My RDX steering feel is better the steering feel was on my 2015 F30 M-Sport. I had major buyers remorse when I bought the F30 to replace my E46.

 

That's the new G87 M2 which isn't what I have. I have the previous gen F87 M2 Comp:

https://www.caranddriver.com/bmw/m2-2021

Edit: I don't agree that the M2 has a harsh ride either. I think it rides great, especially coming from the GT350 lol. It's not a luxury car but I could definitely daily drive this thing no problem.

 

Sam has the last good looking 2er. The new one still hasn't grown on me.

 

Even in the text you quoted it says "Too bad the electrically assisted power steering spoils some of the fun."

All BMWs (since they switched to electric steering) come with a numb steering and BMW marketing says that is what customers want.

 

That's the biggest [only ] thing I miss from the MINI. In Sport, the steering got a really nice heavy weight to it. Wish the FiST did that.

 

I don't know what to tell you man, I drive the car all the time during the summer and greatly enjoy driving it. I don't find that the EPS messes anything up as a well done EPS system is really quite good. I don't find myself wishing it had a hydraulic rack nor have I thought that about the S2000 or the GT350 I had before.

 

S2000 apparently had one of Honda's worst steerings.

 

I've seen both ends of the EPS. I remember the 6G Malibu had the most numb & overboosted steering I've probably ever driven, didn't feel like the wheel was attached to the front wheels at all.
Meanwhile, the MINI & W205 had fantastic steering, both EPS.

 

I put like 15k miles of seat time in a S2k, could not disagree more.

What are you suggesting has exceptional steering?

 

E36 and E46 from BMW are my top two. I have driven various Audi, MB, Volvo, Honda, Acura, Toyota, Lexus, newer BMWs, Tesla, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Jaguar XE. I have never driven a Porsche.

 

I had an E46 330 6MT for nearly 5 years and put 70k on it...the F87 M2 and M2C are every bit as good in terms of handling and steering feel. It's also a metric fuck ton faster and more thrilling. The interior is very similar as well with minimal infotainment stuff going on and mostly buttons to run things.

 

Handling and steering feel are different. With good steering feel, even driving at normal speeds is a pleasure. When there is lack of steering feel, the only way to enjoy the car is to flog it so you can feel the chassis and steering responsiveness...otherwise in normal driving everything is numb and you could just as well be in a Camry with piped engine sound through the speakers. I have not tried the M2/M2c, but I did own 2 F30's and I drove the M240i of the era (don't know the code), and they all had the same numb steering problem. You have to be taking curves at speed to derive any pleasure from them, otherwise, they are just uncomfortable rides.

 

Yeah, no issues with steering feel with the F87, it's a joy to drive it all the time. The F30 is a boat compared to the 2 series and definitely feels different/bigger.

Normal driving being boring is true for every car, including the E46 and E36.

 

One of the benefits in the FiST, can play quite a bit on a commute without getting in trouble

 

I totally disagree with this. That car was awesome even at 20 mph. It felt like it was on rails. With numb steering these new BMWs feel like they are hydroplaning on dry pavement.

 

What is FiST?

 

Fiesta ST. Abbreviated commonly to FiST. Similarly, the Focus ST: FoST amd Focus RS: FoRS

 

That is a huge advantage to a car like that. You can flog the shit out of it without going to jail.

In contrast, the M2 will land you in jail before getting to the end of the highway on ramp and the Rivian will be there even sooner.

As someone who has spent considerable time in both cars, I'm going to have to disagree on this one.

Hydraulic steering is gone and is never coming back. Modern cars are every bit as good and most of the time way better than the old ones. And also more reliable lol. Time to move on.

 

I figured that out. As far as modern cars go, I find my RDX steering more engaging than the F30 steering. So there is enjoyment to be found in cars with electric steering, e.g. cars by Tesla and Alfa, just not BMW.

 

I had a bmw G31 as a rental 3 summers ago during our trip to Europe. I liked it a lot. I was a limp diesel motor, so speed wasn’t on the menu, but road manners and comfort were great. The Audi A6 we had last summer was a total bust. Suspension was good, but seats were not great to me and steering was extremely over assisted. I thought about an Alpina B5 but that was no longer an option, so I didn’t pursue it much at all, but the experience with the diesel 5 series was great, I was looking forward to driving it.

regarding the M2, my neighbor had one (the OG) and I thought the ride was very nice. I never drove it so I can’t speak on steering feel, but from the passenger seat I thought it was great.
The only Mercedes I drove was my mom’s old ML320 Blutec. I think it was a 2009, everything about it was crap to me, the ride, the seats, the steering.

 

I had a GLE350 for a loaner one. Even on balloon sidewalled tires, it was rock solid on the road. Even at an accidental 90+

 

hers had the big rims, whatever size was the max back then and runflats, so I’m sure that ruined it significantly. On smooth highways, I agree it was good, and the engine pulled well even with a U-Haul trailer.
another complaint I just remembered, on a few occasions, when I would slow down to make a turn across an intersection or leap out of the neighborhood, it felt like the throttle pedal, engine and transmission was communicating via dial-up. I had a gap I could jump into, so I’d mash the throttle and not much going on, enough that at times I let out an “euhhh” sound and looked down at my gauges thinking something was wrong and then the ML sent it.

 

I remember thinking similar with the DCT in the CLA/GLA. Awful at parking lot speeds, but fine elsewhere.
And yeah, run flats kill any car they're equipped to. Hated them on my W205.

 

I love how this thread is no longer even remotely about a BMW X3 that someone may or may not have bought.

 

 

MODERATOR NOTE: OP doesn't seem to be interested in this thread and all of this can be discussed elsewhere. Locking this up.