Models3 min readSteer AI R&D
What a U-turn tells us about a car
A simple manoeuvre, rich in information about suspension and steering.
A U-turn looks like nothing. For the car it is a demanding moment: weight shifts to one side, the suspension compresses unevenly and the steering works at a wide angle.
Recorded through the diagnostic port, that manoeuvre shows how the car holds the turn and absorbs the road.
Read against how a healthy car of the same kind should behave, it helps the models assess the suspension without putting the car on a lift.
It is one of the three moves of every Steer Autos road test, alongside acceleration and braking.
These notes describe the method in general terms. Findings in a report always come from the car's own road test.
