I spent a week in a car with no steering wheel…and I reckon the yoke is the future

I like to think I’m open-minded when it comes to cars, but really, I’m a traditionalist at heart. That’s why, when I noticed that Lexus had quietly added the new RZ to its press fleet – complete with a steering yoke, rather than a wheel – I was fascinated to have a go.

It’s a total departure from the cars I’m inclined towards, with my penchant for big, V8, petrol-powered brutes. Cars without power steering make me happy, so how would I get on with a car that not only lacks a steering wheel, but which isn’t actually connected to the wheels at all?

Yes, you’ve read that right. The RZ550e features ‘steer-by-wire’ tech, meaning that a sensor reads how much you turn the yoke, while a totally separate motor turns the wheels – amplifying your input. And by totally separate, I mean just that, as there’s no physical connection between the yoke and the wheels…at all, not even as a failsafe.

That means that for a little bit of yoke angle, the car turns a lot, and it takes a while to get used to in day-to-day driving.

In fact, my very first experience with the yoke was extracting the electric Lexus from a tight curbside parking space. I felt a bit uneasy, as I turned a lot more sharply than I intended to, coming rather close to the car ahead as I pulled out. The trick is to overcome your muscle memory, slowing down your inputs to turn in a nice, steady arc.

After a few minutes of driving, though, I actually found the yoke quite pleasant to use around my local, tight, North London streets. It may sound backwards, but there’s a funny parallel between the steer-by-wire system and a car with no power steering, and that’s the almost immediate response to your steering inputs.

The RZ550e is a big, heavy SUV, but the fact you can go from lock-to-lock without ever letting go of the yoke means it feels remarkably agile when flicking through traffic or around sharp corners. It applies to driving on a country lane, too, where there’s an odd sense of sportiness surrounding the rectangular controls and how little effort is required to change direction.

Yet at high speeds the yoke gets ‘heavier,’ meaning you’re unlikely to send the RZ veering across the motorway when simply trying to move across a lane.

It’s not all great news, however, because there are a few cons to the system. For starters, while the yoke makes you feel a little like you’re driving an F1 car, it does look awkward, and it’s uncomfortable to use at times.

The indicator stalk is mounted to the yoke, rather than the steering column, for example. If you’ve moved your left hand away to adjust the infotainment around a bend, then you go back to signal a turn, there’s no guarantee that the indicator will be where you left it – which left me confused at times when coming up to a junction or roundabout.

Lexus’s engineers may have nailed the steering weight and variable input across speeds, but if you’re expecting any real steering feel through your hands – don’t. That’s the downside of there being no physical rod between the steering and the front wheels; you’re robbed of the sensation of grip and road surface, which adds a disconnect between you and what the car is up to around bumpy bends.

Also, the yoke pretty much forces your hands to be at nine-and-three at all times. Among my friends who I’ve asked at least, very few of us drive like that in the real world. Whether you think you’re in a music video with one hand at the top of the wheel or you like to hold the bottom of the wheel on a long drive, the yoke seriously limits where you can comfortably grip the controls from.

It begs the question, why bother with the yoke? The shape of the yoke itself feels gimmicky, so why not feature the steer-by-wire setup with a normal, round wheel? Don’t try to re-invent it, after all…

Whichever way, I went into the RZ not knowing what to expect, and I came out really rather impressed. Now to put the same yoke in a small, affordable city car – just like Peugeot is about to.

Car change? Carwow!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

Click here to follow us on Reddit, where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, advice guides and videos. You can also subscribe to our WhatsApp channel to get the latest news sent straight to your phone.

*Savings are made up of the maximum dealer discount off RRP – subject to dealership, location and trim. Prices correct at the time of writing.