Second only to the driver’s seat, the steering wheel has got to be the part of a car’s interior that we interact with most. It’s the essential input device for the driver, and the centerpiece of interior design. As such, the steering wheel can go a long way in making or breaking one’s impression of a car, whether we’re just appreciating it as a design or actually climbing into the thing and driving.
I’m sure there are a few (if not plenty) of steering wheels that stand out in your memory for their looks or feel, or both. One of my earliest car memories is of my aunt demonstrating the insanely overboosted power steering in her mid-70s American wagon (I was five, sorry I missed the make) by flicking the wheel around with her pinkie, swinging the car first toward a telephone pole and then into oncoming traffic, which was thrilling. I remember the rim was thin enough that even my lil’ mits could wrap around it, and the backside undulated with humps and valleys – you know, for finger-fitting ergonomics.
That wheel was hot garbage compared to that of Dad’s MG Midget (like the Bring A Trailer example above), which was nearly a ringer for that of Speed Racer’s Mach 5 (inset). The wheel Speed wrangled was a wholly traditional three-spoker, but I recognized the esthetic as racecar. Combine that with the magic sauce of those lettered buttons, and that’s a top-three favorite wheel design for life. It’s a classic, and classics live forever.
Later, I was turned on to the beauty of the monospoke, which I actually saw first in an Aston Martin Lagonda (only in a magazine, mind you) instead of the usual gateway to one-legged wheels, the Citroen DS:
I particularly appreciate lack of effs Aston Martin gave for how the wheel looks in any position other than dead ahead. That thing must have looked quite a mess in actual use with that slab-sided not-a-hub flipping around, but when it’s sitting parked and pretty, nicely aligned? Delightful – though sadly discontinued not long into the car’s run in favor of a conventional design. I also love everything else about the Lagonda’s driver-control choices, and revisit Doug’s video tour of the machine on the regular – even if he is showing off the boring regular-steering-wheel model.
Now, back to buttons real quick, and that wonderful Pontiac Grand Prix in the topshot. I unironically love this iteration of the W-body and its “B4U” body kit, and would happily murder to own the minty example featured by the Curious Cars channel further below.
Now, I get why the Grand Prix’s button-bedazzled wheel elicits lols and/or groans, but I think it’s fantastic. I’m not a big fan of the future of now, all screens and brushed aluminum and minimalism, but the future as envisioned by the 80s and 90s will always be a look I dig. The more buttons, the better – and all the better if they’re in the steering wheel. Speed Racer really got his hooks into me.
Your turn: What’s The Best/Worst/Weirdest Production-Car Steering Wheel Design?
Top graphic images: Curious Cars screengrabs
Best for me aesthetically and size-wize on a modernish car is a fully round, three-spoke, air bag, no extra buttons Subaru wheel from a 20-year old STi like this: https://www.subieautoparts.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_3032-600×400.jpg
or an alcantara covered one like this, since I wouldn’t mind keeping it clean: https://royalsteeringwheels.com/wp-content/gallery/Subaru/Impreza-STI-05-07-Black-Alcantara-9040-Pink-centre-stripe-Pink-stitching-2.jpg
If I had too much money, that’s a mod I put on my old Legacy wagons, though they stock, leather wrapped, 4-spoke round on my 2003 Legacy is pretty excellent already.
Agree. I instantly thought of the 2000-ish Nardi wheel in the Miata. Simple three spoke, small airbag in the middle. No buttons.
If we’re allowing buttons, the E46 “M Sport” or whatever they called it wheel that was in the M3 among other cars was pretty good too.
Steering wheel features I abhor:
Not being round. For a device that’s used by spinning it round it’s just unforgivable.
Eccentricity. Having the wheel wobble from side to side and up and down as it rotates is just garbage.
Both of those features are justified by ergonomics: providing more room for the legs of tall people. But that clearance goes away as soon as you turn the wheel, it’s just rubbish. Design the car with enough height adjustability in the wheel so people fit, and don’t half-arse the main control of the car.
The final thing I hate about standard production wheels is the centre stripe. It’s a horrible affectation stolen from competition rally cars that’s utterly pointless on a standard production car sold for road use.
Wheels I like: round concentric ones in a single colour.
Wheels I like despite being eccentric: the alcantara wheel that was in my S1 Elise, and the airbag version of the same thing in my Europa. It helps that they are connected to such amazing steering racks.
Agreed, the flat-bottomed wheel in my ’17 GTI was one of very few gripes I had with that car, and VW’s version is mild compared to many. And then there is that yoke nonsense on Teslas. That should be *illegal*.
And I have no idea how that flat top and flat bottom C8 Corvette wheel is supposed to feel. It seems like muscle memory would have the driver reaching for part of a wheel that isn’t there. Looks interesting, but the function?
The whole “race-inspired” flex has definitely gone too far with steering wheels. It’s a street car with an appropriate ratio, not a purpose built racetrack machine that’ll do a 45 degree turn with a slight flick.
From an ergonomic standpoint, the three spoke wheels that BMW put into the e36 M3 and other related models is perfection. The wheel is just the correct thickness, not too thick like modern wheels. It has nice little numbs to grab at 10:00 and 2:00. The spokes are perfectly placed for one finger hooked into the wheel driving with an elbow on the door armrest. It isn’t the prettiest wheels, but it is very comfortable to use.
The Lancia Trevi has a strange slightly curved single crossbar type steering wheel, but it’s usually overshadowed by the Swiss cheese dash. I noticed on a Matra Murena last fall, it has sort of the single “spoke” design but with a cut out to make it two sorta-spokes like an angular lower case n. However, the cheater answer for this question is probably the Maserati Boomerang, but I’m not sure if concepts count.
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is wheels trending to horizontal.
I want the wheel absolutely vertical, but that is usually limited by the position of the gauges.
Best ergonomics I’ve had, have been in Lancias.
Great steering wheels too.
A mention for thick steering wheels.
You really can’t hang on to the wheel in a hard enough crash, but I was able to hold on to a thicker one in a crash considerably longer.
Possibly absorbing enough energy to allow my survival.
I have an issue with my hands that makes a thick steering wheel much more comfortable to grasp than a thin one.
I have always found them more comfortable.
Alright, we’re gonna have a French theme here:
Best – this is subjective because I’ve heard folks complain both about the size and gauge visibility, but I’ve found the steering wheel on the Peugeot 208 to be excellent because it’s small, which makes it feel both more direct and more natural to hold 9-3 over long distances. At my optimal seating position, it also does not obstruct the gauge cluster at all.
Worst – this isn’t about aesthetics at all, but the wheels on the old Renault 9 were squeaky and rattly when new, and now, 40 years down the line, they really have not aged well in the sound department.
Weirdest – I’m partial to the Citroen C4 here, with its fixed-hub wheel where only the outer rim moves.
Came here for the early Peugeot iCockpit wheel (the later ones with 2 control wheels per side is much worse than the earlier ones) and the Citroen C4 wheel.
Worst is anything that requires more than +/- 90 degrees of motion (180 degrees lock-to-lock), and is not substantially a circle.
The worst steering wheel I’ve encountered personally is the Techno Wheel in the TechnoLab Teener* which has a flat, smooth membrane panel full of controls, including the turn signals, which rotates with the wheel itself:
https://ogden_images.s3.amazonaws.com/www.ljworld.com/images/2009/08/22145447/electric_car_teener017-1024×683.jpg
*Also sold in Italy as the Startlab Open and Movitron Teener, in the US as the Zap Intimidator LUV, AEVCO Kurrent NV, and Innova Dash UEV (the version I encountered), in Argentina as the Sero Electric, and in Japan as the Girasole Elettrica. Perhaps elsewhere and under other names, too.
Subaru XT was definitely out there.I hated buying those old GM’s with the gross sticky steering wheels…always ran a bought a “leather-like” cheap o lace through cover to fix that fast.
I polish the sticky off with paper towels.
A padded wrap isn’t a bad approach though.
The Tesla yoke is the worst current one I can think of, followed closely by any that has a flat bottom in a car that doesn’t really need it for space saving (eg, not a race car)
1960-ish Mopar Squircle gets my vote for ugliest.
I love those on the ’61 Plymouth. The whole car is so bizarre.
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/35/55/96/3555962c925674db19ca20a715c2bd12.jpg
Any and all steering wheels that didn’t have the main area in the middle as all-horn.
Started with the early 80s Fords (horn on the stalk, really?)
Continued with late 80s/90s cars with airbags and tiny horn buttons (also Ford, but others too)
Continued again with cars like the Land Rover LR3/RRS/etc.. with the stupid long horn buttons (this was also when Ford owned them…I’m realizing a pattern here)
You should be able to just slam your palm in the middle, especially in emergency situations.
And all horns should play La Cucaracha
It started LONG before Ford. My ’77 Spitfire (and presumably many other BL products of the era) has the horn on the end of the turn signal stalk too. Saved cost by not having to have a twirling electrical contact in the steering wheel. Made the bean counters spring a chubby, even as you had an accident fumbling for how to blow the horn. Which caused more parts sales, so I guess they loved that too!
Horns should be connected to a cord hanging from the roof
I have beaten on some Ford wheels trying to get the horn to work before I crushed some tiny plastic car that pulled in front of the commercial van I was in.
Actually had some moron in a tiny whatthehellisit? brake check me in a van.
They probably thought I was driving a standard van, only a few tons.
The bumper on the commercial vans is all steel and can survive taking out a concrete light pole.
Doesn’t stop all that quick
Style wise I love old 3 spoke style muscle car wheels especially 2nd gen firebird steering wheels with the flaming chicken logo in the middle. I actually swapped my 3rd gens steering wheel out from the stock 89 boring plain Jane Pontiac wheel to an earlier 3rd Gen wheel with the flaming chicken center piece/horn button.
Copied directly from another comment:
The engine-turned aluminum dash panel with Rally gauges – especially the genius combination water temp/oil pressure gauge front and center, and the Pontiac “Tic-Toc Tach” with integrated clock – and the iconic Formula steering wheel. Best dash/wheel combo in American motoring history, don’t @me.
https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/06/Pontiac-Firebird-Buyers-Guide-23.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0
Production car steering wheel design really peaked in the 2000’s when airbags got small and manufacturers made attractive steering wheels that weren’t shaped stupidly (I’m looking at you, flat-bottom and hexagon steering wheels). The steering wheel in the facelift E39 M5/E46 M3 is my personal favorite.
The ones in the 2005+ Mustangs looked decent, too, the airbags were unobtrusive enough to still have a retro ’60s look. They didn’t feel great, still cheap materials, like plastic metal, but they looked right for the car
I would like to nominate the Maserati Boomerang in all categories please. Best? Yes indeed, it’s amazing and it looks like the most perfect 70’s vision of the future. Worst? Absolutely, it had all of the dash guages in the middle of the wheel. Weirdest? Please see everything I’ve just written.
And yes, it doesn’t actually count because it wasn’t a production car (though it was register for road use) but please take a look at it to amuse yourselves.
Loved those button-heavy Pontiac steering wheels as a kid.
My 2009 Pontiac Vibe is the first car I ever had that had buttons on the steering wheel. I felt like I had made it, baby!
It also had a Pontiac logo that was SUPER shiny that I had to put duct tape over so it didn’t blind me on a sunny day.
The steering wheel from the 1985 Subaru XT is Citroenesque in its weirdness.
Came here to say this.
I have an irrational love of the pre airbag Grand Prix steering wheel you showed above and an irrational dislike of the BMW E60 5 Series steering wheels so I’ll go with that.
Easy question. The answer is the Tesla yoke. Game over.
Actually anything that isn’t a complete and more or less uniform circle. I don’t always drive manuals, but when I do, I like my non-shifting hand at the 12 o’clock position.
The ’67 Mustang had a hideous steering wheel… well, it had a giant protrusion in the middle that really killed the cool vibe.
My pick for worst is the 1st gen Cayenne wheel with all the buttons. The triangular one.
worst – Tesla Yoke
I Googled “ugliest steering wheel” and this was in the results.
Peter I’m with you, I love the W bodies from this gen and would gladly take one, I really love the Turbo GPS, working on a model now of each of these (and a fiero) to fill out my genx youth relive lol
I’m glad i’m not the only weirdo here with a thing for GM W-bodies. I{‘ve owned three (so far)
a 1988 Olds Cutlass Supreme, a ’95 Pontiac Grand Prix GT and a 2002 olds intrigue.
i almost bought a ’06 Buick Lacrosse Super a few weeks ago, but the potential for engine failure at 125K miles and the abysmal gas mileage (16 mpg? Really?) made me reconsider my purchase.
Still, should a nice Cutlass convertible pop up on my radar, we may go for #4.
I think the two 90’s generations of Grand Prix and the Cutlass Supreme and Intrigue are still looking good today. I’m sure the interiors are falling apart no matter how hard the owner tries to keep it nice, but that is 90’s GM. Not W-Body, but still click on Park Aves and Auroras when I see one on Craigslist.
I didn’t have one in their prime, although my buddy had a Grand Prix coupe (his Dad also had one, so might have been how he scored a sweet car for the day).
Agreed, the early 00’s jumped the shark styling wise, tho the powertrains were a bit nicer 🙂
So the Subaru XT is still the most interesting. The Worst is most of the Plymouth steering wheels with the volume controls where a paddle shift should be, so you always end up thinking to upshift but instead hurt your ears.
Came here to say Subaru XT, but you beat me to it. Thanks for RUINING MY DAY! (lol)
Couldn’t say the best, but the worst are those extremely cheap looking quick release ones that people put on their Civics like they’re caged race cars or something.
Just noticed that “production car” was in the title, I stand by what I said though.
I came to say the last gen Oldsmobile Toronado Trofeo because I think certain models had the same steering wheel as the Grand Prix did. My dad had one as a company car for a while in the early 90’s and I remember counting that it had 89 buttons across the dash and steering wheel. As a 12 year old I remember thinking how ridiculous that was.
That said, I can’t seem to find any photos of a Trofeo with that steering wheel, so I might just be hallucinating a memory that didn’t happen. Am I an AI?
Life is a simulation did you see the same cat go by twice?