[mister-e90]

In an attempt to figure out what Active Steering was all about, I went to my semi-local dealership to see if they had one available for a testdrive. I asked to try a 3 series with AS, but unfortnatley it seems that dealers tend to avoid the pricey option especially on the 3, but the guy said he had a 5 series available to try.

To my enjoyment it turned out to be a 550i which was a hell of an engine- 360 potent and perfectly trained horses with a clean quiet grunt. Very impressive.

Despite the fact that I wasnt going very fast on the test drive I could not feel the benefits of the 1000+ option untill I slowed down and tried a bunch of parking manouvers. AS reduces the amount of times you have turn the wheel for the desired amount of turn, so turning became close to effortless even when totally changing direction. Very smooth, reliable and precise, but personally I do not know if I would reccomend it for the 3 series because it feels a little aided or artificial. However I think it felt quite at home with a biger- smoother type of car like the 5 or 7.

But at the end of the day, despite all that extra power and tech- when you fire up that inline six in the 3 series and drive off you leave not regretting anything.

[BMW F22]

one of these days I will drive a BMW with active to see what all the fuss is all about.

[cntlaw]

Originally Posted by mister-e90

........ but personally I do not know if I would reccomend it for the 3 series because it feels a little aided or artificial. .

I will recommend AS for the E90.
I did not feel AS, as you said , aided/artificial. On the E90, the AS steering still has plenty of BMW characters in it e.g. the turn is still heavy except when the car is in slow motion, there is less angle needed to be turned, thus, more comfort and relax driving, more able to steer in a response way. In a way, without wasted the driver 's energy level on busy turning meaning he can drive faster and better.

[lux.sh]

Originally Posted by BMWE90

one of these days I will drive a BMW with active to see what all the fuss is all about.

There is no "fuss" about it. every magazine review says to avoid it, and every handling oriented drivers tell you to avoid it.

[cntlaw]

Originally Posted by lux.sh

There is no "fuss" about it. every magazine review says to avoid it, and every handling oriented drivers tell you to avoid it.

Lux
I recommend AS, so I am not a handling oriented driver?
I still remember you dont even drive faster than 120mph , so are you considering yourself a handling oriented driver?
Can you define ?

[Oz]

It would be nice to see some sort of video/presentation for AS to see how it works since most of us here haven't tried it out. Is it somewhat similar to X3 servetronic steering? My friend who has a X3 got it and I'm not a big fan because the steering is too loose for me..

[puck724]

Originally Posted by Oz

It would be nice to see some sort of video/presentation for AS to see how it works since most of us here haven't tried it out. Is it somewhat similar to X3 servetronic steering? My friend who has a X3 got it and I'm not a big fan because the steering is too loose for me..

in the ultimate esperiance dvd thing that bmw sent they had a section where they took a car with AS and one without on the slalom course and you could totally see what AS does.

[cntlaw]

The difficulty of finding out whether AS is "too loose" or not, is every driver has different driving backgrounds and ownerships of different cars. So, whether a steering is tight or loose, I can bet it is all relative to what you used to be driving. Both me and my wife found our ex-Z3 steering was too heavy. However, she did not find the E90 steering without AS as heavy as the ex-Z3. On the contrary, I found the E90 without AS almost as heavy as the Z3. Now, we have got the E90 with AS, my wife did not complain the E90 steering is too loose, but she did remember our ex-Z3 is damn heavy.
I gave up getting the A3 because I was unable to cope with such a loose and soft servotronic steering even after test driving for over 20 mins. My wife also tested the A3, but it did not seem she complains about the soft steer.
Only recently, she told me she belongs to the type of driver who can adopt to different types and style of cars! So that is why my wife does not mind heavy steer of E90 without AS and why she was not really pissed by the soft steer of the A3. ( Her driving history had been completely differenet from mine . She used to drive 20 yr old manual cars. I only had driven very new and expensive cars )
That explains all. Discussion closed.

[Oz]

Originally Posted by puck724

in the ultimate esperiance dvd thing that bmw sent they had a section where they took a car with AS and one without on the slalom course and you could totally see what AS does.

Thanks, I'm gonna have to watch the DVD one of these days...

[lux.sh]

Originally Posted by cntlaw

Lux
I recommend AS, so I am not a handling oriented driver?
I still remember you dont even drive faster than 120mph , so are you considering yourself a handling oriented driver?
Can you define ?

I thought you would quote my post.

As for "handling oriented driver", its from those who constantly autocrosses and use their bmws as track purpose. Random/various sources have said to avoid AS, and thats simply what I was quoting to.

I don't know where you got that info of me not driving over 120mph. I rarely do, because it is stupid to go 120mph in public road anyway.
And what does 120mph have ANYTHING to do with handling? There aren't many tracks out there requiring 120mph corner. Perhaps, difficult corners are mostly low speed corners, and even high speed track session rarely let you push 120mph+ in a corner/turn. On straights, yes, but what does that have to do with handling.

It seems to me, AS is another lazy-option soaked with futuristic wanna-be technologies. Less effort to steer? oh come on. How much "Effort" does it take to steer around on the highway? Reduced amount of steering feedback is not a good outcome expected by bmw. But I won't comment on that, since I haven't driven an E90 with AS for awhile. Only a quick test drive session.

I say it again, I wasn't stating MY opinion(referring to previous post). It was what I read, and what people have said about AS. It seems though, trend is same with I-drive and AS. People who bought 'em likes it. People who doesn't have 'em, doesn't like it. so what the hell? I just went with what professional drivers/reviewers said in the magazines.

[Tierfreund]

As for the question wether AS is a good choice for performance oriented drivers, there´s a simple fact that clears that up:

AS is not offered on any M-cars. Official statement from M GmbH: "We do not feel obliged to follow the BMW AG into every direction"

So much for that...

[visor]

From what I remember of professional car reviewers on AS on the E90, almost all of them denounce it for the lack of "feel" (although they do say it is an improvement over the E60).

However, there are 2 advantages of AS:
1. the ultimate parking machine, where you can practically do a u-turn with only 1 turn of the steering wheel.
2. the ultimate slalom and autocross machine, where you never have to remove your hands from the steering wheel (eg. hand-over-hand or cross-over) for any tight maneuvers on a low to medium speed course.

I didn't appreciate item 1, but had a chance to test out and appreciate item 2 during the E90 intro in May last year, albeit on a short autocross-style circuit that BWM setup in a large parking lot. Very impressive technology, but in the end I chose not to get it because I felt the 2 advantages did not make up for the lack of "feel" and also the extra cost. More importantly, being mindful of BMW's realiabilty with electrical items, I didn't want more gizmos that can potentially go wrong especially in the first model year.

[cntlaw]

I thought you would quote my post.

=== you were right!

As for "handling oriented driver", its from those who constantly autocrosses and use their bmws as track purpose. Random/various sources have said to avoid AS, and thats simply what I was quoting to.

=== point taken.

I don't know where you got that info of me not driving over 120mph. I rarely do, because it is stupid to go 120mph in public road is stupid anyway.

=== just teasing.

And what does 120mph have ANYTHING to do with handling? There aren't many tracks out there requiring 120mph corner. Perhaps, difficult corners are mostly low speed corners, and even high speed track session rarely let you push 120mph+ in a corner/turn. On straights, yes, but what does that have to do with handling.

=== true it doesn't.

It seems to me, AS is another lazy-option soaked with futuristic wanna-be technologies. Less effort to steer? oh come on. How much "Effort" does it take to steer around on the highway? Reduced amount of steering feedback is not a good outcome expected by bmw. But I won't comment on that, since I haven't driven an E90 with AS for awhile. Only a quick test drive session.

=== Disagreed completely.
I have AS on E90. It is part of the steering design, it is not quite an 'option' you can trun it on or off. If you start to drive that car from day-1, it will behave the same till the end, naturally. It is no worse than if I shift to another car (which I think this is the main point).

I say it again, I wasn't stating MY opinion(referring to previous post). It was what I read, and what people have said about AS. It seems though, trend is same with I-drive and AS. People who bought 'em likes it. People who doesn't have 'em, doesn't like it. so what the hell? I just went with what professional drivers/reviewers said in the magazines.

==== agreed. you made a point and I was teasing a little. Nothing went against your view. (you know that )

But I have to stress that to the group, no one here should mislead anyone to bypass the AS option without knowing the original user requirement and his/her driving style, cars ownership history.

I just can't stand why people like to think that he is a tougher driver if he is driving a hard steer and a manual transmission?
Porsche 997 Turbo Auto transmission gives 3.7s , and Manual gives 3.9s. To me, 510hp is enough fun, I am just one of those , who ain't paying 2 million HK$ for a stick and have my hands tired and a stick ain't any faster . Purely personal driving style and expectation from a luxury car.

[akhbhaat]

I don't have detailed mechanical knowledge of active steering, so I can't comment on whether or not the "loss of feel" is in the driver's head or not. Personally, I think the E90's steering is pretty numb to begin with, so I would probably be hard pressed to notice a significant difference.

What I can tell you is that having a steering rack which adjusts ratio on the fly would be very disconcerting in a track setting, particularly when rapidly going from a series of relatively high speed sweepers (say ~80-90 mph) to a 30 mph hairpin. If nothing else, it would undoubtedly require a significant adjustment period.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by mister-e90

In an attempt to figure out what Active Steering was all about, I went to my semi-local dealership to see if they had one available for a testdrive. I asked to try a 3 series with AS, but unfortnatley it seems that dealers tend to avoid the pricey option especially on the 3, but the guy said he had a 5 series available to try.

To my enjoyment it turned out to be a 550i which was a hell of an engine- 360 potent and perfectly trained horses with a clean quiet grunt. Very impressive.

Despite the fact that I wasnt going very fast on the test drive I could not feel the benefits of the 1000+ option untill I slowed down and tried a bunch of parking manouvers. AS reduces the amount of times you have turn the wheel for the desired amount of turn, so turning became close to effortless even when totally changing direction. Very smooth, reliable and precise, but personally I do not know if I would reccomend it for the 3 series because it feels a little aided or artificial. However I think it felt quite at home with a biger- smoother type of car like the 5 or 7.

But at the end of the day, despite all that extra power and tech- when you fire up that inline six in the 3 series and drive off you leave not regretting anything.

I had a chance to play with it on a 530 loaner. I wasn't impressed since I could feel the system changing the ratio as I began to turn and decrease my speed.

[bimmer4me]

When I picked up my car at the BMW Performance Center, the person that explained everything to me about my car at delivery raced BMWs on the track. He sounded like he was pretty darn good and really liked Active Steering. He said you have better handling on the track with Active Steering. He seemed like he knew what he was talking given he is a "been there done that" kind of guy.

Anyway, I passed on it because it just didn't seem worth it to me spending the extra money so that in some situations I wouldn't have to turn my steering wheel as much. Apparently, for the track delivery guy it is worth it.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by bimmer4me

When I picked up my car at the BMW Performance Center, the person that explained everything to me about my car at delivery raced BMWs on the track. He sounded like he was pretty darn good and really liked Active Steering. He said you have better handling on the track with Active Steering. He seemed like he knew what he was talking given he is a "been there done that" kind of guy.

Anyway, I passed on it because it just didn't seem worth it to me spending the extra money so that in some situations I wouldn't have to turn my steering wheel as much. Apparently, for the track delivery guy it is worth it.

Don't forget who pays his bills.

[mhoutman]

Some observations on AFS:

You either love or hate it. Previously driving a 545i Touring (without) I had some driving experience with AFS on a 535d. I was amazed by th eway you could drive high speeds (europe) without any correction at the steering wheel. at high speeds AFS is so relaxing.

My wife now has her 325i Touring with AFS and after 30 minutes she didn't missed her old Mini Cooper S Works for a penny. I too love AFS and in fact I have ordered it of my 130i as well.

Last but not least I think AFS is not more suited for bigger cars like the 5-, 6- or 7-series only. It is yet a differenr way of interaction between the car and yourself.

But pricey (as well as Dynamic Drive) and again you love or hate it. (so do the Carmagazine testteams)

[larryn]

I avoided checking that option off for my car. I autox a lot, and didn't want to have varying ratios messing me up on the course. I could see the 15-20mph sections that turn into a long increasing radius slalom really hosing the tactile feel, as you accellerated to 60+, and the steering ratios changed as you passed each cone. It would be very difficult to get any sort of a rythym with AS.

For parking, I can see it's benefits, but for me, I don't think it would work out too well.

[M3ti Compact]

I got my car with AS.

I can honestly say that I didn't like the idea of AS, but since my parents were the primary drivers of the car, they decided over me to get it- without even taking an AS car for a test drive.

When we got the car and I tried it, WOW! The system is impressive! At high speeds, it's like a normal steering ratio car- you cannot tell the difference between AS and normal. At sub-highway speeds, the steering ratio is like a rally car! You can do ultra quick turns and drifts without having to do any crazy hand over handing.

And BTW, the AS linkage is still mechanical, so you still get all the heavyness and road feel you need. Also, I have never been able to feel the system "change" ratios. And either way, a good driver turns by feeling what the car is doing, not by looking at the wheel and determining how much input to give.

[bimmer4me]

Originally Posted by Socom

Don't forget who pays his bills.

Yeah, his law firm does because he is a full time lawyer . He is a BMW enthusiast and does the Performance Centery Delivery as a way to get extra track time there.

[larryn]

Originally Posted by M3ti Compact

And either way, a good driver turns by feeling what the car is doing, not by looking at the wheel and determining how much input to give.

Agree with you, to a point. On the road, this is 100 % true. When going thru many tight maneuvers while accellerating/decellerating.. sweepers, slaloms, etc. have the ratio change from element to element (hell, even from cone to cone) would really mess me up.

Take a simple 25 pace/8 cone slalom for example. You are entering it from a tight section, at 15 mph, accellerating through it. At cone 1, you get a highly boosted (not feeling boost, I mean a higher ratio) ratio. By cone 4, you're doing 45-50, and the car ratio has changed for every cone you've had to get around. Remember, it's less than a second between cones at the end of the slalom. I would think that having to deal with great changes in the ratios, in split seconds, is going to be very difficult.

I think on the track this may be useful (don't know for sure), but not with abrupt, continual maneuvering at extremes of high and low speeds, that autox requires.