used cars with light steering

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Thu 20 Jul 2023 15:40
used cars with light steering - logger

My wife suffers a from weak wrists. We are looking for a sub £4k coupe/convertible/hatchback car. She loves MX-5's but happy with any cute/stylish looking car BUT it must have very light steering.

..and thats the issue. Most of the older cars we have tried have quite heavy steering even if they have so called PAS

No idea what people might suggest.. it will be fun !

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Jul 2023 15:47
used cars with light steering - Manatee

I wouldn't say the MX-5 has very light steering but the Mk3 and 4 have PAS. If twiddling the steering wheel while stationery can be avoided, they might be light enough.

A Fiat 500C will have a City mode button for steering. If our old Panda was any guide, this makes the steering ridiculously light - literally one finger light.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Jul 2023 15:54
used cars with light steering - logger

Sorry I meant she loves MX-5's but at that budget it would be an older without PAS so heavy so looking for nay hatchback/coupe etc that might suit

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Jul 2023 17:09
used cars with light steering - Ethan Edwards

American cars generally have much more power assist steering than us Yuropeens are used to.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Jul 2023 17:26
used cars with light steering - badbusdriver

As suggested, the Fiat 500 or Panda would be the obvious choices due to the button to make the steering extra light. £4k is actually enough to get into the cabriolet version of the 500, though there isn't a huge choice at that budget (plenty of 500 hatchbacks and Panda's though). Better with the simple and reliable 1.2 rather than the Twinair which can suffer problems, particularly if neglected.

There are definitely other cars with a similar ability to lighten the steering, you just need to find them. We had a new Hyundai i30 in 2014 and you could choose between 3 levels of resistance.

Edited by badbusdriver on 20/07/2023 at 17:29

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Jul 2023 18:24
used cars with light steering - Adampr

You could try a third generation (2014 on) Renault Twingo. We have one and it's very cute if you're into that sort of thing. The engine is in the back, so steering is very light and the turning circle is ridiculous.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Jul 2023 18:42
used cars with light steering - hla

I had a MK1 MX5 and it certainly had power steering, reasonably light. Not sure if if it was model dependant, mine was an import.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 21 Jul 2023 19:05
used cars with light steering - Engineer Andy

Sorry I meant she loves MX-5's but at that budget it would be an older without PAS so heavy so looking for nay hatchback/coupe etc that might suit

It's probable that older cars, most of who will still have power steering, will have worn systems where, for example, the pump (electric ones, not those driven by belts off the engine) and/or hydraulic fluid can induce the steering to get heavier.

My (now) 17yo Mazda3's steering started to get heavier in 2016, and I changed out the fluid (which looked a bit 'burnt' brownish in colour (rather than pinkish red - mine uses the same fluid as in some automatic tranmissions) and voila, back to more normality again.

Worn electric pumps (or electric motors for direct drive [more modern] systems) can have parts replaced, but its normally expensive, though not as much as a replacement unit (looking near to £1k for a new one fitted, perhaps half as much for a reconditioned one and a bit less again for a salvaged one (in good condition) from a scrap yard.

Sometimes, the first method for cars known to have light steering can give them a new lease of life in that regard. Might be worth asking the owner to do this and you pay (not expensive at all) in order to source an otherwise decent car for its age.

The cost to me was: About £10 for a hand pump (and tubing) to extract all the existing fluid, about £17 for a system cleaner / conditioner (Trans Tune [US product]) and about £10 for a bottle of new PS fluid (2-3 dose bottle).

In case you might want to do this, look at Scotty Kilmer's video (from around the same time) on this on his YT channel.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Jul 2023 20:48
used cars with light steering - SLO76
The Mk II and Mk III MX5’s can be had for this sort of money and both have power steering, it’s set for feel over lightness but I certainly wouldn’t call it heavy. Finding a solid one is the issue as they rust like 1970’s Alfa’s underneath. Mechanically they’re pretty bulletproof aside from the occasional wonky electric window mechanism or sticky brake calliper. I highly recommend owning one at some point, they are an absolute joy.

For outright lightness though probably a Fiat Panda or 500 with the city steer which enhances the assistance. These are extremely light around town and can be reliable if you avoid the diesels and the 900cc twin air engines and the auto. A simple 1.2 Panda is a very appealing little car in my opinion, they’re the same car underneath but the Panda is more honest, it’s cheaper and more practical.

The Mk I and Mk II Toyota Yaris is very light also, I found the Mk III a bit heavier but still very light. These are brilliant little cars at this sort of money, they’re cheap to run and rarely go wrong, as long as you avoid DPF equipped diesels and the horrid MMT automated manual.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 21 Jul 2023 21:59
used cars with light steering - Big John
For outright lightness though probably a Fiat Panda or 500 with the city steer which enhances the assistance. These are extremely light around town and can be reliable if you avoid the diesels and the 900cc twin air engines and the auto. A simple 1.2 Panda is a very appealing little car in my opinion, they’re the same car underneath but the Panda is more honest, it’s cheaper and more practical.

Indeed we inherited a 2006 1.2 Fiat Panda Eleganza that my (late)father-in-law bought new as the "city" power steering button really helped with his awful Polymyalgia rheumatica. The 1.2 Fire 4 cylinder is an amazingly simple/reliable engine that feels nippy in town but it's no ball of fire on the motorway. Our did have a gearbox glitch - relatively cheaply fixed. On older ones keep an eye on the underside where panels are welded together - but an application of Owatrol Oil around seams etc keeps this is check. As with many cars keep wheel arches free and clear out any natural mud traps(fuel filler at rear, where brake pipes pass through inner front wings). One thing of note - the climate control fitted to the Eleganza is amazingly effective - meat locker on the "lo" setting.

Generally a good little town/city car.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 21 Jul 2023 18:46
used cars with light steering - blindspot

sure some vauxhalls ie viva had adjustable power steering ie city, motorway ,modes. and sure the corsa power steering coloum had a electronic part you could retro fit to addapt steering effort. correct me if iam wrong please someone

Reply | Report as offensive | Link