power steering???

[polarbert]

just read on the vx220.org site that the vx does not have power steering, is this true? is it noticable at low speeds?

just that i maybe changing my car next year and want something fast, but cheap, and dont have the slightest what to get!

[Muncher]

Correct.

At very low speeds, i.e. stationary it is hard work, but above 10mph it is normal. It certainly doesn't need it.

[polarbert]

thats cool, been reading the review on that site, and it looks amazing, although i would love the turbo, being online 19 i would have to pay a damn lot to insure the thing! looks like i would have to settle for 5 and half seconds to 60

[Muncher]

The NA is just about insurable (one company would give me a sensible quote) at 21.

[Plotloss]

Power steering?

It only weighs about 900kgs.

Not at all neccesary, the steering is feather light.

[mike9009]

Also with next to no wait over the front wheels (car is mid engined) it also makes the steering alot easier than a front engined car.

I have never had any problems with parking the VX due to no power steering

Mike

[zo-fo]

... and the narrow front wheels help as well.

[Plotloss]

All these VX-ers coming out of the woodwork

Good work!

[RobM77]

Power steering is the work of the devil! You definately don't want that in a car unless it really needs it!

Seriously though, it depends how the suspension geometry is set up. Take the old shape Nissan Micra for instance (94-2001), the non-power steering model has quite light steering, but in order to achieve this lightness Nissan imparted some trickery with the steering geometry, which ruins the feel and linearity. The net result is that the power steering model asctually has better steering.

The advantatge of the VX220 and Elise is that they're light enough not to need such trickery. I've only driven the Elise out of the two, but if they're correctly set up (factory settings, and *not* kerbed and knocked off to one side - that ruins it) they have the most amazing steering feel you'll ever experience. Once you've driven one you will never want a car with power assistance - the same goes for the brakes :-) Servo brakes :-S urgh!

The guys that have said about the steering being light are spot on as well - the first time I drove an Elise it scared me somewhat - it felt like I was understeering everywhere, but once you're used to it is is lovely!