I drove both a 545 and a 530 yesterday, the 530 was equipted with a sports package. I was not impressed with active steering, the dealer had a huge parking lot that I ha d to manuver my way out of the steering is very wishy washy. The 545 without sports package drove great. The streering felt more like my 2002 330i. The V8 is an awesome engine but I just could not fall in love with this car and I really wanted to buy it.
active steering
- Thread starter jochet
- Start date
The purpose of the Active Steering is to "feel right" at different speeds, not just slower speeds. It makes the steering ratio sensitive for nice low-speed maneuvering, but as you speed up, the steering becomes less "sensitive" such that if you're driving on the highway and you sneeze, you don't suddenly veer off the road. I mean, the Active Steering is not for safety reasons (it's all about the drive), but it is supposed to feel very natural at all different speeds, so there are no surprises.
I love the active steering. I have 2004 530i and with sport package and the active steering is great. At first I did not really care for it but after driving it for some time and now when I get in my jeep, I feel like I am driving a manual steering. The other week I had to take my car in to get it detailed and they gave me 325i for a loaner. I felt like I was driving manual steering and boy did I miss having my 530. At first you really do not feel much but when you get used to having it believe me you will know the difference. Don't let that discurage you from getting the sport package. You will not regret having it.. Believe me.
JXP3
JXP3
By saying manual steering, you mean like not power steering? I don't fully understand what you mean. If youre saying that the wheel feels too hard to turn without active steering then I would never get active steering. My dad has an Avalon that I drove a few weeks ago and the steering wheel is very easy to turn which I didn't like at all. I don't know why but I like the "heavy" feel of the BMW steering. Please don't tell me that active steering has that light feel to it because to me it's like disconnecting the driver from the road.
Well, when i am pulling out of the parking lot and making u turns, i dont have to spend the steering wheels multiple times. The entire car turns with one single turn. The car knows that I am not moving much so it make turning much easier. When I take my car out on the interstate the steering gets really tight.
I guess the best way for me describe is that the car pretty much drives its self... No much effort is needed to drive. Unless you really drive the car, like what I really like to do.
Hard to explane, my suggestion is to read on what the 'experts' have been saying about this. All i know is that I did not like driving a car without it once I got used to the drive.
regards,
jxp3
I guess the best way for me describe is that the car pretty much drives its self... No much effort is needed to drive. Unless you really drive the car, like what I really like to do.
Hard to explane, my suggestion is to read on what the 'experts' have been saying about this. All i know is that I did not like driving a car without it once I got used to the drive.
regards,
jxp3
Why is it that even when we are talking about performance, someone always has to refer to how the car looks? This has NOTHING to do with the looks! While I don't think that the new 5 looks as good as the previous, by today's standards I think it still looks excellent.
.
Sometimes, I really don't think the people here really don't understand the draw that many of us have to the Bimmer feel. It's not like the E30 was a work of art!
.
Sometimes, I really don't think the people here really don't understand the draw that many of us have to the Bimmer feel. It's not like the E30 was a work of art!
The look of the car is a personal thing. I personally like the new look. I aways liked the look of the BMW's but to be honest with you the old 5 look was just that. Old looking. My personal opinion is that the new 5 is much better looking and more up to date. In terms of the drive, I guess thats matter of personal choice as well. All I can say about the active steering is that once you get used to driving it you will not want to go back. Like I said before, when I had the 2003 325i for a loaner, I did not like the steering. Again its because I got used to the active steering. I think once a person get used to the drive you will understand.
Just my thoughts.
jxp3
Just my thoughts.
jxp3
to each his own where looks are concerned, but my view, and mind you this
is only my theory is that bm saw how poorly the 7 did and it was too late to
change the 5 so they added some features like active steering, and simplified
the iDrive. i know that they wanted a full fledged iDrive in thier cars. i remeber
reading about it in a 97 issue of bimmer...
is only my theory is that bm saw how poorly the 7 did and it was too late to
change the 5 so they added some features like active steering, and simplified
the iDrive. i know that they wanted a full fledged iDrive in thier cars. i remeber
reading about it in a 97 issue of bimmer...
![[:)]](/images/smilies/smile.png "Smile [:)]")
Your words are great and I wish to see more people with this kind of opinions.
You just cant compare E30 styling with E60 styiling. there is 24 years difference. Design of the cars are changing and there is nothing you can do about it. Does one of you wear clothes which are 24 years old![[mad]](/images/smilies/mad.png "Mad [mad]")
[???1]
Consider this!
To active steering.
You do not understand Active steering.
This invaluable steering enhancement increases agility and directional stability in fast-moving traffic or on twisty roads, giving you greater control in virtually all driving situations. Active Steering achieves these driving enhancements by measuring the vehicle speed and other operating conditions, and then electronically varying the steering ratio.
MrElussive what you explained is (VSS) Variable Sensitive Steering which has been on the market for a long time. The faster the car is moving the harder is for you to turn the steering wheel, this is because the hidraulic fluid pressure increases in the steering system. In US you can't realy test it but the steering gets realy hard after 177kmh/110mph. This has nothing to do with Active Steering.![[thumb]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_thumb.gif "Thumbs Up [thumb]")
Steering has come a long way from the days of the horse and buggy. Steering boxes with their large worm and sector gears have been replaced on many vehicles by more compact and precise rack and pinion steering units. Power steering is found on all but a few of the lowest price economy vehicles. Variable effort steering systems that vary the force required to turn the steering wheel are now found on many vehicles. Electric steering systems are even beginning to replace the hydraulic pumps, hoses and steering gears on some vehicles. Now a new steering innovation has been introduced by BMW, and it is so simple and works so well, the question comes to mind: "Why didn't we think of this before?" BMW calls it Active Front Steering.
The concept of Active Front Steering is based around a planetary gear set, such as found in most automatic transmissions. A planetary gear set is made up of three main components: the sun gear in the center, a set of planet gears (several gears in a unit that rotate around the sun gear, and a ring gear around the outside that has internal teeth meshing with the planet gears. Any one of the three components can be the drive input and any can be the output, as long as one or more of the components is held. This provides a variety of gear ratios in forward and reverse. In the BMW steering system, a small planetary gear set is located between the steering wheel and the conventional steering rack. BMW calls this unit a superimposing gear.
On the BMW Active Steering, the sun gear and planet gears are the input and output. The ring gear is held from rotating by a computer-controlled electric motor meshed to the outside of the ring gear. If the ring gear is held stationary by the electric motor, the gear ratio of the gear set is fixed. However, the computer can operate the electric motor to turn the ring gear at the same time the driver turns the steering wheel, providing a variable steering ratio. The effect of the system operation is amazing. In a parking situation, the computer varies the ratio so that the steering wheel needs less than two turns to move the wheels lock to lock. As vehicle speeds increase, the steering ratio increases, so it takes more turns of the steering wheel to move the wheels and increases vehicle stability.
Now the magic begins. Besides providing variable steering ratios, the computer is linked with the vehicle stability control system to aid in directional stability of the vehicle. As the vehicle is travelling down the highway, road surfaces and wind gusts can affect the vehicle directional stability. The car may wander a little or dart to one side, as many who have met a tractor-trailer unit on a windy day have experienced. Sensors on the car detect this sudden unintentional movement and the computer will stabilize the car by moving the Active Steering electric motor and steering gear. The driver doesn't turn the steering wheel at all!
If the driver experiences a skid or slide because of poor road conditions, the Active Steering will react to information from the yaw rate sensors to modify the steering angle of the front wheels to stabilize the vehicle. This occurs much faster than the driver can react. If the Active Steering angle is not enough, then the Stability Control system intervenes to help as well.
Safety is one of the prime objectives of this system. Steering angle sensors on the steering column sense the direction the driver wants to go and the system only intervenes if the car is beyond stable limits. If an error or problem occurs in the electronics, the computer shuts down the operation of the electric motor, locking the ring gear of the planetary gear set and making it fixed ratio steering. Finally, if there is a problem inside the planetary gear unit (an unlikely scenario), there is a second shaft that runs all the way through from the steering wheel shaft to the steering rack so that conventional steering is available.
On the road, most drivers wouldn't feel the system operation, although because I was trying to, I could feel it very slightly when the electric motor was operating. The car just seems very stable at all speeds. Parking was also a snap, because of the short lock to lock turns of the steering wheel. The most noticeable change was when I hopped back into another vehicle without Active Steering. The steering seemed so unresponsive, which demonstrates improvements in steering performance the Active Steering system provides.
You just cant compare E30 styling with E60 styiling. there is 24 years difference. Design of the cars are changing and there is nothing you can do about it. Does one of you wear clothes which are 24 years old
[???1]Consider this!
To active steering.
You do not understand Active steering.
This invaluable steering enhancement increases agility and directional stability in fast-moving traffic or on twisty roads, giving you greater control in virtually all driving situations. Active Steering achieves these driving enhancements by measuring the vehicle speed and other operating conditions, and then electronically varying the steering ratio.
MrElussive what you explained is (VSS) Variable Sensitive Steering which has been on the market for a long time. The faster the car is moving the harder is for you to turn the steering wheel, this is because the hidraulic fluid pressure increases in the steering system. In US you can't realy test it but the steering gets realy hard after 177kmh/110mph. This has nothing to do with Active Steering.
Steering has come a long way from the days of the horse and buggy. Steering boxes with their large worm and sector gears have been replaced on many vehicles by more compact and precise rack and pinion steering units. Power steering is found on all but a few of the lowest price economy vehicles. Variable effort steering systems that vary the force required to turn the steering wheel are now found on many vehicles. Electric steering systems are even beginning to replace the hydraulic pumps, hoses and steering gears on some vehicles. Now a new steering innovation has been introduced by BMW, and it is so simple and works so well, the question comes to mind: "Why didn't we think of this before?" BMW calls it Active Front Steering.
The concept of Active Front Steering is based around a planetary gear set, such as found in most automatic transmissions. A planetary gear set is made up of three main components: the sun gear in the center, a set of planet gears (several gears in a unit that rotate around the sun gear, and a ring gear around the outside that has internal teeth meshing with the planet gears. Any one of the three components can be the drive input and any can be the output, as long as one or more of the components is held. This provides a variety of gear ratios in forward and reverse. In the BMW steering system, a small planetary gear set is located between the steering wheel and the conventional steering rack. BMW calls this unit a superimposing gear.
On the BMW Active Steering, the sun gear and planet gears are the input and output. The ring gear is held from rotating by a computer-controlled electric motor meshed to the outside of the ring gear. If the ring gear is held stationary by the electric motor, the gear ratio of the gear set is fixed. However, the computer can operate the electric motor to turn the ring gear at the same time the driver turns the steering wheel, providing a variable steering ratio. The effect of the system operation is amazing. In a parking situation, the computer varies the ratio so that the steering wheel needs less than two turns to move the wheels lock to lock. As vehicle speeds increase, the steering ratio increases, so it takes more turns of the steering wheel to move the wheels and increases vehicle stability.
Now the magic begins. Besides providing variable steering ratios, the computer is linked with the vehicle stability control system to aid in directional stability of the vehicle. As the vehicle is travelling down the highway, road surfaces and wind gusts can affect the vehicle directional stability. The car may wander a little or dart to one side, as many who have met a tractor-trailer unit on a windy day have experienced. Sensors on the car detect this sudden unintentional movement and the computer will stabilize the car by moving the Active Steering electric motor and steering gear. The driver doesn't turn the steering wheel at all!
If the driver experiences a skid or slide because of poor road conditions, the Active Steering will react to information from the yaw rate sensors to modify the steering angle of the front wheels to stabilize the vehicle. This occurs much faster than the driver can react. If the Active Steering angle is not enough, then the Stability Control system intervenes to help as well.
Safety is one of the prime objectives of this system. Steering angle sensors on the steering column sense the direction the driver wants to go and the system only intervenes if the car is beyond stable limits. If an error or problem occurs in the electronics, the computer shuts down the operation of the electric motor, locking the ring gear of the planetary gear set and making it fixed ratio steering. Finally, if there is a problem inside the planetary gear unit (an unlikely scenario), there is a second shaft that runs all the way through from the steering wheel shaft to the steering rack so that conventional steering is available.
On the road, most drivers wouldn't feel the system operation, although because I was trying to, I could feel it very slightly when the electric motor was operating. The car just seems very stable at all speeds. Parking was also a snap, because of the short lock to lock turns of the steering wheel. The most noticeable change was when I hopped back into another vehicle without Active Steering. The steering seemed so unresponsive, which demonstrates improvements in steering performance the Active Steering system provides.
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Beemerworld - great explanation.
I did not mean to compare the E30 to the E60. The point I was trying to make was that even though many people never thought the E30 was a beautiful car (or many of the previous bimmers), people still fell in love with the car, for the simple pleasure of driving it - the BMW feel.
I did not mean to compare the E30 to the E60. The point I was trying to make was that even though many people never thought the E30 was a beautiful car (or many of the previous bimmers), people still fell in love with the car, for the simple pleasure of driving it - the BMW feel.
