The one thing I dislike about my 2021 i3s

[Mustrum Ridcully]

The hard plastic feel of the steering wheel is my pet peeve, almost to the point of trying to find someone who can wrap the wheel in custom leather while I wait.
Years.
These are both BMW products. Why has BMW stopped providing leather-wrapped steering wheels? It seemed to be one of the hallmarks of any car in the premium segment. Are All BMW models now sold with these hard plastic steering wheels?

Is there an inexpensive 'fix for this?

 

[JamesInLondon]

I hate to break it to you, but there seem to be two versions of the i3 steering wheel, one with minimal padding and one with a little more. The bad news is that the slightly more padded one is only fitted to cars with the ACC; the padding covers the sensors which can tell if your hands are on the wheel.
I note that you, unfortunately, have ACC - so I don’t know what to suggest.

 

[alohart]

The hard plastic feel of the steering wheel is my pet peeve, almost to the point of trying to find someone who can wrap the wheel in custom leather while I wait.

These are both BMW products. Why has BMW stopped providing leather-wrapped steering wheels? It seemed to be one of the hallmarks of any car in the premium segment. Are All BMW models now sold with these hard plastic steering wheels?

I've owned 3 Giga i3's that have all had leather-wrapped steering wheels that don't feel like hard plastic to me. However, there isn't much (any?) padding which makes them feel harder than a more padded steering wheel.

One of the problems with these light-colored Giga steering wheels is that their leather wrap has a colored coating. They show dirt which makes one want to clean them more often than a dark steering wheel. This color coating can wear off if the wheel is cleaned too aggressively or often.

 

[Mustrum Ridcully]

I can hardly dent the wheel with my fingernail. The wheel sure feels like plastic to me.

Oh well. I have not needed driving gloves for more than 50 years...
I guess Amazon will provide one way to skin this cat. I just need to decide if I want this type or the kind with the fingertips cut off.

 

[alohart]

I can hardly dent the wheel with my fingernail. The wheel sure feels like plastic to me.

Try pinching it with full force between your forefinger and thumb. You should feel the very firm padding, or maybe it's only the leather, compressing. Hard plastic wouldn't compress like that.

Nevertheless, it is a hard steering wheel that you might prefer to soften with leather gloves. You'll probably appreciate gloves driving on a cold winter day without a heated steering wheel which is a surprising omission.

 

[Mustrum Ridcully]

Nevertheless, it is a hard steering wheel that you might prefer to soften with leather gloves. You'll probably appreciate gloves driving on a cold winter day without a heated steering wheel which is a surprising omission.

Yep problem solved

 

[tongsli]

I never thought it was plastic but fake leather. But yes, it is not very soft

 

[alohart]

I never thought it was plastic but fake leather. But yes, it is not very soft

If it were fake leather, I doubt that it would be painted but its color would be throughout. Lower i3 trim levels have fake leather upholstery, so maybe they also have fake leather-wrapped steering wheels.

 

[Mustrum Ridcully]

Will no one think of those vast herds of the endangered off-white Naga being taken to slaughter just for their hides to end up on our steering wheels?

 

[Dutchi3]

Lower i3 trim levels have fake leather upholstery, so maybe they also have fake leather-wrapped steering wheels.

At least my Mega trim i3 has a leather steereing wheel. Holds up very well too. In the beginning, it gave me cramps in my hands because of the thick wheel, but I adjusted to it after some time.

 

[cpallenjr]

I can hardly dent the wheel with my fingernail. The wheel sure feels like plastic to me.

Oh well. I have not needed driving gloves for more than 50 years...
I guess Amazon will provide one way to skin this cat. I just need to decide if I want this type or the kind with the fingertips cut off.
View attachment 1419

Depends on your phone. If you have an iPhone, you'll probably need your fingertips exposed.

 

[alohart]

Will no one think of those vast herds of the endangered off-white Naga being taken to slaughter just for their hides to end up on our steering wheels?

Naugas have become an endangered species after so many were slaughtered for their hydes in the 1950's and '60's. I drove my 1956 Chevy to Mexico to have its seats upholstered in rolled and pleated black and white naugahyde for cheap.

 

[Mustrum Ridcully]

this outfit may be another solution
https://www.redlinegoods.com/F30shiftboot.php
but they don't seem to have a kit for our cars
so someone would have to do this process from this link
https://www.redlinegoods.com/SteeringWheelCover.php
https://www.redlinegoods.com/notsupported2.php
https://www.redlinegoods.com/images/VWMK7wheel-01.jpg

 

[Mustrum Ridcully]

I noticed this item
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2049944784...-TR_V_pQce&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
on eBay and if it would fit and not be too cheap looking it could reduce the need to scrub the white nauga of the existing wheel each month.
Option three would be to get another BMW wheel with real padded leather but it would need to be fitted with the switches from the i3 to work and I have no idea how tough that would be.

 

[alohart]

I noticed this item
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2049944784...-TR_V_pQce&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
on eBay and if it would fit and not be too cheap looking it could reduce the need to scrub the white nauga of the existing wheel each month.

This steering wheel cover doesn't seem to be padded although adding another layer would probably feel a bit softer. It's fake leather and fake carbon fiber, so at that price, it's likely polyvinyl chloride coated fabric like Naugahyde made to look like leather and carbon fiber cloth. It certainly wouldn't show dirt as much as your off-white leather steering wheel. Genuine dark leather padded steering wheel covers are almost certainly available but at a considerably higher price.

 

[chamilun]

My 2015, never thought about the steering wheel. Ever. New ioniq 5, the material feels like bad polyester. Getting more used to it but the i3 materials are phenomenal

 

[tongsli]

My 2015, never thought about the steering wheel. Ever. New ioniq 5, the material feels like bad polyester. Getting more used to it but the i3 materials are phenomenal

I purchased a new old stock leather steering wheel for my wife's 2004 VW. The original has lasted very well but I'm glad we have it.

If the BMW steering wheel leather was more supple, I'd do the same and buy one for 10 years down the line but I don't think I'll be able to tell the difference. I am using Lexol to clean and condition but it's still the same as before.

 

[tongsli]

Yep problem solvedView attachment 1445