arthritis - which lexus has the lighest steering?
 

hi ive got arthritis so its hard to drive anything with heavy or even moderately heavy steering... i tried the 2014 es350 it was OK but still a bit on the heavy side.... I'm coming from a 2000 ls400 which could be turned with a pinky finger... can anyone recommend anything?

Thanks!
-Brandon

1977 Lincoln Mark V lol, steering was so light it didn't like to stay pointed in a straight line.

Seriously though, have you thought about putting a "necker knob" on the steering wheel(sorry I don't know the exact term). Makes the car easier to steer for people with disabilities.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...043f203fe7.jpg

maverick, you're right a 2000 ls definitely has light steering!
newer cars all got more 'sporty' so the steering requires more effort.
i don't know, but maybe a lincoln mkz?
i've also read the luxurious kia k900 has light steering effort. and since it hasn't sold well, i bet you can get a great deal on one.
if you want used, maybe an equus?

Probably the lightest power steering I ever sampled on modern vehicles was on the Mercury Grand Marquis/Ford Crown Victoria (non-police spec) and the plastic-bodied 1Gen Saturn VUE.

The necker-knobs weren't used so much for lighter-effort steering as simply to help smaller persons cope with the big two and three-foot wide metal and hard-plastic steering wheels that were common before the vast majority of vehicles got power-assisted steering.

I feel bad for your issue and I can't recall any article in modern times addressing cars that have light steering. One quick and easy way to help with heavy steering is to throw down kitty litter where you park. Since most of the hard steering takes place in and out of parking spots at slow speeds, some kitty litter will help the wheels slip and grind a little, greasing things as you turn the wheel. Best wishes.

thanks, i guess ill look for a used ls400 again ;-) anyone know about an old lx470 or new lx570? Would that be as soft as my ls400?

I would get another LS. Have you driven newer versions of the LS? I don't recall thinking my 430 or 460 had/have heavier steering than my 400.

The LX570 has quite heavy steering.

i tried the ls460 today. it was too heavy steering compared to the ls400......

what about the old GX470 or LX470?

I haven't driven an LX470 but I did drive a GX470 not that long ago as I was considering buying one as a third car, I found the steering quite light...

Have you tried an LS430?

In my part of the South, the "necker knob" was used to allow a young male driver to turn the wheel with his left hand alone (particularly of a non-power steering car) without relinquishing his right arm that was otherwise occupied holding his girlfriend. Thus the name.

If you wanted real "power" steering, you went for a late '50's or '60's Chrysler product in which the steering was so light it was actually advertised as being capable of "turning with one finger". Most drivers referred to this as the "broken wheel effect". :rolleyes:

Depending on your experience, you might get a bit of relief with a larger rim in addition to a bit of additional help from the power steering. The aftermarket offers a variety of "steering wheel covers", most of which are in truly miserable taste. Not having to curl your hands quite so tight on a thinner rim might be of benefit . . . I used to have a lightly padded leather cover that laced onto my Suburban's rather thin wheel. I know it helped me, especially on cold mornings.

Not a lexus, but a 1999-era Chevy/GMC Suburban. I remember driving my uncle's and you could turn that wheel by breathing on it.

I'd assume you are talking about a vehicle with an automatic. In a 3-pedal manual, one must shift with his or her right arm.

Yes, Mopars of that vintage had one-pinkie power-steering....but, then again, so did a number of vehicles from GM. Cadillac, especially, in some of its ads, used to emphasize one-finger parking....even on its largest and heaviest models.

maverick99 are you only considering lexus then?

about gx470 - it was pretty light, yes. i think the gx460 is not quite as light, but it was a while between me driving each.

Its funny how when they introduced power steering back in the 1950's and as it became more common in the 60's, they just went total overkill with it. I've noticed on a couple of vintage Impalas I've driven, I actually prefer the cars without power steering. Granted it can be a bit of a PITA in a parking lot, but the non-assisted cars had tighter, less sloppy steering IMO, they were easier to keep pointed in a straight line as well. Of course this could all be in my head or due to the state of various suspension components between the different cars I drove.