This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Is power steering necessary?

I've been thinking of buying a new car and want to know if it's necessary to have power steering.

I'm looking to buy a small car (eg. Renault Clio, Ford Fiesta, Smart Car), say around 4-7 years old and a lot of the ones i've looked at don't have power steering. I've never driven a car without power steering before (my current 1997 Renault Clio has it) so is it really hard to drive without it? Or does it not matter so much on a small car?

Thanks for any help!

Reply 1

impsmith

1

power steering is really not required on a Smart. it would help sure but you don't need it.

Reply 2

xMiss_Sarahx

My car didn't have power steering, okay so it takes a little longer to get used to it, and builds up arm muscles and means that some parking spaces you just have to abandon all hope for, but I really didn't find it a hinderance.

Reply 3

Tofufi

4

Really, really not needed at all.

I drive a people carrier (seats 8) without power steering, and only ever wish for it when it is full of people. A small car really won't need it.

If anything, cars without power assisted steering feel nicer to drive anyway - more connected, in my opinion.

Reply 4

Danielle89

14

Nope, my 1994 peugeot 106 doesnt have power steering and since its a light enough car its not that bad. Just a bit of a bitch for parallel parking and 3-point turns but meh, easy enough

Reply 5

Hedgeman49

17

Doesn't matter so much for a small car, unless you plan to be doing a lot of reverse parking and the like!

Reply 6

Nuffles

19

The parking problem can be helped by slipping the clutch and crawling over a short distance very slowly. Doesn't eradicate it, but it does help.

Reply 7

Lara C.

3

Nuffles

The parking problem can be helped by slipping the clutch and crawling over a short distance very slowly. Doesn't eradicate it, but it does help.

i dont think ive ever performed a parking manouvre without slipping the clutch :o:

Reply 8

Tofufi

4

Nuffles

The parking problem can be helped by slipping the clutch and crawling over a short distance very slowly. Doesn't eradicate it, but it does help.

You shouldn't dry steer (steering whilst the car is stationary) anyway, whether the car has power steering or not.

Reply 9

Millmill

12

What does slipping th clutch mean?

I don't have power steering in my car (1996 fiesta) and there are times when I'd kill for it, like parking in a multi story carpark yesterday, but overall it's really not that bad :smile:

Reply 10

Pocket Calculator

14

I lived without it. It's more fun without, in my mind.

Reply 11

Minardi

12

Not that nescacary, you can live without it fine. As others have said, it builds the arm muscles, and it really isn't noticeable once you're rolling.

Reply 12

Lara C.

3

Tofufi

You shouldn't dry steer (steering whilst the car is stationary) anyway, whether the car has power steering or not.

i once bled the powersteering system by turning the wheel left+right about 10-15 times, by the time i had finished there were thick black marks and noticable patches on the tyres! thank god they needed replacing beforehand!

Reply 13

AugustWestie

12

Isn't it a bit weird that the 4 - 7 year old cars you're looking at don't have power steering? I thought they all had it these days.

Reply 14

Charlski

14

God no, on small cars it's completely unnecessary.

Reply 15

Snookercraze

12

Power steering makes life so much easier, as expected, especially when parking. I wouldn't buy a car without it to be honest. Its on my 'list' of absolute necessities in a car.

Reply 16

v-zero

14

A lack of power steering is a beautiful thing, you can actually feel the road... I hate the 'spaceship' feel of modern cars.

Reply 17

lyncici

More important, in my opinion, is a good turn radius. Then I don't might having no power steering. :yep:

Reply 18

The Referee

11

Necessary? No, but I wouldn't choose to drive a car that didn't have it. The one time I did drive a car without power steering, it turned driving from a pleasure to a chore - no thanks!

Reply 19

Charlski

14

The Referee

Necessary? No, but I wouldn't choose to drive a car that didn't have it. The one time I did drive a car without power steering, it turned driving from a pleasure to a chore - no thanks!

It's funny isn't it, I actively prefer to drive cars without it - I like to be able to 'feel' the road and you just don't get that in the same way with power steering.

Is power steering necessary?

Related discussions

Articles for you