2002 BMW M3: The Feel of the Wheel

One that I miss, but took all of two seconds to learn and was very useful (not to mention out of the way so there wasn't 20 buttons cloggin up the steering wheel), was my last Jeep Grand Cherokee. I believe they still do it, but they put the stereo buttons on the back of the wheel.

The buttons were easy to hit with a flick of the finger (you didn't have to rotate your hand around to the back to hit them). And like I said, it made for a cleaner wheel.

i prefer the newer wheel in the 135i. erin riches commented on this after her track day with it. also cruise control seems a bit misplaced there. either way it is a nice wheel, just not my fave.

on a side note, the wheel looks very used... obviously thats the state of the car but it is certainly "vintage" enough to tip the scales towards buying new versus pre-owned.

its been beaten to death on numerous threads, but maybe you guys can post a full array of 135i vs M3 interior/exterior pics to give a fast forwarded look how the sporty bmws age

I love my E46 M3 wheel. I love the design of not just the rim but the air bag as well. Yes, the almost round shape and height of the dome is perfect. Not a big fan of the new E9x sport wheel thats found in the new M3 and 135. Plus if the leather gets to "patina" for some people, a new OEM rim is only $380 away, with leather and alcantara as your options. However, very jealous of the new sport wheel with rev lights and track time built into the rim.

On a side note, I feel so bad for other car owners that don't have the option to upgrade their OEM airbag steering with with another model within the same range, i.e. NSX. The car had 12+ years of production and the only thing that got upgraded was the addition of perforated leather. Weak.

I love this wheel. I have the same one on my 2002 530i sport. Its just the right size and feels like it gives you a lot more control than any other car I have driven.(maybe because of the chassis, but hey) Anyone who drive my car absolutly loves the steering wheel. I would go out on a limb and say its perfect.

Yeah, the M3 wheel is very nice. I do also like the 335/135's sport wheels though.

helios1 - you're a tool.

I like this wheel, but disagree about the "ridiculous" thickness of the wheel in the M coupe. That is my favorite wheel of all time. I got big mitts though.

As a guy with medium sized hands (fits in with my theme of a 5'10" male of about 180 pounds), I find these steering wheels to be perfect in size and feel. A thick, well shaped leather rim is one of the 3 most important interior features to me (1. Seat, 2. Steering Wheel, 3. Shifter).

FYI - My 06 Civic SI at 60,000 miles has more of a patina of age on it's leather. However, it comes back to almost-new looking with a good application of leather conditioner; it's just a matter of me not having taken care of it properly, and my wife using alcohol wipes on it once or twice before I caught her doing it.

Joe

stingray454 I think helios1 was being sarcastic. I hope helios1 was being sarcastic. Isn't the wheel out of the C6 Z06 the same as a Solstice and half of GM's model range?

Why does it matter if the Vette's wheel is the same used in other GM vehicles. This is the example of what GM learned from their competition to control costs. Not saying the Vette's wheel is that good just that it is a good idea to control costs.

Joe -- alcohol wipes? Yikes! Sounds like one of those funny stories to tell the guys when you're all talking cars.

Of course helios1 was being sarcastic. He was also being a dick.

I think he's just pissed because I'm 10 times smarter than him. So he goes back to what he knows: ill-conceived and poorly executed sarcasm.

For the record, I think the E46 M3's steering wheel (and the E92's) is much nicer than the C5 and C6 Corvette steering wheel. The steering wheel in my Z06 is too large, and the rim is too thin for my taste. Again, not a horrible deal killer, but like the seats, it could certainly be better. I also like the tri-color M stitching on the M3 - nice touch.

Helio, I'm laughing my ass off in regards to your comment. The Z06 is an incredible car, incredible. It's been the best sports car for its value for ten years now. I considered buying one, but I'm not 50 yet and wanted something somewhat practical, so I didn't. Again, a truly great car. The steering wheel is nice, but please just stop and take a look around your interior for me next time your in your Z06 Z06 z06.

You reference the BMW as a cheap car. Hehe, you must be blind. Like I said, the Z06 is a value car; and it shows in the interior. The overall build quality and the quality of interior materials in the M3 is several levels above the Z06. There is more cheap plastic on a Z06 than there is on a dodge stratus. great performing car though.