test drove a euro luxury

[Jazzle]

hey guys, i test drove the euro luxury manual yesterday.. and i was turn off by the lightness of the steering wheel, pedals.. my gf has got a 05' euro auto.. i love driving it and the steering wheel and pedals dont feel light at all... so i wanna ask. is it just me? or the facelift just feels lighter than the pre?? or is it the difference between the auto and manual??

I thought it was well-known that euro has a heavy steering :confused:

[yfin]

Your girl needs to check tyre pressure more often. There is no difference in the steering between models.

And when you say it is "well known" the euro has heavy steering - where is that coming from as it is news to me.

[EuroDude]

Ive got an MY06 and the steering is quite heavy, well heavier than my Civic but its probably because the car is 400kg heavier. (Tyre pressure is 38)

Sometimes the car you drove before the test drive can influence the experience, were you driving a truck before the Euro? :D

[jamchen]

well the steering wheel is relatve heavier than our MDX, but maybe that's why the euro gives more feedbacks on road feels... i have to say tho that i still dun get to use to the braking feeling of the euro... IT IS TOO LIGHT! and quite senstive... and sometimes hard to brake smoothly if i drive the euro after been driving the MDX...

[BiLL|z0r]

I was unaware of any difference so I'd agree with yfin and check the tyre pressure. I think my steering isn't the lightest but not heavy either. My wife's 02 Magna is very light and it's 100-200kg's heavier than my car with the same tyre width. I drove Dad's new CX6 Adventura yesterday and it was like driving a tank (not that I've ever driven a tank). Turning feedback was non-existant and not as precise as my Euro.

[Omotesando]

Compared to some other cars like Camrys, Magnas even Integra, u could say the Euro Accord's steering is heavier, direct and some people find it great whilst others find it too concentrative to drive, as every pot hole/uneven surface gets picked up. A lot of critics have picked up same thing in the magazines...

I have driven the normal Accord VTi and that is much lighter to drive, and I don't like it as much!

I'm surprised Jazzle found the test drive to be lighter though... hmm.

[Adagio]

One of the few criticisms I have of my Euro Accord lux manual 2005 is the steering. Not that it is too heavy or too light but not as communicative as the European cars I have driven up till now. If it would just talk to me a little more.

[yfin]

One of the few criticisms I have of my Euro Accord lux manual 2005 is the steering. Not that it is too heavy or too light but not as communicative as the European cars I have driven up till now. If it would just talk to me a little more.

Strut brace does help feel and response if that interests you.

[Jazzle]

well.. i dont know.. it felt like the steering was even lighter than my jazz before.. haha but maybe that was because i testdrove it after driving my crx which has no power steering.. but anyway... thanx for the answers guy.. i just wanna know if there are any differences in the steering feel between pre- and facelift that's all.. as long as there's no difference, i will love it and i will keep pushing my friend to get one ;)

[Adagio]

Strut brace does help feel and response if that interests you.

Thanks for the suggestion. Tell me more like where can I get one and what sort of job is it to fit?
Adagio

[yfin]

Thanks for the suggestion. Tell me more like where can I get one and what sort of job is it to fit?
Adagio

Search the trader section for Cusco strut brace for CL9 - then PM the trader. It is around $230 from memory (could be wrong) and is really nice quality.

Fitment is as easy as can be - as long as you have a socket set you can do it yourself. There is a thread around in the accord section that has a step by step instruction.

This and the sway bar make a great combination if you enjoy corners. Feel is not significantly different but certainly response when changing direction is sharper.

[PNR888]

I think the lightness or heaviness of the steering wheel is more related to the amount of assistance power steering provided. and car makers preset that amount of depend on the cars' characteristics. Eg 3-series has less assistance from power steering pump than Euro. and as a result the steering become more responsive.

For the same model of car, tyre pressure, width of the tyres, suspansion setup (stock vs mod) can also alter the lightness or heaviness of the steering wheel.

Weight of the car usually is irrelevant. Eg, 2000kg plus Lexus LX470's steering wheel feels lighter than Mini Cooper S.

Just a sidenote: When NSX first release, Only Automatic version get power steering. As Ayrton Senna (was driving McLaren Honda F1 at that time) wanted NSX manual drivers to experience the Racing Car like steering response.. Dont know if it is still the case for later model..

[swguy]

My MY06 std Euro steering seems heavy at parking speeeds.

[Omotesando]

I agree Euro Accord steering should show more feeling of where the car is turning. I think the BMW 3 series are mainly better because they have the front wheels so far infront (turn in response is better), also that they're RWD. But right on the limit driving in the 3 series isn't that easy to drive - I have a feeling you could lose it somehow into a big snap oversteer. On my old S15 200sx, the on the limit feel is much more predictable, kind of like the Euro Accord is.


Its weird - I'm not sure if its just me but in the Euro, just off centre and a little twist of the steering wheel on this car gets it darting around.

However, if you then start to do bigger turns into bigger corners, then suddenly I seem to lose track of exactly how much steering I should commit to. I have to look at the lane markings instead of relying on my hands/intuition to know.

I will certainly contemplate fitting the strut bars, hopefully it will make a marked improvement in this area!

[SpeedBird]

All HONDAS have lighter steering, since day 1. Its the way the designers do it. As those japanese are small people with little arms and need less resistance.

The BMW 3 series E90, latest model has heavier steering feel when compared to the Euro for sure. Its more true and has a better feel on the highway, but just a little heavier during parking.

But the BMW is also 50:50 weight distribution balanced to make it a true compact sedan for superb handling on open roads.

Cars aint Cars !

[primetimex]

Compared to the Jazz, the Euro's steering is heavier but is more communicative and provides much more feedback.

After driving the Euro for almost 3 years I feel that I'm driving better as I can "feel" where the car is at any time due the response given by the steering wheel as well as the car's tyres and suspension themselves.

With the Jazz - the response is very very light and not enough feedback and too much give, great for tight spaces and such but I still prefer the Euro's handling!