[stodge]

I'm trying to find time to test drive a Cadenza but it won't happen anytime soon, he says as he stares put at the snowstorm outside.

I've read a couple of reviews that said the Cadenza requires lots of little adjustments wi the steering wheel on the highway to keep it straight. Is this true or is the Cadenza pretty firmly planted at speed? I'm not talking ludicrous, illegal speeds, just your typical highway speeds. I have a 2012 Camry and one thing that drives me nuts is that it wanders a lot on the highway.

 

[Scynthyace]

If your alignment is out on any car you'll have to make small adjustments, but there is absolutely zero play in my steering at normal, and ludicrous speeds.

 

[stodge]

Ok, thanks. I'll post the referenced review:

2015 Kia Cadenza Performance Review - The Car Connection

 

[MadMax]

Mine was a little lose, not mechanically, just liked to get away from you if you took your eye off the road for a second. Picked it up with 10,000 on the ticker, took it to 20,000 before replacing wheels an tires. New wheels were 8 inches wide instead of 7.5, and of course new rubber and an alignment the car drove like new, zero complaints about control.


In addition I was in a loaner yesterday, 2014 with only 2600 miles...drove very nicely at highway speeds...as stated, both normal and ludicrous speeds. Note too, that I've driven lux cars for a long time, so for me the steering in the Cadenza is moderately tight...someone that's going from a sports car to a Cadenza will have a completely different review.

 

[MadMax]

I think what that review is missing is that in a lux car you don't get feedback from the wheel like you would in say an Audi TT...that's normal, not sure why they gotta bash when they are trying to compare to something it's not. Another note, the loaner had stock tires, compared with my serenity tread my car bites into turns and holds on much farther before letting go, and when it does, it still holds on, stock tread tends to go lose and stay lose until you get straight again or slow down.


I thought this quote from your article interesting...I had an older Continental that had 3 options for both steering and suspension...nice to see 20 years later a car may get this option back.


"This year, the Cadenza Limited gets Kia's Flex Steer system, which allows the driver to select one of three different steering weights."

 

[gene]

If you want a more sporty road feel get the SX Optima and put better tires on it.
Of course you will give up some ride comfort. As you will with any of the sporty
cars, what ever brand.

 

[stodge]

I'm not so bothered about sporty, I'm looking for something that is solid on the roads at all speeds. Cheers.

 

[sh30469]

I don't know that I would call it making a lot of adjustments, but the wheel is easy to move (very smooth) and you can cause small adjustments on accident and have to keep messing with the wheel. This was a small annoyance for me at first but eventually I noticed it was ME and not the car. My car goes perfectly straight if I let off the wheel for something several seconds (don't like trying it too long at highways speeds). Coming from a car that took more force to move the steering wheel I was making small adjustments and didn't realize it, now I can drive pretty much straight, small adjustments here and there for either my slight wandering or the road veering.

 

[khelms_04]

I don't know that I would call it making a lot of adjustments, but the wheel is easy to move (very smooth) and you can cause small adjustments on accident and have to keep messing with the wheel. This was a small annoyance for me at first but eventually I noticed it was ME and not the car. My car goes perfectly straight if I let off the wheel for something several seconds (don't like trying it too long at highways speeds). Coming from a car that took more force to move the steering wheel I was making small adjustments and didn't realize it, now I can drive pretty much straight, small adjustments here and there for either my slight wandering or the road veering.

Having had 5 Mercedes-Benz vehicles in a row, and still have a 2012, these are my sentiments exactly! I was used to very direct, tight steering that took a bit more force to turn that my Cadenza (which is also very precise). It took me a while to realize that it was my own minor, and often unnecessary, adjustments that made it seem that the car wandered and required constant steering inputs. Not the case anymore. A slight input in my Cadenza produces more directional change than would have occured in my other vehicles that required more effort and intent. I had to retrain myself on some level. l love my Cadenza!

On a side note, I also replaced the Hankook tires within the first 1000 miles of having this car.