steering wheel when cruising 65+ mph.

I thought what I was feeling made sense, since, according to BMWUSA.com, the slow speed ratio of AS is 10:1 while on the highway it is 18:1. The non-AS bimmer has a constant ratio of 16:1. That means that at freeway speeds, the AS equipped car is a little lazier than the non-AS version. However, I haven't driven a non-AS BMW in a long time, so I can't compare directly between the two, but my IS300's ratio is 15.7:1, so it's pretty close.

Ideally, I'd love to be able to control the active steering ratios with an Idrive setting. That would be awesome, if I could set what the ratio is at what speed. (10:1 all the time, lol)

[kenneth]

Originally Posted by avzbmveh

doesnt active steering simply heighten the sensitivity of the the steering campability at higher speeds?

i personally do have it as well, but i havent drived aggressively enough to get a real feel for it...

As Jo3 mentioned, it is actually the reverse, at high speed you will need to turn wheel more, so it is less sensitive at high speed, which is a good thing!

[Dmillion]

love it on my 545....
reg cars feel wierd now...too much wheel turning in parking lots

[E90SLAM]

I love it!!!

[mwahlert]

i would probably get this option in my next bmw...

[princefemi]

This weekend I went to a BMW dealership and drove a non AS 335i extensively to make comparisons with my car that has AS and I have driven for over a year. I agree completely with your analysis of AS. At low speeds my car is much more resposive and changes directions very quickly with very little steering input. At high speeds (highway speeds) the non AS car simply outperformed my car. Lane changes were crisper and the car seemed to respond immediately to steering input. IMHO, at higher speeds, the non AS car felt sportier, and the steering seemed more precise, which makes me believe that the non AS car would probably be better suited for track use. It might just be me, but the non AS car also seemed to exhibit less body roll at higher speeds.

Originally Posted by JO3

Not really. It's not about the power assist, it's more about the variable ratio of the steering. ie at parking lot speeds the steering wheel is 1.5 turns lock to lock, while on the highway, it's 3 turns lock to lock.




I actually feel the opposite about the steering sensitivity on the highway. I don't think it's sensitive enough. When I switch from my IS300 to my 335, I feel that I have to make very exaggerated movements with the steering wheel when cruising 65+ mph.

I thought what I was feeling made sense, since, according to BMWUSA.com, the slow speed ratio of AS is 10:1 while on the highway it is 18:1. The non-AS bimmer has a constant ratio of 16:1. That means that at freeway speeds, the AS equipped car is a little lazier than the non-AS version. However, I haven't driven a non-AS BMW in a long time, so I can't compare directly between the two, but my IS300's ratio is 15.7:1, so it's pretty close.

Ideally, I'd love to be able to control the active steering ratios with an Idrive setting. That would be awesome, if I could set what the ratio is at what speed. (10:1 all the time, lol)

[szeleung]

Originally Posted by Kaju

Active Steering is pretty nice. I have had my car about 1.5 yrs now, and every time I go in for service I get a loaner. After driving the loaner around for a day or so, I am so glad to have my car back and have active steering. Here are my impressions:
I've driven the current model M3 and M6. I'd rather have a M car with the normal super tight and responsive steering than my 335i coupe with Active Steering option. Versus all other models, I prefer Active Steering. At higher speeds you don't really notice a DRAMATIC difference with the Active Steering, but there is a difference. The car is more sensitive to steering wheel inputs. I find this a little annoying at times, because you have to be rather precise all the time, and it causes fatigue on longer trips. So, a litle iput left or right will send you off; in a regular car you have a little more play before the wheel input translates into movement. Now the car is not more responsive, just more sensitive. If you want a more responsive car, you need to mod your suspension or spend the bucks for an M. The Z cars are pretty tight also. At low speeds, Active Steering is a thing of beauty. Turning at traffic lights, parking, U turns at 40 mph with one finger and a half wheel turn... It's awesome. You will not need to rotate the wheel more than one turn ever, never need two hands. It's really really nice. If you do a lot of city driving, tight parking garages, etc. then buy Active Steering. I cannot see an advantage worth the money to drive on open roads, high speed stuff, going around corners, going to a track. When I drive normal steering BMWs, including all wheel drive, I (think) I prefer it to Active Steering when I'm moving pretty fast. The Active Steering is so sensitive it's difficult to get a good line going into a curve, you need to constantly recalibrate. Regular steering this is easier and a little more fun. For REAL track guys stay away. Normal every day folks will probably like it. Last thing, alignments are not covered under BMWs 4/50000 free maintenance plan. Active Steering costs a LOT more to align, about double - keep that in mind.

Very helpful information. thanks.