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From: gek@ihu1j.UUCP (Glenn Kapetansky)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Front-Wheel Drive and Power Steering?
Message-ID: <101@ihu1j.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Mar-84 09:37:21 EST
Article-I.D.: ihu1j.101
Posted: Wed Mar 14 09:37:21 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 15-Mar-84 01:35:26 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 15

I test-drove a Mazda 626 (actually, more than one; i drove the
coupe and the sedan). Neither had power steering. Neither needed
it. Front-wheel drive cars have somewhat heavy but responsive
manual steering, in my experience; that is, it takes two hands
in the parking lot, but any time the front wheels are moving the
engine is helping you steer (the days of fwd cars yanking the wheel
out of your hands to return to center are over).

A dealer is in the business to sell cars. If he has cars with power
steering in stock, then of course manual is too heavy.  If your
dealer had had only manual steering (unlikely in view of the profit
on power items), he would have praised the Mazda to the skies for
not needing power steering.

glenn