ds2199

Regarding the electric or electromechanical steering that is spec'd on the new 2013 Q5, has anyone noticed a better or worse feel in the steering than in previous models? I believe this is the first year that they have moved away from the hydraulic power steering in the Q5 (I understand that it has been in other models previously).

Our Q5 still has less than 1000 miles on it and so far we are not particularly happy with the steering feel. It is not smooth and feels almost as if there are notches in the wheel as you turn the wheel.

Is there anyone else that could comment on their 2013 Q5 steering?

Thanks!

Plasticar

First, it should be understood by everyone that the switch to electromechanical steering was necessary for the hybrid powertrain. There are fuel economy advantages in the combustion engine versions, and it has been reported that the hydraulic pump was very noisy. That aside, any vehicle that can move under electric power only pretty much must have electric assist steering, else it would be very hard to have boost without a running engine.

What size tires do you have? The wider the section, the more stress on the steering, which could affect the feel. Also, is this under motion, or sitting still in a parking lot like a little old lady?

My 2013 is being built any week now, so I can't comment beyond my test drive, and my smug comments above. Just wanted to chime in.

ds2199

This is on a 2013 2.0T stock wheels, tires etc.

It happens under motion. The only way that I can describe it is when you are driving in a straight line (city or hwy speeds), if you need to move the steering just slightly (just keeping in the center of your lane), it feels like there is a notch in the wheel. So that it's not just a miniscule movement, but maybe more than you want and then you may need to move back in the other direction.

It's my wifes new car and she is VERY unhappy with the steering. I have taken it to the dealership and they have awknowledged what I am describing, but they do not appear to know if it is something that can be tuned (fixed) or not.

Being that this is a new steering setup for 2013, I thought I'd see if anyone else has experienced the steering as I attempted to describe above.

Thanks!

abcabc

I do not feel what you describe on my 2013 3.0T with the 20" S Line wheels. I have no complaints about the steering. That being said, I'm not going to look for it either! Good luck with this. I hope you can get it sorted out.

Q5 Bob

While car shopping recently I read a lot of reviews on the Q5 as well as the other cars we were considering. I saw several references to the steering on the 2013 Q5, as well as some of the others. as feeling artifical. I agree to a certain degree, but I don't really mind it. It is different than what I've been used to.

In their preview of the 2013 Q5 C&D magazine said "it knows straight ahead like a salmon knows upstream". I think they meant they thought it tracked well.

dsackman

The same phenomena can be felt on the F30 BMW (3-series - 2012). I would describe it as stiction - the static friction that must be overcome before an object moves (static coefficient of friction is normally higher than the dynamic coefficient). It bugged the hell out of me on my wife's 3-series and I had it back to the dealer a few times.

It was described to me that the power steering only works when the wheel is actually being turned (moved). When you drive without steering as you described, the power assist will basically switch off and will start again when you move the wheel. There is then a moment when you have no power assist before the electric motor starts and the tendency is to oversteer - move the wheel more than intended. Hydraulic assist always has pressure, so there is nothing that needs to start or stop.

This Wikipedia article is a good read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_steering

I see it as a safety issue as you do not expect that initial additional force (unassisted) needed to start the electric assist.

Sadly it is what it is and something to get used to, or get rid of the car.


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NABS4

I called Audi Canada two weeks after delivery to complain about the PS feel. It's not worth making a trip to the dealer, because, as mentioned, it's normal. I'm sure Audi will do some tinkering and they may be able to improve upon the feel with some firmware changes, but as dsackman noted, it's a function of the type of steering. That being said, I had a Honda S2000 w/electric steering that didn't exhibit this trait. My Q5 has ADS, and I notice that the steering seems to feel better (less initial free-play) in dynamic mode.

Telate

I'm not sure exactly how the power steering is set-up on the 2013 Q5 but i have a 2007 Mazda 3 right now (rebuilding my 2011 Q5 now, just waiting to get parts for it) which has electrohydraulic power steering. I notice absolutely no difference between this and a true hydraulic system. It may be either how audi did the set-up, or their firmware (I believe the Mazda is always turning, it never shuts off)

ErnestHouse

Then why do the non-hybrid cars like the X3 and X5 have it? It's for fuel economy. The power steering pump leeches power from the engine. So does the alternator for electricity but it leeches less power to generate the electricity needed for steering.

ds2199

If we had known about the new steering being like this, I'm pretty sure we would have bought a 2012 instead of the 2013. I hope Audi figures out how to address this soon!

Thanks all for the replies!