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fielderLS3 · 03-11-2011, 07:31 AM

The main pro is fuel economy due to elimination of the hydraulic pump. You'll also never have to top off the fluid every oil change like I do with my Alero.

The "feel" issue has more to do with how well engineered it is. I've had short drives in cars with this, including a 2004-2008 Malibu, a couple of Honda hybrids (I have a friend who is into those), and a 2010 Ford Fusion. My main experience with it is in my 2011 Mustang.

The Malibu and Honda systems felt really disconnected and sloppy (of course, that's a little expected given a rental spec car and hybrids). Ford seems to have the feel issue down a little better. The steering in my Mustang is better than any of the hydraulic systems on the GM cars I've driven, including the Camaro. However, it still isn't quite as good as my mother's 2005 Mustang, or my dad's Miata.

EPS allows the engineers to do some unusual stuff. Ford's system has software that automatically compensates for road crown and cross-winds. From my experience, this can be a two-edged sword. It's nice to be able to keep the car straight without having to pull on the wheel in those situations, but on relatively straight stretches of road, you can definitely feel the system adjusting and pulling the car one way or another, so that takes a little getting used to.

New Mustangs also have three electronic modes (Comfort, Sport, and Normal) that allows you to select and change the steering feel. My 2011 doesn't have that though (it's new for 2012), so I can't say what that feels like.

Pretty soon, most new cars will have this. I wouldn't worry about it though. Ford's is better than most conventional systems (though not quite as good as the very best hydraulic systems yet). I'm sure there are systems from other manufactures that do quite well also. Power steering had the same issues/worries when it first came out, but they got better quickly. It shouldn't take too long for engineers to work the bugs out of EPS as well.

(PS>>Sorry if I made this a Ford post. That is simply what I have the most experience with).

03-11-2011, 07:31 AM	#2
fielderLS3 Drives: 2016 Mazda6, 2011 Mustang 5.0 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Portage, Wisconsin Posts: 4,049	The main pro is fuel economy due to elimination of the hydraulic pump. You'll also never have to top off the fluid every oil change like I do with my Alero. The "feel" issue has more to do with how well engineered it is. I've had short drives in cars with this, including a 2004-2008 Malibu, a couple of Honda hybrids (I have a friend who is into those), and a 2010 Ford Fusion. My main experience with it is in my 2011 Mustang. The Malibu and Honda systems felt really disconnected and sloppy (of course, that's a little expected given a rental spec car and hybrids). Ford seems to have the feel issue down a little better. The steering in my Mustang is better than any of the hydraulic systems on the GM cars I've driven, including the Camaro. However, it still isn't quite as good as my mother's 2005 Mustang, or my dad's Miata. EPS allows the engineers to do some unusual stuff. Ford's system has software that automatically compensates for road crown and cross-winds. From my experience, this can be a two-edged sword. It's nice to be able to keep the car straight without having to pull on the wheel in those situations, but on relatively straight stretches of road, you can definitely feel the system adjusting and pulling the car one way or another, so that takes a little getting used to. New Mustangs also have three electronic modes (Comfort, Sport, and Normal) that allows you to select and change the steering feel. My 2011 doesn't have that though (it's new for 2012), so I can't say what that feels like. Pretty soon, most new cars will have this. I wouldn't worry about it though. Ford's is better than most conventional systems (though not quite as good as the very best hydraulic systems yet). I'm sure there are systems from other manufactures that do quite well also. Power steering had the same issues/worries when it first came out, but they got better quickly. It shouldn't take too long for engineers to work the bugs out of EPS as well. (PS>>Sorry if I made this a Ford post. That is simply what I have the most experience with). __________________ 2022 1SS 1LE (Arrived 4/29/22) "The car is the closest thing we will ever create to something that is alive." . 2022 1SS 1LE (Coming Soon) Last edited by fielderLS3; 03-11-2011 at 07:32 PM.