[chefwong]

Off topic or on topic...Hydraulics has been gone for quite some time.......it is what it is.

Maybe it's me, but the steering on my G05 is quite light - Adaptive, Sport, Comfort - not huge differences in how light the steering wheel when switching the modes

On the flip side, I don't know what magic sorcery it was, but the G Series 3 Series has a heavier steering wheel in comfort than the G05.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by chefwong

Off topic or on topic...Hydraulics has been gone for quite some time.......it is what it is.

Maybe it's me, but the steering on my G05 is quite light - Adaptive, Sport, Comfort - not huge differences in how light the steering wheel when switching the modes

On the flip side, I don't know what magic sorcery it was, but the G Series 3 Series has a heavier steering wheel in comfort than the G05.

Steering feel has been different on all the models of BMW's I've ever owned. Basically though, they were a bit on the heavy side, which is what I got used to and liked. Then I bought a 2011 X3 and said, oh...this steering is light, not sure I like it but I got used to it. I would then get back in my '03 330i and say, oh...this steering is pretty heavy, not sure I like it The X5 is light like my former X3, I got used to it and I think once you do, you get the feel for it but at the end of the day, I would prefer something between the 330i and the X5. It is what it is but my wife likes the feel on the X5, says it makes a big car drive like a smaller one.

[chefwong]

Marty -

Not comparing a E series 3 in my remark though. Big difference ;-)

The G series 3 IMO has a heavier steering wheel even in comfort mode compared to the current G05.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by chefwong

Marty -

Not comparing a E series 3 in my remark though. Big difference ;-)

The G series 3 IMO has a heavier steering wheel even in comfort mode compared to the current G05.

Yeah, I get that, point was that I believe BMW designs the feeling they want for each car. Since everything now is electric, I would think it would be easy for them to give us a checkbox for the type of feeling we want.

[chefwong]

It will never be the same as hydraulic but yes, I would prefer the weight of the G20 even in comfort mode compared to the G05. Wishful thinking, I know

[echo46mike3]

Totally agree. When I test drove X5 for the first time, I almost hit the curb pulling out of dealer on to a busy road, steering was sooo light and doesn't return as quickly as all of my previous cars. That said, it not a big deal for me, every car is different and I never had a problem to get used to different steering feelings.

[kfresh]

That was one of my only feedback concerns when BMW called me to follow up on my X5 purchase. Side note - I thought it was a spam call and had no idea BMW called their new customers to get their feedback on new car purchases

I much prefer to have a heavier steering feel, makes you truly feel the weight of the behemoth of a car when cornering

[chefwong]

Heh, this wouldn't even be a post until I noticed the g20 series having a -noticeably heavier- better feedback steering wheel. And I did a double take when I noticed it was in comfort mode too.

[nordring]

I test drove most of the X5 market competitors and they all suffer from overly light steering feel, except maybe the Porsche.

But we've all gotten so used to bad steering, that we've started to focus on steering weight rather than steering feedback/feel....which is what has been lost in the transition to electronic steering.

Never thought I'd see the day when GM products had better steering feel than BMW, and Cadillac had better comfort-handling balance than some BMW sedans. Steering feel and suspension tuning literally built the brand (i.e introduction of the sports sedan) but times changes, and here we are.

At least Munich still dominates in drive train. IMHO, the B58 might be the best ICE motor for an efficient daily driver on the planet. (absence of glorious V8 sound aside) The engine offers such amazing performance across all platforms...sub 4 second 0-60 in the M340 and 30+ mpg...one could only dream about those numbers 20 years ago.

In case anyone is interested in reading more about BMW's loss of steering feel, interesting article here -

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

[goobies818]

Originally Posted by chefwong

Off topic or on topic...Hydraulics has been gone for quite some time.......it is what it is.

Maybe it's me, but the steering on my G05 is quite light - Adaptive, Sport, Comfort - not huge differences in how light the steering wheel when switching the modes

On the flip side, I don't know what magic sorcery it was, but the G Series 3 Series has a heavier steering wheel in comfort than the G05.

yes, when i first drove my x5 i noticed the steering was super lite.

Funny enough, the cars in my house have been getting progressively lighter as our cars transitioned to electric racks:

E90 3 series now feels like i need to go back to the gym to steer the car
2008 Lexus IS250 felt super lite compared to the E90
2013 F30 3 Series then felt super lite relaive to the IS
and now the 2022 X5 feels like i can parallel park with my pinkie finger

[eelnoraa]

Yes, it is super light for me and my wife. Suspension is very soft for BMW especially with MSport. Body roll and movement are not well controlled compared to BMWs in my sig. For a family road trip car, it is very good compromise. She thinks if someone covers all the badges and that massive grille, tells us we are in a Mercedes, it will pass.

[taek]

Agreed. Probably the biggest surprise to me when I test drove an X5. The other car I own is a Volvo and the steering is heavier and suspension harder, and that is the opposite of a sport brand.

But the massively popularity of BMW SUVs means they're making the right choices as a business, especially given how much people are paying for these.

[Gilles79]

I'm new to the G05 and find I prefer the "sport mode" steering, so I configured sport mode for steering only and I enable that each time I start the car. The added bonus is that sport mode also disables the auto start/stop function, which I dislike.

[Germanauto]

It's my biggest gripe with the car. Even in sport mode nothing changes. It's fingertip light until you get up to higher speeds. There's no resistance and almost no actual road feel through the wheel. The Cayenne's steering feels more like older X5s. Very planted, feels glued to the road, resistance even at low speeds.

I can still feel the X5 has a solid chassis, weight distribution, handling, powertrain etc. The right "stuff" is there, but it's been tuned for a luxury feel. Tons of body roll, very bouncy ride, and quite heavy feeling despite weighing the same as the E70 we had previously. Overall it's the best family vehicle for the price, but will let you down if you enjoy sporty driving. Still better than every other non-Porsche SUV though.

[chefwong]

Took it on some twisties yesterday. Better than the F15 it replaced. Current and former had DHP. Dimensionally, it feels bigger even though on paper, it seems -the same-. But man is it liiiiight.

[mjr24]

But don't people want to feel as little of the road as possible?

I enjoy hard steering actually…..seems a lot of people don't.

[filerent]

Agreed. Taking an X5 for a spin was the greatest shock of my life. My second vehicle, a Volvo, has harsher steering and stiffer suspension, which is the antithesis of a sporty brand.

krunker

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by filerent

Agreed. Taking an X5 for a spin was the greatest shock of my life. My second vehicle, a Volvo, has harsher steering and stiffer suspension, which is the antithesis of a sporty brand.

krunker

When you get up into the 5, 6, 7, 8 series, the sportiness turns to luxury and you get a different steering and overall comfort level. Stay below the 5 series and the sportiness overrides the comfort/luxo. Sportiness and luxo are both there in all the models, its just a matter of which attribute takes priority.