[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by 1100D

I see many folks have listed Scorpio as one amongst the worst feedback. Agreed. But it does not fall in the same segment as a normal hatch and sedan.

In its category (sub 10 lakh SUV), show me a vehicle with better steering feedback. Safari and the Xylo would rate as the worst of the worst for me add to that the horrible vagueness off the center position.

I drive a Scorpio VLX occasionally, the steering feels disconnected from the wheels. Tata Safari has much better steering.

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

I drive a Scorpio VLX occasionally, the steering feels disconnected from the wheels. Tata Safari has much better steering.

Having driven both, I cannot agree more.

[pnredkar]

Originally Posted by trinadha

guys what happened to opel corsa heard it has a good steering.

I have driven a Corsa for the past 6-years and can vouch for its steering. The control and feedback from the speed-sensitive unit is good. However, it may not be the best out there. It slightly understeers at high speeds (120 kmph+).

[SmartCat]

Understeers at 120 kmph? Um, I think you mean to say something else.

Understeer happens when you go quickly on a curvy road in a FWD car. The front wheel loses grip, the tyres start screeching and you end up in a ditch.

[pnredkar]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Understeers at 120 kmph? Um, I think you mean to say something else.

Understeer happens when you go quickly on a curvy road in a FWD car. The front wheel loses grip, the tyres start screeching and you end up in a ditch.

It turns less than it should (atleast by my experience at lower speeds). I have to compensate by turning the steering (slightly) more.
I thought that this was understeer, but maybe .

Now these was with brand new tyres (Bridgestone Turanzas), so I dont think that the front wheels slipped to cause this behavior (whatever you call it). The road was NH4 (near Tumkur) and my car is a FWD.

[Aniket6]

The Best feedback according to my experience - Ford Ikon,Ford Fiesta,FIAT Palio,Punto.

The Worst - All of Hyundais and most of Tatas. And Mahindra Bolero with PS which can be turned with a single finger at rest offered no information from the wheels.

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by Aniket6

The Best feedback according to my experience - Ford Ikon,Ford Fiesta,FIAT Palio,Punto.
The Worst - All of Hyundais and most of Tatas. And Mahindra Bolero with PS which can be turned with a single finger at rest offered no information from the wheels.

Best: Basically the Ford's and the Fiat's along with a latest entrant, the Polo.
Worst: Indica V2, Hyundai i20, Santro (much better than the Indica though)

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by 1100D

Feedback and "weighing up at speed" are two different things. When we talk about this feedback/communication, we are talking about feeling the same, through variations of the steering stiffness with varying levels of grip. I dont really expect a high C.G SUV to have a very direct/responsive steering. But then, when you start driving, you kind of tend to try poke the limits, thats when these observations creep in.

Scorpio steering, though not direct, conveys more of what goes under its wheels, Safari's steering does not get adequate information from its softer suspension. The spring-rates, that give it its highway ride quality, are too low for the surface to filter through to the steering column. Infact on a sprited drive on the expressway, while working through traffic, behind a scorpio, I was having difficulty judging how much grip there is left while taking the turns (note I was being faced with a tremendous body roll, but that is a different issue alltogether). A scorpio on the same stretch communicated better about the levels of grip available.

I know whats the difference between loading up at speed and feedback and would still disgaree. Safari's steering communicates much better.

[kannan666]

Best steering feedback must go to the Omni ! No power steering for one and you are pretty much sitting directly on top of the front wheels ! For worst, I would go for the PS Bolero.

[1100D]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

I know whats the difference between loading up at speed and feedback and would still disgaree. Safari's steering communicates much better.

Since you know the difference, it actually feels strange as to how could be the observations be so different.

The scorpio's torsion bar front suspension was clearly communicating much more through to the steering and was also the stiffer of the two cars. None of the vehicles were modded. The scorpio in question wasn't even new, it was a pre-refresh 2.6.

Anyway, to each his own, and this isn't even Safari vs Scorpio thread.

[SmartCat]

it actually feels strange as to how could be the observations be so different.

Yes, observations can be different. I don't agree with opinions on steering feel/feedback of some of the cars mentioned here. That can happen possibly because the car driven did not have proper wheel alignment (for example).

[Guna]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Understeers at 120 kmph? Um, I think you mean to say something else.

Understeer happens when you go quickly on a curvy road in a FWD car. The front wheel loses grip, the tyres start screeching and you end up in a ditch.

Originally Posted by pnredkar

It turns less than it should (atleast by my experience at lower speeds). I have to compensate by turning the steering (slightly) more.
I thought that this was understeer, but maybe

@smartcat, I think what pnredkar has experienced is understeering, right? But the question must be, can one take a turn at 120? May be a sweeping turn but undtersteering will not be very evident on such occassions.

[SmartCat]

Check wikipedia for the true meaning for understeer -
Understeer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You might not be able to make a turn at 120 kmph, but you can change lanes I suppose, and that requires using the steering wheel. pnredkar's car "turns" less than it should at high speed, for the same steering input (when at low speed). I haven't exactly faced this issue before.

pnredkar, does the steering suddenly lose feel above 120kmph? When the steering loses feel suddenly, you might feel that you have to turn the steering wheel a bit more. This has happened to me before, and getting wheel alignment done solved the problem.

[GoldenParadox]

My 2 cents worth:

• Best : Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXi
• So-so : Mahindra Scorpio, Hyundai Santro
• Worst : HM Ambassador

[pnredkar]

Originally Posted by Guna

@smartcat, I think what pnredkar has experienced is understeering, right? But the question must be, can one take a turn at 120? May be a sweeping turn but undtersteering will not be very evident on such occassions.

Oops! there seems to be confusion. Here, the road is winding with left or right turns with the appropriate banking angles. I am just trying to change the direction of the car so that it stays on the road.

Originally Posted by smartcat

Check wikipedia for the true meaning for understeer -
Understeer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You might not be able to make a turn at 120 kmph, but you can change lanes I suppose, and that requires using the steering wheel. pnredkar's car "turns" less than it should at high speed, for the same steering input (when at low speed). I haven't exactly faced this issue before.

pnredkar, does the steering suddenly lose feel above 120kmph? When the steering loses feel suddenly, you might feel that you have to turn the steering wheel a bit more. This has happened to me before, and getting wheel alignment done solved the problem.

No, the steering does not lose control. Infact, it gets heavier as the speed increases. Now, visualize this: The road turns sharply to the right. You try to keep to your lane at that speed. But you realize that for the expected steering turn, your car starts moving to the left lane. You have to overcorrect to stay in your lane.

However, inspite of this I would say that the steering of the Corsa is good in control and feedback.

Also I dont think that wheel alignment was a problem as these were new wheels (changed to alloys) and new tyres. The trip was within two weeks of these changes.

And folks, for the confusion.