Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihu1j.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!ihnp4!ihu1j!gek 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