Learnt to drive in a power assisted car - am now driving a car without!

Question

I learnt to drive in a Peugeot 106 which was very easy to manovere. Due to a tight budget I have a brought a Nissan Micra which feels like a tank when I'm trying to steer it - any tips/advice on how do drive without power assit, because at the moment I never want to drive again!!!!

Answer 1

You'll be surprised how quickly you get used to it. Makes sure the front tyres have enough air in

You should try driving a 7.5 tonnes lorry without power steering now that was hard lol

Answer 2

I agree that it makes driving harder, especially on tight corners and other places where you have to drive slowly. The only advice is to take it easy in these sort of places so as to give you more time to turn the steering wheel.

Answer 3

Road test the next car you buy!

Answer 4

trust me, there no point buying a car if ur not happy with it. GET RID OF IT AND SAVE UP FOR A CAR THAT YOU WILL BE HAPPY WITH!!!!  

Answer 5

well most cars that i know of in the pass 20 yrs all come with power steering which that car should also have so id say check your power steering fluid or replace the power steering belt

Answer 6

Once you are up to normal road speeds in many ways non assisted steering can be better as you get more 'feel'.  But, yes, un-assisted steering can be a pain at car park speeds but it only takes a short time to get used to it.

Answer 7

Confirming two of the previous answers,check your tyre pressures and don`t rely on the forecourt air guages as they can be wildly inacurate,buy a digital one,about a fiver,and keep it in the car.The other ,keep the car moving,even a snail`s pace makes all the difference.If the car feels heavy to steer during normal driving then there may be other problems,but as you`re on a tight budget it might be worth getting a friend with a bit of car knowledge to drive it and see what they think.Any car owner will tell you about the differences between different models,especially the older ones,so if you have down graded because of budget you may have to accept a downgrade in comfort of driving.

Answer 8

I would check the tyre pressures first at they could be low causing too much drag on the tyres and not only wearing them out, but also making the steering heavy. They should be pumped up to around 28 psi. Also you shouldn't turn the steering wthout the car moving as this can also cause drag. If all is ok you will soon get used to it.

Answer 9

The best technique to use when driving a car with no power steering is to not to attempt to turn the wheel UNLESS you're moving -- even at very low speeds, it's easier to maneuver a car with no power steering.

My first car had no power steering OR power brakes -- it was a 1963 VW Beetle.

I loved that car.

Answer 10

Not being funny, but a Micra doesn't really need power steering, so the only thing I can think of to help would be to suggest not trying to turn the steering wheel when the car isn't moving.