[DDD31]

Now that I've had my 550i xdrive for a couple of months, I've had a chance to compare it with my recently departed 2013 335i xdrive M-sport. The 5 series xdrives still have the old hydraulic steering since apparently there is not enough room for the electric steering rack. Granted, the 550i xdrive is a very heavy and large luxury car so it is in no way as sporty to drive as the 335i.

A few observations:

-the 550i xdrive in comfort mode has a heavier steering feel than the 2013 335i xdrive. The 550 steering in comfort mode feels similar to my 335 when it was in Sport mode.

-Steering feedback feels almost the same between the two cars- WHICH MEANS VERY LITTLE FEEDBACK.

-the biggest difference is the on-center feel. The 550 has the old BMW on-center feel which loads up right away once the steering wheel is moved off center. My 335 had almost zero on-center feel and had very light load up when moved off center which gave the feeling of a dead spot on-center. In the 335, you weren't really sure what the front wheels we're doing until the steering artificially loaded up once moved off center.

Even though the 550 has very little steering feedback overall, the on-center feeling of old really makes me miss the old BMW hydraulic steering and fully realize whats been lost.

I really need to drive a new LCI 3 series to compare the steering since from what I've read the steering has been improved.

I know BMW will never go back to hydraulic steering and I can live with that but I certainly hope BMW can improve their electric steering.

I'm apologize in advance if this thread starts another sh!t show about electric steering.

[tturedraider]

I don't own a 550i xDrive....and I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn Express....but I did drive a 550i xDrive at a BMW UDE last week. Your post made me realize I didn't notice any difference between the steering of the 550 and all the other electric power steering cars I drove at the event. Didn't even cross my mind that 5er xDrives still have hydraulic power steering even though I knew it in the back of my mind.

Did you see the test that either C&D or MotorTrend did comparing a 5er with electric power steering to an xDrive model with hydraulic power steering? It turns out it made virtually no difference to how they perceived the steering.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...n-test-feature

[goj]

Unfortunately the reasons behind your observation are not due to Hydraulic vs Electric.

It's a market driven product, not engineering.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by goj

Unfortunately the reasons behind your observation are not due to Hydraulic vs Electric.

It's a market driven product, not engineering.

Hmm??? The move to electric steering was definitely to increase, however slightly, fuel mileage.

[goj]

Originally Posted by __

Hmm??? The move to electric steering was definitely to increase, however slightly, fuel mileage.

I'm specifically referring to his observations. His observations were not of gas mileage. Perhaps I should clarify but you should know what I mean.

I was referring to steering tuning but increasing mileage is also a marketing decision to achieve the best possible mileage

[DDD31]

Originally Posted by __

I don't own a 550i xDrive....and I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn Express....but I did drive a 550i xDrive at a BMW UDE last week. Your post made me realize I didn't notice any difference between the steering of the 550 and all the other electric power steering cars I drove at the event. Didn't even cross my mind that 5er xDrives still have hydraulic power steering even though I knew it in the back of my mind.

Did you see the test that either C&D or MotorTrend did comparing a 5er with electric power steering to an xDrive model with hydraulic power steering? It turns out it made virtually no difference to how they perceived the steering.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...n-test-feature

I did see the Car & Driver test and as I found the steering feedback was almost identical which was very little and as I noted, they found that the hydraulic setup had better on-center feel.

I also realize that the move to lighter steering is unfortunately market driven.

[chiefneil]

The return to center force with the hydraulic steering on our X5 is terrible. On a wide sweeping curve you could practically take your hands off the wheel and the car would continue tracking the curve by itself.

Freaked the heck out of me the first few times. I hadn't realized how much I drive big curves/sweepers by feel so initially I was all over the place. Now I know to concentrate and track the curve by sight, but it's still disconcerting and makes me nervous. The steering is really heavy compared to the F30, too, but that doesn't help the lack of feel.

Anyway that's our 2012 X5, with hydraulic as I said. That was my first clue that BMW was changing its approach to steering since the steering in our 2002 X5 was perfectly fine and very similar to my E46. I actually prefer the EPS in my F30 to the hydraulic setup in the X5.

[strumbringer]

FWIW, the LCI steering is vastly improved in terms of on-center feel.

[440xiGCMsport]

Originally Posted by goj

I'm specifically referring to his observations. His observations were not of gas mileage. Perhaps I should clarify but you should know what I mean.

I was referring to steering tuning but increasing mileage is also a marketing decision to achieve the best possible mileage

Correct me if I am wrong here but isn't the drive to electric steering due to the manufacturers looking at autonomous self driving cars, and current technology like steering and lane control assistant. Hydraulic steering would make it more difficult would it not?

[chiefneil]

Originally Posted by 435xiGCMsport

Correct me if I am wrong here but isn't the drive to electric steering due to the manufacturers looking at autonomous self driving cars, and current technology like steering and lane control assistant. Hydraulic steering would make it more difficult would it not?

It's primarily driven by the improvement in fuel economy, plus the engineers like that EPS is easier to tune than HPS because they don't have to worry about viscosities and pressures changing with temperature.

Increases in CAFE standards are a huge looming mandatory cliff in the near future that can torpedo the US business if not met, whereas self-driving cars are a long gentle slope in the "nice to have" category.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by 435xiGCMsport

Correct me if I am wrong here but isn't the drive to electric steering due to the manufacturers looking at autonomous self driving cars, and current technology like steering and lane control assistant. Hydraulic steering would make it more difficult would it not?

Although the focus for EPS implementation is for fuel saving, there is definitely the added benefits of integration with other systems, more so as we move forward.

Makes so much sense to have an electric based steering system where there is the possibility for adding and linking features, all under electronic control. Much more flexibility than having some parts electric and other parts hydraulic.

Even the steering itself, (although a subject of criticism) can be tuned for whatever the need. Improving steering comfort being a key advantage, although many BMW users see that as a backwards move. Reducing road surface and bump interference, expanding the servotronic function, applauded by some users, is "removing feedback", to others.