Steering and feel question

[ShaneCS]

I did a test drive of a model Y a few days ago, trying to weed out some cars and narrow down the test choices for my wife who is looking for a new car. I have some questions for longer term Y drivers if anyone can help.

Is the steering really as dead and disconnected from the road as our test drive or could there have been a problem with the car? It was completely impossible to feel the road at all, and the steering had a very dead weight feel to it. I described it as “like driving a boulder” and my son laughed and said it felt like a video game controller with no feedback. It may have been the worst steering feel I have ever found in a car.

I don’t think it was the suv/cuv factor, because we drove 5 other cars, all in that style, all that day. Yes, we tried the three ride types. It was the performance model, but I do not know what tire sizes.

Is that just the way Tesla’s drive? Or just the Y? Or is that “I got novocaine in both arms before driving” a possible problem in the test car?

 

[Tam]

Is that just the way Tesla’s drive? Or just the Y? Or is that “I got novocaine in both arms before driving” a possible problem in the test car?

Although I've never driven a Y, I've driven S, X, and 3 and they are all fine since I first started driving Tesla in 2012. You can adjust the 3 steering mode:

Comfort: Too effortless to me. I can steer easily even when the car is standing still. Too light, too responsive, I am afraid that if I make a slight wrong torque, I could end up to the next lane.

Standard: Happy medium

Sport: It takes more effort to turn.

But none of the modes would be too heavy to turn.

 

[Yoliber]

Lmao it's a crossover, and tbh not that bad. Better than my previous c300 and definitely better than the f30 and g20. Not close to my 997, but it's a crossover with EPS.

It doesn't have the most feel, especially with tires with high psi for range. It is very direct. What car are you coming from?

 

[ShaneCS]

Lmao it's a crossover, and tbh not that bad. Better than my previous c300 and definitely better than the f30 and g20. Not close to my 997, but it's a crossover with EPS.

It doesn't have the most feel, especially with tires with high psi for range. It is very direct. What car are you coming from?

As I said in the post, I am aware it is a crossover. We have a Q5 and we tested a Volvo crossover, a BMW suv, and and an Audi suv, all on the same day. The Y was not just the most numb and dead feeling of all those cars, it was dramatically more so. Enough that I asked the question.

I have owned multiple crossovers and suvs, from multiple brands, from 1988 to today. I have even owned a couple of trucks. I have never felt a car with so little feedback.

but then I have never driven a car with glass on the roof without a retractable shade, and I am told nobody does that anymore either, so… maybe that is just how we drive now?

 

[ShaneCS]

Although I've never driven a Y, I've driven S, X, and 3 and they are all fine since I first started driving Tesla in 2012. You can adjust the 3 steering mode:

Comfort: Too effortless to me. I can steer easily even when the car is standing still. Too light, too responsive, I am afraid that if I make a slight wrong torque, I could end up to the next lane.

Standard: Happy medium

Sport: It takes more effort to turn.

But none of the modes would be too heavy to turn.

Maybe I am not describing it well. It isn’t heavy or hard to turn, it is simply dead. There was zero feed back. I could turn the wheels easily, but it also felt like I could hit a pedestrian and not even feel it.

I am not expecting to feel every groove or crease in the road, but I wasn’t expecting it to feel like I was piloting a drone from half a world away either.

Does that make sense?

 

[Yoliber]

As I said in the post, I am aware it is a crossover. We have a Q5 and we tested a Volvo crossover, a BMW suv, and and an Audi suv, all on the same day. The Y was not just the most numb and dead feeling of all those cars, it was dramatically more so. Enough that I asked the question.

I have owned multiple crossovers and suvs, from multiple brands, from 1988 to today. I have even owned a couple of trucks. I have never felt a car with so little feedback.

but then I have never driven a car with glass on the roof without a retractable shade, and I am told nobody does that anymore either, so… maybe that is just how we drive now?

Quite surprised. Audis have the most mindboggingly numb steering in a car I've ever driven. Reviews say the Volvo is pretty numb as well. Reviews for the Tesla are actually not bad. I personally think it's video gamey, but much better compared to Audis I've driven. Better than bmw for sure. Mercedes is lighter but I quite like their steering feedback even if it is on the number side.

I do recall there is either a TSB or recall for loose steering bolts for the Y. Maybe you drove a bad one.

 

[Tam]

Maybe I am not describing it well. It isn’t heavy or hard to turn, it is simply dead. There was zero feed back. I could turn the wheels easily, but it also felt like I could hit a pedestrian and not even feel it.

I am not expecting to feel every groove or crease in the road, but I wasn’t expecting it to feel like I was piloting a drone from half a world away either.

Does that make sense?

I thought that is an advantage. I hate to feel the road, potholes, debris... As a matter of fact, I rarely steer anymore when I got the Autopilot since 2017. I let the Autopilot do the steering for me most of the time. So, the only thing that I care about is the automatic torque from the machine to make sure it steers correctly.

I guess it's a personal preference.

 

[Pianewman]

I ALWAYS take a tire gauge with me to test drives. I bet the front tires were way above the spec of 42PSI, which has the effect of numbing down the steering feel. I find the steering feel better at 38psi, but it probably takes some range away.
Otherwise, it's not a problem for me. Take another test drive, after checking tire PSI.

 

[ShaneCS]

I do recall there is either a TSB or recall for loose steering bolts for the Y. Maybe you drove a bad one.

interesting. Maybe that is the issue. Thanks I will look that up.

 

[ShaneCS]

I thought that is an advantage. I hate to feel the road, potholes, debris... As a matter of fact, I rarely steer anymore when I got the Autopilot since 2017. I let the Autopilot do the steering for me most of the time. So, the only thing that I care about is the automatic torque from the machine to make sure it steers correctly.

I guess it's a personal preference.

Oh it is absolutely personal preference, but I am just trying to figure out what the normal Y feel is without driving 7 or 8 of them.

 

[ShaneCS]

I ALWAYS take a tire gauge with me to test drives. I bet the front tires were way above the spec of 42PSI, which has the effect of numbing down the steering feel. I find the steering feel better at 38psi, but it probably takes some range away.
Otherwise, it's not a problem for me. Take another test drive, after checking tire PSI.

Also good advice. Thanks!

 

[Pianewman]

TSB for steering bolts was in early production cars, IIRC.