power steering

nader · 09-10-2007, 03:16 PM

I was lookign at the options list and was wondering if the cars that were on the smart road tour had power steering? I would think that it wouldn't be necesasry and omitting it would prevent some added weight.

Old smart · 09-10-2007, 04:23 PM

I doubt if the smart that I drove had power steering - didn’t make any difference. The big advantage of PS is turning the front wheels while stationary, and once you get rolling its advantage is much less (eventually going to zero). A pair of 155 front tires on a 1700 lb car will not have much resistance to stationary turning, and the constant load/friction of a PS pump may well be done without. It isn’t so much an issue of weight; it is resistance. The resistance of any piece of a moving, friction-producing component increases exponentially (2x:x-squared, 3x:x-cubed, etc.) with the speed of its movement.

I think the offering of PS in the N.A. smart is just a “ya-ya” sop to those who have never thought about not having it.

gimhoff · 09-10-2007, 06:56 PM

None of the road tour cars is equipped with power steering, and it doesn't seem to be necessary. Power steering is most useful when parallel parking, anyway, and how difficult is it going to be to find a parking space the Smart can squeeze into?

lhoboy · 09-10-2007, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gimhoff

None of the road tour cars is equipped with power steering, and it doesn't seem to be necessary. Power steering is most useful when parallel parking, anyway, and how difficult is it going to be to find a parking space the Smart can squeeze into?

Anyway, who's going to be parallel parking? I'll be pulling in perpendicular to the curb.

MicroNut · 09-10-2007, 08:29 PM

The power steering offered on the smart is electric, so it's very efficient compared with traditional hydraulic pump systems. However, I can't see it being necessary at all unless, perhaps, you plan on adding aftermarket wider rims and tires.

The street smart cars I drove didn't have power steering, and definitely didn't need it IMO.

lhoboy · 09-11-2007, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicroNut

The power steering offered on the smart is electric, so it's very efficient compared with traditional hydraulic pump systems. However, I can't see it being necessary at all unless, perhaps, you plan on adding aftermarket wider rims and tires.

The street smart cars I drove didn't have power steering, and definitely didn't need it IMO.

Same impression here.

Lewis · 09-11-2007, 10:02 AM

I felt the same as the others when I drove the demo but I have read some British car magazines that say the power steering reduces the amount of turns lock to lock making the car more plesant to drive- in fact they thought it was pretty essential for responsiveness. So I'm not sure myself.

nader · 09-11-2007, 11:02 AM

any one know when we can expect some magazine reviews fo the US spec cars? Also since the 08's are shipping in europe I wonder if we can get feedback from other markets about the power steering. This is the tough part about ordering a car with limited information.

lhoboy · 09-11-2007, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nader

any one know when we can expect some magazine reviews fo the US spec cars? Also since the 08's are shipping in europe I wonder if we can get feedback from other markets about the power steering. This is the tough part about ordering a car with limited information.

I'm actually glad I'm not one of the annointed 300. This way I can get some get some feedback on and maybe even a test drive in actual US models before I have to make an option selection.

MicroNut · 09-11-2007, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lewis

I felt the same as the others when I drove the demo but I have read some British car magazines that say the power steering reduces the amount of turns lock to lock making the car more plesant to drive- in fact they thought it was pretty essential for responsiveness. So I'm not sure myself.

I did find this reference in Edmunds' first drive piece:

"The way the car handles depends a lot on the combination of steering and tires that you choose. If you opt for manual steering and the narrow 155/60R15 front tires, the Smart feels slightly ponderous and the front tires give up pretty quickly in the corners. Once you upgrade to quicker-ratio, electrically assisted power steering and 175/60R15 front tires, then this agile little car can be hustled along at a surprising pace. It's no sports car, but it is fun."

Full article here: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=119682