This may sound silly, but the steering wheel is becoming kind of a deal-breaker for me right now. I guess I can keep an open mind about variable ratio steering, not having experienced it, but even that might not do it. It's not just the hand-over-hand part that's a problem, it's more a matter of "hanging on" in corners.
I needed to get some wine for Thanksgiving, and decided today would be an excellent day to visit one of the local wineries. The Sierra Foothills has some of the best on the planet (sorry, Napa), and one of them is just down the hill from me (Wise Villa Winery - recommended). For the locals, it's a nice twisty drive out Highway 193 from I-80 towards Lincoln, perfect for a fun Sunday drive in my Roadster. Fortunately, I didn't get stuck behind a logging truck or a someone driving a "side of quiche."
I was noticing that the 2:30 and 9:30 positions work just fine most of the time, but in cornering, I often grab the top steering wheel with my right hand, leaving the left where it was. That part of the steering wheel is missing on the new car, and I think that will really damage the driving experience of it.
I think the reason I do this is that it's a matter of stabilizing both my body and the car, especially when accelerating out of a 45-60-ish degree turn. I tend to sit more upright than the seat is on these sorts of roads (for better visibility around turns I guess), so that's where I get my sit-up-straight leverage from. But it's also a neutral point, steering-wise; the pull of acceleration is taken up by that arm, without imparting a turning force to the wheel, which is mostly controlled by the left arm (I'm left handed). But even if the seat were adjustable to put me in that position, I would still want my right hand on top for overall stability and fine steering adjustments that aren't affected by the acceleration. One doesn't lay in the driver's seat like they're in the living room watching TV when driving these roads. It wouldn't be right.
I tried keeping my hands at 2 and 10, imagining that the car had power steering (so that's another topic) and super side bolstering in the seats (which aren't bad to begin with), but there were still a lot of turns where that missing part was very much, well, missing.
I suppose I might get used to it, but at least for now, it's a thumbs-down on the new wheel from me.