Okay, I'd love to put this question to people that actually OWN a new 991. Not people (like me) who have test driven a 991 a couple times or who have read magazine articles. This question is for the owners.

Honestly, what do you think of the steering?

Please reply to poll or give a short answer. If you've had a previous Porsche (which I'm sure most have) it would be nice to hear a comparison to that. And good or bad, please be blunt.

 

I like it. At speed, it is nice and firm. At the track, there was enough feedback that I could feel it when the front tires were getting close to their limit. It is still weird how easy it is to turn when I enter my garage, but since it doesn't stay that way when I go faster, I don't care, and it does make parking effortless....

 

You need a "not as good, but still fine" option.

 

I'm very happy with it and consider it absolutely a non-issue ... previous Porsche was a 997.1 ...

 

I find myself in total agreement with af330i, and strangely in mostly agreement with Manifold. I too am very, very happy with it and consider it a non-issue. And while I would not say "not as good", I would agree it is different than the 997 - there is less talkback - not alot less. But less. If this were a track car first and foremost, I could agree with Manifold completely great, but not as good. But, at least for me, anyway, it is more of a DD. I may be on the track 5 days and AutoX another 5. But the rest of the time, I am on roads. For those days, it is better. It has all the handling, and all of the communication needed, and much much more. But it also has more manners.

 

My impression is that the trade off is slightly less feedback vs elimination of mid-corner steering bump, and I'm fine with it.

 

hard to survey current owners only because you'll invariably get "ownership bias" in the poll. i would put more stock in the opinions of unbiased reviewers who have tested both cars. no offense meant to anybody.

 

Reviewers of the new Boxster, which also has the new electric steering, report the steering is the same as it was in the old Boxster. This probably means the software is addressable for steering feel. So, it is not the "electric" part of it, but the tuning of it that is disturbing to some, what I would call, thrill seekers. The old steering, lively and somewhat engaging at normal speeds, was worrisome at high speeds to Europeans, who could travel at high speed for hours. It was their request that prompted Porsche to "tame it."

On our roads, and in the limited time we have to travel at higher speeds, it was not a problem, just a characteristic many associated with the Porscheness of the car.

Once you get used to the steering, you can actually see it as an improvement. After all, everything about the original 911 that was dangerous or idiosyncratic has gradually been toned down. Many will miss the uniqueness of these traits, but for daily, mainstream use, especially by multiple drivers, these changes expand the Porsche driver base rather than limit it.

For the diehard, take comfort in the fact that this is modifiable and there may be compromises in the next model year or even in the GT3's and GT2's.

 

I have had numerous Carreras, both Turbos and normally aspirated, and have also had several Ferraris, often both at the same time. To me, the new 911 steering is more like the steering in the Ferraris.

Note also, that many Ferrari owners don't like the old 911 steering. They find it unsettling and uncertain.

I like them both, but I believe I like the new 911 steering better than the F430's steering. It, however, is not as direct as the steering in the 458.

 

Good comments. I hope you're right about the tunability.

 

I'd be interested in your general thoughts on how the 911 compares with the Ferraris. The only exotics I've driven are the Gallardo and SLS, and I've always wondered what Ferraris are like.

 

You might start a new thread about the differences and I will chime in, probably along with many others. This thread is supposed to be about steering as experienced by 991 owners and maybe we should keep it there. I'm not trying to be disrespectful to you so much as I am trying to respect the original poster.

 

Done, and thanks.

 

Curious which reviewers have said this, since this is not what I've read in EVO, CAR, or Top Gear. They've all commented that the Boxster steering is 'a bit dissapointing' not 'the same as the old Boxster'

Here's a customer review from another board:

I really, really want to buy the new Cayman when it comes out so I hope you're right and this reviewer is wrong, but you're the first person I've read who said the steering feel is the same as the 987.

 

So you have a power steering plus option?

ChuckJ