I have a 2000 323i with 36k on it. I recently noticed that the responsiveness in the steering wheel and subsequently the handling have lessened over the past 6 months to a year or so. It feels more sluggish (steering responsiveness, not acceleration) in corners and even on general curves; even rolls a little more in tight curves. It was time for new tires anyway, so that was the first thing I did, but that made little difference, and the same tires were awesome on my 2001 Jetta (sold). It's starting to feel like a Taurus or something and it's starting to annoy me.
I'm looking for general feedback on what might be a good, "fairly inexpensive" remedy for this, without getting into major suspension upgrades, etc. I can't imagine the control arms would wear out (not at 36k anyway), but typically they're a major reason BMW's handle better than the average sedan. I've thought about new bushings, maybe a stress bar (but I found the only time they've made a substantial difference on my cars is on my e30 cabrio, which handles awesome even at 14yrs old), and will probably replace the shocks. But none of these alone seem to me to be potential fixers of this problem.
What else might wear enough to effect responsiveness this much? I need that Bimmer feel back. Any suggestions?
I'm looking for general feedback on what might be a good, "fairly inexpensive" remedy for this, without getting into major suspension upgrades, etc. I can't imagine the control arms would wear out (not at 36k anyway), but typically they're a major reason BMW's handle better than the average sedan. I've thought about new bushings, maybe a stress bar (but I found the only time they've made a substantial difference on my cars is on my e30 cabrio, which handles awesome even at 14yrs old), and will probably replace the shocks. But none of these alone seem to me to be potential fixers of this problem.
What else might wear enough to effect responsiveness this much? I need that Bimmer feel back. Any suggestions?
