4-Wheel Active Steering Package anyone?

[adren77]

Anyone here got a 4W Steering on their G? What do you think about it?

[RedG37SNC]

I debated that one for awhile and remember reading two reviews, one said not to get a G without it, the other said to pass..lol. 1 degree of movement seem to be rather limited and therefore questionably noticable. I decided to go conservative and reduce an extra maintenance item.

[Kendahl]

One of the "stuck" threads contains links to G37 road tests. Several of them discuss 4WAS.

I had enough misgivings about how well 4WAS would work that I did not order it for my G37. I felt the same way about the Intelligent Cruise Control (part of the Technology Package), but that is the subject of another thread.

The two packages I did buy are Premium and Navigation. Premium includes many items which turn a stripper into a luxury car. Navigation includes a rear view camera which I value more than the actual navigation system. Superimposed on the rear view are lines which show the car's current position and its trajectory based on the position of the steering wheel.

[Zonk]

From reading the test and driving reports I got the impression that the tests that recommended against the AWS were done on the track, and did not like the way the car handled going into a corner as well as they liked it without the AWS. The tests that recommended going with the AWS commented on how well it changed lanes at speed. I will not be doing any track time but I will be driving in icy/slippery conditions so I decided to give it a try.I have the same concerns with extra maintenance issues as Red37SNC but figured that with the amount of electronics on the car mechanical issues will probably be the least of my problem.Now to wait till it arrives and test the theory!

[TnBill]

ZONKed obviously likes to hear "itself" talk: a Dr. Phill wannabe, I guess.He says he has a "THEORY" when all he really does is talk out of his/her RECTUM.

Any comment by ZONK should accompany your next use of toilet paper.

[Kendahl]

Zonk's first paragraph accurately summarized the arguments for and against 4WAS. I find nothing objectionable in his post.

[mranderson]

ZONKed obviously likes to hear "itself" talk: a Dr. Phill wannabe, I guess.He says he has a "THEORY" when all he really does is talk out of his/her RECTUM.

Any comment by ZONK should accompany your next use of toilet paper.

TnBill, what is your malfunction? Seems every other post I've read from you in this forum is snide and insulting. This is supposed to be a give and take place to exchange ideas, gather insight from fellow drivers and a place where those considering a purchase can get quality feedback from real world owners.

Geeez. Where's a moderator to set you straight when you need one?

[Jacko3]

I have a rear active steer (RAS) on a G-35 coupe 6MT, and it works marvellously well. So, I suspect a 4 WAS should work even better on a G-37. However, the RAS and 4WAS include additional electronics that may well be expensive to repair in the long run. However, I have heard that even if the electronic of the 4WAS or the RAS goes bad, the car is still very much driveable. It is the same as eating a cake with icing versus eating a cake without icing. However, the RAS and 4WAS makes a huge difference in handling and grip on the road. Infact, the RAS and 4WAS makes the need for switching on your VDC, useless, because it makes your car hug the road on tight corners. Just my 2 cents.

[kevinf]

Anyone here got a 4W Steering on their G? What do you think about it?

I purchased mine with the 4WAS. I have not had the opportunity to compare a G without the option, so I can't comment much on that.. But one of my previous cars ('92 Stealth twin turbo) had 4WS and I'd say comparing it with that, the G feels much more 'natural'. The Stealth had a tendency to feel like the car was actually driving a bit sideways (or a drifting feeling) during normal high speed highway cornering, whereas the G does not... it basically feels more like the turn you were going into is not as sharp as it looked based on how well the car feels it's handling it.

Although surprisingly fluid, I do sense at times that the car is lagging a tiny bit as I go into a sharp corner... it feels as if it takes a second for the 4WAS to 'catch up'.

Overall I am enjoying the feature and have no complaints whatsoever about it. I also am somewhat biased in that I am leasing and therefore am not worried about the additional maintenance it will eventually need... had I purchased, likely I'd have gone without it.

[Kazsmir]

The old Z32 ('90-'96 300ZX Twin Turbo) had this exact same feature... 1 degree of adjustment based on speed and steering angle... most deemed it "twitchy" when pushed... under normal driving its "ok" but then you don't really see much difference in the way it drives... most enthusiast Z32 owners would disable the HICAS (old terminology) or completely remove it from the car...

I'm sure they've made improvements, but overall the general opinion was more gimic than anything else...

I bought my G37S without it... didn't see the need to spend the extra coin.

And I did previously own multiple TT Z32s... so I personally have dealt with the "twitchy" feeling under extreme corning (basically the moment between control and slide/drift, when you go from understeer to oversteer, the rear wheels can twitch from 1 degree one way, to 1 degree the other, which will cause the rear to reach in an unnatural fashion).

[C-Kwik]

1 degree of movement seem to be rather limited and therefore questionably noticable. I decided to go conservative and reduce an extra maintenance item.

The Rear steering is more of an active toe control. Rear toe has a lot of affect on the way a car handles. Rear toe out increases the turn-in feel of a car while toe-in enhances stability. The problem with cars in general is that rear toe angles are generally static. Dynamic toe changes that could be done through suspension geometry (during compression and rebound) are limited and perhaps not ideal. What Nissan's rear steering system allows is the ability to try and optimize rear toe angles for each circumstance. Nissan's HICAS systems did this as well and once above a certain speed, it the rear wheels would initially turn the opposite direction as the front wheel, effectively causing a toe-out on the outer tire. This improves the initial turn-in and feel. Then it would quickly switch to toe-in (rear wheels point same direction as front wheels) to improve stability in the steady state cornering.

The theory of the sytem is quite sound and tries to mimic some of the traits race car builders try to address using an active measure as opposed to a passive one. The big issue is that either people aren't used to the end result and feel and/or the system does not implement this very well.