I think I have never drove a EPS car before so I have no idea how good it is compared to a HPS car. For those who don't know or want to get up to speed, can read this good article. Now, I'm thinking of the elantra/next K3 as possible purchases, though I would like to know how good/bad the steering is. Correct me if I'm wrong but EPS = like those sim racing wheels right? Also electric powered. I think it all comes down to whatever software is providing the force feedback to the wheel.

Has anyone driven both types of cars and noted the difference? I'm concern with the feedback obtained from EPS. In HPS, the feedback is constant, so if you enter in deep puddle at high speed, steering suddenly feels lighter, but you can feel this. I am not sure EPS can translate this quite well.

Thanks for feedback

I don't think you can simply say: EPS bad, HPS good. EPS can be bad, and it may often be bad. But I believe there are instances where the EPS is quite good too. Basically you'll have to wait for reviews/test drive it yourself.

And maybe I'm getting it wrong, but I thought the EPS usually means there is an electric motor connected to the steering system that _helps_ turning the tyres. But the steering wheel is still directly connected to the tyres, without the EPS system you should still be able to steer the car.

There r pros and cons for both... but if you asked me, i would preferr HPS and yes, it's more mechanical and do not rely totally on electronics. EPS would have an EPS ECU that drives it. Well, electronic when failed, you'll have to change the whole unit of the ECU. Where mechanical would be parts by parts.

And yes, even on an EPS car and if the ECU breakdown, of coz you can drive the car still but then, the steering will be darn heavy to turn during parking... and it's even more heavier than those car without any power steering.

I'll use d VW Polo Sedan vs Elantra 1.6, both on different power steering assist system for comparison.

In d Elantra d EPS is lighter n is eaiser to use at low speeds eg. in car parks n 3-point reverse parking. Wat it looses however is mainly lack of steering feedback like many other EPS steering n d feel when it centralises itself back from a turn is a bit more artificial.

D HPS in d Polo Sedan is a bit heavier, but it is a bit more assuring when u tackle corners as it transfers some amount of road feel back to d driver. Tat said, some drivers might find it a bit heavier when doin low speed maneuvering.

In d example u gv of driving through puddles, EPS is not entirely numb until u dun realise u hit a puddle. D steering will still stray n feel lighter for a moment but not as much as a HPS unit

I admit I prefer cars wit more steering feedback like Inspira, Polo Sedan n Swift, but some people whom prefer a relaxed drive might prefer a more 'sedate' n constantly light EPS, so there is no universal answer onwhich is best.

I think what he means was those road condition feedback feeling provided by the steering, which most of the EPS on the market lack off, making people feeling numb when driving with EPS.

Also when driving through corner, when i release the steering to let it spin back to straight, i feel some car's electric motor kick-in feeling is just too strong.

But i believe with a proper setup of EPS, it still can give you some road feedback as the HPS.

Btw., Citroen had HPS systems that would completely detach you from the road. No feeling at all. That was intentional, and it seems to be possible with hydraulics.

EPS no need servicing..

That depends....EPS on Ford cars are quite good - easy to turn at low speed but nicely weighted at high speed. It feels quite accurate and natural actually you won't give much thought to it when steering the car.

Road feedback is more muted compared to HPS, I don't know if it's good or bad because when cornering on bumpy roads it is easier to hold the steering and maintain the angle. Maybe it will be more difficult to tell how much grip is left, but then I haven't understeered my Ford, yet.

The EPS on the LBLP is a good example of EPS gone wrong. unpredictable and utterly vague, both steering and feedback.

EPS does not provide artificial feedback (or force feedback in gaming parlance) to the driver, it merely assists the driver when spinning the steering wheel, with the level of assist based on the speed of the vehicle.

How do you find the EPS on the Swift?

I test drove once, it was as heavy as a HPS at slow speed. During the test drive I find the steering to be nicely weighted as well, but I wasn't doing any aggressive corners

test driven the ford focus, and i felt the eps was too light compared to my usual 14 years old iswara thats on hps.

as people mentioned even in this thread, corner whacking/u-turns can be a bit scary considering the lack of feedback, and most importantly when you let go of the steering for it to straighten itself as you would a hps, eps would do it too quick it threw the car off balanced for a very short moment but nothing serious as it does have torque vector controls/stability controls.

Well I didn't say it is as heavy as HPS I won't say it's too light for me, or maybe I'm used to it.

I also drive my sis's old Vios the NCP42 with HPS, yeah the steering is heavy but I won't say it's dripping with feedback either Speaking of Iswara, I drove one without power steering for 10 years, how's that for road feedback

This post has been edited by dares: Feb 19 2013, 12:05 AM

Hydraulic PS builds muscles.

EPS can also give only little assistance, while hydraulic can also give more assistance. All depends on how it is set up.

I'm not that big a fan of VW's power steering (whatever they are using, it is too light. Nissan X-Trail is worse), Ford however is quite nice, even if it too is on the light side. Citroen also did a good job on the HPS of our Xsara, it is quite heavy at speed, but light enough at low speeds. Decent feedback too. The Renault Kangoo HPS is not nearly as good, though still not too bad. But it feels like a less sophisticated system.

Few of the advantages of electric power steering is that it can be more functional. Like some of the car that has lane departure warning, automatic parking and blind spot assist, the computer can take control of the wheel.

So in my opinion electric power steering is necessary when car manufacturer want to equip advance technology in their car

So EPS does not have feedback at all?

the ford focus i test driven does have feedback, however it is nowhere the level of what hps can offer.

that said, the light steering while parking/low speed is damn good compared to hps

but i guess EPS have the capabilities to stiffen the steering wheel sensitivity level during high speed to avoid loss control?

Not necessarily. Certain HPS cars like d ol Unser n Sentra (both on stock rims&tires) feels too light n lack of feedback for my taste, making even d 2.0litre Civic n Grand Livina's EPS more communicative n assuring.

Back to d case of d Elantra, I wont exactly describe d EPS as numb as d 2 examples I gave but sufficient for everyday city drive. But b'coz tis is depends on individual drivers, I'd suggest u test drive d car n decide from there.

I drove the elantra with EPS and realize it is too smooth. The turning feels too effortless (there is no resistance feeling from the tyres)
when driven aggressively, I have to see where the car is moving rather than feel it in the hands. I dunno how to explain la. Feels very diff.
Maybe I'm too used to feeling feedback from the steering wheel after using HPS for too long.

maybe u should try on high speed too as the EPS may no kick-in that much compare to low speed...

i think there have some sort of car which able to stiffen the adsorb bar harder (sport mode) while high speed...
so i dont think it is difficult for EPS to do so...

This post has been edited by gkl83: Feb 19 2013, 09:32 AM