Home Forums Articles How To's FAQ Register
Go Back   Xoutpost.com > BMW SAV Forums > Other BMWs
Arnott
User Name
Password
Member List Premier Membership Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Xoutpost server transfer and maintenance is occurring....
Xoutpost is currently undergoing a planned server migration.... stay tuned for new developments.... sincerely, the management


Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 06-12-2009, 06:30 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: gotham city
Posts: 1,276
chefwong is on a distinguished road
Active Steering - Yay or Nay

Stopped by a dealership today but they did not have any SAVS equipped with Active Steering to test drive.

However, I thought it kicked in more during low speeds vs. high speeds.

The sales rep advised it's a 1:8 ratio when active steering kicks in, and it kicks in generally during HIGH speeds, not low.

Anyone care to shed some light....
Reply With Quote

Sponsored Links

  #2  
Old 06-12-2009, 08:03 PM
themoth's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: chicago
Posts: 559
themoth is on a distinguished road
in my 545i it made a world of difference in handleing and overall performance, one of the must have options in my mind on a sport model.
__________________
-2010 X5 / / / M "Monte Carlo Blue"
-2004 X5 4.4i DINAN Stage II
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 06-12-2009, 08:33 PM
Weasel's Avatar
Almost never on here anymore :(
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: New Orleans, La
Posts: 6,892
Weasel will become famous soon enough
At low speeds, like in a parking lot, it turns the wheels faster. It only takes about 3/4 turn to go to end lock in one direction. At higher speeds it goes the other way for heightned stability. It also acts to help keep the vehicle stable in quick manuvers, helps counteract oversteer/understeer.

Here's a quick boring-ass video I found on youtube describing it.

__________________
"When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all" (Bender, futurama)

You make something idiotproof, they'll make a better idiot


You think professional is expensive, just wait until you pay for amateur.

Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.

Examine what is said, not who speaks.

X5 pics

RIP 4.6is.....

2003 4.6is
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 06-12-2009, 11:08 PM
AzNMpower32's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: WNC
Posts: 6,010
AzNMpower32 is on a distinguished road
It largely depends on the vehicle and the type of driving one usually encounters. I will warn you, due to its rarity and complexity, salesmen don't know jacksh*t about how it works.

Active Steering alters the steering ratio from 10:1 (fast) at low speeds to 18:1 (stable) at higher speeds.

If the main purpose of AS is to make parking easier, don't get it. You've missed the point of the technology. It's best if you drive predominately in rural areas with bends, kind of like Germany. It provides better stability and driving enjoyment in those ideal situations with higher speeds.

BMW provides a description here. There's also a video on the right hand side menu that you can download.

Last edited by AzNMpower32; 06-12-2009 at 11:15 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 06-13-2009, 05:18 PM
Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Chicago-burbs
Posts: 297
ravenheart is on a distinguished road
By now everyone is probably tired of hearing me hark on about this - but I really dont like Active Steering - in my experience it makes the steering feel numb and unpredictable. Kinda like steering a big boat. That is not to say its useless - just clashes with everything I personally like about driving.
__________________
- Ravenheart
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 06-13-2009, 05:51 PM
Weasel's Avatar
Almost never on here anymore :(
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: New Orleans, La
Posts: 6,892
Weasel will become famous soon enough
I pulled this excerpt from another forum, who pulled from a car magazine test article.


Quote:
"Active Steering is perhaps the most significant new technical achievement. This system, part of the optional Sport package, electromechanically adds a positive or negative steering angle to the setting chosen by the driver, via a planetary gearset integrated into the steering column. This reduces steering motion at low speeds (say, while parking) and when negotiating tight turns on curvy roads, requiring only two turns lock-to-lock rather than three. It also makes the steering much more direct at high speeds. Driving two 5-series-one equipped with Active Steering and one without-back-to-back on an autocross course, we found the car equipped with Active Steering allowed us to hustle through much more quickly and with far less understeer than the car with BMW's conventional, but still excellent, rack-and-pinion setup. (The 540i's recirculating-ball steering is history.) On twisty seaside roads, it takes a little getting used to, because you're expecting to have to cross your arms a lot more than is actually necessary, but the results are noteworthy. Philip Köhn, Active Steering project manager, maintains that the system "is such a huge leap in technology, it's comparable to the introduction of ABS."

It is a great system, and I like it, but not everyone does. As I recommended earlier, go and drive a vehicle with it, even if it is not the model car you are trying to buy. You just need to feel it yourself. You will either love it or hate it once you feel it yourself.
__________________
"When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all" (Bender, futurama)

You make something idiotproof, they'll make a better idiot


You think professional is expensive, just wait until you pay for amateur.

Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.

Examine what is said, not who speaks.

X5 pics

RIP 4.6is.....

2003 4.6is
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 06-15-2009, 04:54 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: gotham city
Posts: 1,276
chefwong is on a distinguished road
called around to a couple of suspect dealerships I would use. None have any stock with AS in their demo and or CPO fleet......

Hard to make a blind decision.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 06-15-2009, 05:34 PM
vinuneuro's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: MI/IL/IN
Posts: 7,800
vinuneuro is on a distinguished road
If it was the holy grail of vehicle dynamics, it'd be used in M vehicles [but it isn't].

/
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:31 AM.
vBulletin, Copyright 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. SEO by vBSEO 3.6.0
© 2017 Xoutpost.com. All rights reserved. Xoutpost.com is a private enthusiast site not associated with BMW AG.
The BMW name, marks, M stripe logo, and Roundel logo as well as X3, X5 and X6 designations used in the pages of this Web Site are the property of BMW AG.
This web site is not sponsored or affiliated in any way with BMW AG or any of its subsidiaries.