calpalmer

Has a consensus developed about Active Steering? I am close to placing an order after lots of study, and am undecided on this one. Absent a strong "must-have" recommendation I'll skip it at this point. Concerned about a different, less direct feel of the road, also wonder if it will turn into a maintenance headache. I'll keep the car 10+ years.

Cal

westcoast550

Love it ! Could I live without it? yes, but why? it's something that you'll regret as cars become more sophisticated (if you really plan to keep it 10 years)IMHO

mhs525

I have had my car about 2 months now. First car with active steering. I like it but I liked my M3 steering better. I haven't driven an E60 without so I don't really know how tight or loose the standard steering is. The less turns required when parking etc is nice but that offsets by me being a little more cautious as I drive more agressively and increase speed. I feel like my brain is still learning what speed translates to what steering angle. In the M3 it was almost telepathic from the day I had the Dinan suspension installed.

If I test drove a car without it and thought the steering wasn't to "luxury car" loose, I wouldn't pay $1,400 for it. My .02

KnIgHtCoM

I've tried it on a E92, but couldn't really appreciate it. I don't have it on my car, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

You're not going to get a straight answer here, everyone has their own opinion. The best way is to test drive them both yourself and see how you like it.

swajames

Makes a 4000lb sedan feel like a go-kart and worth every penny. Some say it decreases road feel, personally I think that's actually enhanced with AS. I can say without reservation that it's the option I most regret skipping on my 550 (with the HUD a close second), I loved AS on my 545 and it will be on my next E60/F10.

EBMCS03

I think its an excellent option. I've driven plenty of E90s and E60s without Active Steering and prefer ones with AS.

Rudy

Take a look here for a ton more opinions:
http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=47156&hl=

JSpira

I extensively test drove a 550i with and without AS and decided against it.

1.) I found the "light" steering at slower speeds to feel somewhat artificial
2.) I found the non-AS car to provide somewhat more road feel
3.) Right about the time I was thinking about this, several people posted problems cropping up with AS failures of one sort or another
4.) I found that the AS corrected strangely during cornering, specifically its assist changed during sudden deceleration but that made steering the corner more difficult

jmatthe

I was faced with the same dilemma...had it on the 545, not on the 330. Thought I liked non-active steering better based on those cars, but they are different cars. After driving several 535s, 550s, with and without AS, here is my opinion... 535 would pass (lighter more nimble car to begin with) 550 would get it. The turn in on a 550, probably because of the increased weight, is just a bit slow without AS especially on sub-50 speeds. BTW, if you want to get further confused, look up my similar post awhile back.

http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=...&hl=jmatthe

kscarrol

I passed, not a "must have" in my opinion. My feelings mirror JSpira's in terms of feel, particularly at low speeds and potential for future issues...