Aug 30 2011, 01:20 AM
QUOTE(gregy @ Aug 26 2011, 04:03 PM)
Well, I've been driving cars for more than 20 yrs now. Having owned and driven a mish mash of old vehicles with no power steering (Toyota Liteace, Honda Accord 1st gen, Mazda 323 2nd and 3rd gen), to cars with hydraulic PS (P/Wira, Corolla AE101, Mazda 626 Cronos, Accord 7th gen (CM5) and Civic FD) to cars with EPS (H/City iDSI and currently Forte 2.0SX), I seriously don't understand what the fuss is all about.
Yes, there is a slight difference between EPS and hydraulics, but not to the point that causes the former to feel floaty or disjointed. To fully appreciate the difference, you'd have to compare like for like, i.e., two similar cars with the same suspension setup, but one with EPS and the other with hydraulics. More likely than not, it is the particular model's suspension and steering setup that make all the difference rather than the EPS. My gf's Myvi SE uses ol' skool hydraulics and the car feels floaty and disjointed nonetheless
You have to understand that all steering systems are mechanical in nature, i.e., there is a mechanical linkage between the steering column and front wheels. Assistance can either be hydraulic or electric (not electronic). I wouldn't drive any car that didn't have a failsafe mechanical linkage to steer my car in the case of power loss. It's all in the tuning. Many new cars have variable gearing power assistance even with hydraulic systems and those cars too, can feel un-involving. The beauty of EPS is that the engineers can program the EPS motor to respond in a more involving way whereas with hydraulic systems you're pretty much stuck with whatever it was designed to do.
I happen to have a sibling who owns a Forte 1.6SX with hydraulic power steering so I have managed to compare his car and mine. To be honest, the difference is negligible; in fact I prefer EPS (MDPS in Hyundai/Kia speak) for day to day driving as it is a bit easier to drive at low speeds and for parking.
1.3 tonnes is not a featherweight by any means, at least when compared to a 950kg Wira Crosswinds will also take lorries out, what more a passenger car. Another reason for the lack of "feel" when faced with crosswinds is simply due to the superior road handling of the car. Don't forget that this and many modern cars are equipped with electronic stability control systems which help keep you planted and going in a straight line rather than being forced off the road. The electric power steering is modulated based on vehicle speed, steering input, throttle position etc so ya, in a way, you don't have to fight the car as much as you'd have to with an older hydraulic system. The feeling of being pushed to the side is inevitable because cars are sprung to absorb lateral forces and not horizontal ones. Even Accords and Camrys will get that being pushed feeling regardless. It's what happens when you're being pushed that matters.
This whole argument would've been moot had it been that you were being pushed to the kerb and yet you didn't sense it until it was too late. The reality is, the ESC/TC/whatever and EPS helped to keep you on the road, taking away the stress of needing to fight with the car. There is a difference between "light" and "effortless"
Thanks for your opinion on this as well. I did not have have the luxury to drive a similar-equivalent car, so I had to make it clear that my points were given based on a Wira driven in Malaysia, while I drove the Elantra in the States where the crosswinds could hit up to 20-30 mph (50-60 kph). Note that in the same trip in the same place, the wind push was not so significant in the Ford Fusion Hybrid (well, that car was 1.7 tonnes to be fair). While I sense that "push" and to be clear I did not hit the curb, otherwise i'll be in trouble when i return the car back to the rental company Yes, there is a slight difference between EPS and hydraulics, but not to the point that causes the former to feel floaty or disjointed. To fully appreciate the difference, you'd have to compare like for like, i.e., two similar cars with the same suspension setup, but one with EPS and the other with hydraulics. More likely than not, it is the particular model's suspension and steering setup that make all the difference rather than the EPS. My gf's Myvi SE uses ol' skool hydraulics and the car feels floaty and disjointed nonetheless
You have to understand that all steering systems are mechanical in nature, i.e., there is a mechanical linkage between the steering column and front wheels. Assistance can either be hydraulic or electric (not electronic). I wouldn't drive any car that didn't have a failsafe mechanical linkage to steer my car in the case of power loss. It's all in the tuning. Many new cars have variable gearing power assistance even with hydraulic systems and those cars too, can feel un-involving. The beauty of EPS is that the engineers can program the EPS motor to respond in a more involving way whereas with hydraulic systems you're pretty much stuck with whatever it was designed to do.
I happen to have a sibling who owns a Forte 1.6SX with hydraulic power steering so I have managed to compare his car and mine. To be honest, the difference is negligible; in fact I prefer EPS (MDPS in Hyundai/Kia speak) for day to day driving as it is a bit easier to drive at low speeds and for parking.
1.3 tonnes is not a featherweight by any means, at least when compared to a 950kg Wira
Crosswinds will also take lorries out, what more a passenger car. Another reason for the lack of "feel" when faced with crosswinds is simply due to the superior road handling of the car. Don't forget that this and many modern cars are equipped with electronic stability control systems which help keep you planted and going in a straight line rather than being forced off the road. The electric power steering is modulated based on vehicle speed, steering input, throttle position etc so ya, in a way, you don't have to fight the car as much as you'd have to with an older hydraulic system. The feeling of being pushed to the side is inevitable because cars are sprung to absorb lateral forces and not horizontal ones. Even Accords and Camrys will get that being pushed feeling regardless. It's what happens when you're being pushed that matters.This whole argument would've been moot had it been that you were being pushed to the kerb and yet you didn't sense it until it was too late. The reality is, the ESC/TC/whatever and EPS helped to keep you on the road, taking away the stress of needing to fight with the car. There is a difference between "light" and "effortless"
. I was busy correcting the car all the time in my 4-5 hours drive on the freeway 
. To be fair, its also my first time driving overseas, so blame my skill too 
.Yes, EPS and HPS are both up to preference, for me, I prefer HPS (the other EPS car I drove was the Myvi EPS and I din't like that either).
I could not make an apple-to-apple comparison, glad you could come in and voice out your points.
Anyway, EPS should not be the main critical factor in make your decision to buy this car. If the car could come in earlier into Malaysia, I would have line up to pre-order the car earlier.
But seriously, the more Hyundai wait to launch the car here, the more they lose. They should have launched it earlier when the window is good, but skip it and focus on the Sonata.
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, and Hyundai management drives Azera 
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