Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashley James
My son's second Prelude was a Jap import.
Some years ago a number of cars were sold with four wheel steering and
none claim it now, presumably because manufacturers have found they
can do better without.
I have owned quite a few Citroens over the years and have found that
although some were a bit noisy, they were much more relaxing for long
trips than bumpier German cars. I have a friend who has a 420 BHP Audi
Estate for instance and he prefers his wife's 2 Litre Diesel because
the ride on his is so harsh.
I don't think I'm being ignorant but do consider that you're more
tolerant of harsh rides than I am.
Ash
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Ash, I see you live near Stroud. Do I too, so come and take a drive in my Preludes and experience the beauty and brilliance of 4WS!
What I took exception to was;
"I'd guess it was dropped because cars cornered better without it."
I think this is a rather vague assumption that I would kindly ask you to reconsider! On what grounds is 2WS superior to 4WS? I recommend Setright's article on 4WS to understand its superiority.
I do not question your tolerances on ride quality; what I may consider an acceptable level of comfort might be unacceptable to you. Ride quality is a matter of preference. Indeed, some Bristol cars have been considered to have a rather firm ride for a ‘luxury’ car; though that is only relevant if you consider the Bristol to be a mere ‘luxury’ car.
I believe manufacturers rarely bother with 4WS now because they know they can get away without it, saving resources/finances for other things. If The Celebrated Man In The Street was more aware of the benefits of 4WS he may well have come to demand it, just as he now expects his car to have power steering, anti-lock brakes, alloy wheels and air conditioning.
4WS is still in use in passenger cars. BMW’s interest in 4WS has resurfaced and can be found in certain versions of the 7 Series. Nissan offer it on a number of their American-market cars, under the Infiniti brand. And courtesy of Nissan, Renault can provide the Laguna with 4WS; but they repeat Honda’s mistake and only fit it to the top-of-the-range model. And despite their authority on 4WS in a passenger car, Honda no longer markets a single 4WS car.