"Fred W" > wrote in message
. ..
> grinder wrote:
>> "Fred W" > wrote in message
>> . ..
>>
>>>grinder wrote:
>>>
>>>>"Fred W" > wrote in message
>>>>news:ftqdnROx0ds4CGjYnZ2dnUVZ_o6gnZ2d@comcast. com...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>grinder wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>"Fred W" > wrote in message
>>>>>>news:rcudnVO4druAGmnYnZ2dnUVZ_s3inZ2d@comcas t.com...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>grinder wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I have had my Z4 since November and normally drive it on weekends.
>>>>>>>>My everyday vehicle is a 4Runner.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I can see where if one drove the Z every day one could get used to
>>>>>>>>the understeer of the electrical assist. But it feels sluggish to
>>>>>>>>me and I think could contribute to accidents. That almost happened
>>>>>>>>to me. I came into a corner a little hot, I turned the wheel and
>>>>>>>>then had to quickly compensate for the understeer. I hate to say it
>>>>>>>>but the 4Runner is more responsive.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I don't know why they had to mess with something that worked. Maybe
>>>>>>>>adding tower braces will help.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I don't see how adding braces would change anything. Sell the car
>>>>>>>and buy one you like to drive. Oh, and test drive the next one.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>--
>>>>>>>-Fred W
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Braces will reduce flex on hard corners thereby keeping more tire on
>>>>>>the road and improving cornering performance.
>>>>>
>>>>>Undoubtedly true. But that was not your initial complaint. You said
>>>>>you did not care for the feel of the electric assist. Reducing or
>>>>>eliminating chassis flex will help reduce understeer, but not really
>>>>>change the feeling of the electric assist.
>>>>>
>>>>>--
>>>>>-Fred W
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I guess I should have been more explicity. The "feeling" I was
>>>>describing was understeer. Another description might be sluggish (not
>>>>unresponsive but not quick). I realize it is better than found on a SLK
>>>>but is not as good as a Boxster or Miata.
>>>
>>>I have a feeling that you are misunderstanding and misusing the term
>>>"understeer", which may be leading to a lot of the confusing answers that
>>>you are getting.
>>>
>>>Understeer is the condition that occurs during cornering where the car
>>>wants to "push out" the front end, pointing the car toward the outside of
>>>the corner. In essence you are "under steering" the corner. Oversteer is
>>>exactly the opposite, where the rear end kicks out and points the car
>>>toward the inside of the corner.
>>>
>>> These have mostly to do with chassis balance, weight distribution and
>>> dynamic weight transfer during cornering. It has very little to do with
>>> the amount of steering "power assist" or the steering ratio.
>>>
>>>--
>>>-Fred W
>>
>>
>> From a review:
>>
>> "In fact, if there's a fault to be found with the Z4's handling, it's the
>> opposite: The rear sticks longer than necessary (read "understeer")."
>
> Correct, just as I said above. And this has zero to do with the electric
> steering assist.
>
> --
> -Fred W

You're right - I was wrong. Unfortunately unlike many members in this group
I recognized a flaw in the Z4's handling and attributed it to the
electrical assist steering. I should have attributed to the design of the
suspension.

In any case. The understeer is still present regardless of the source.