In a way, the steering wheel is the most important part of any car. And for BMW—a brand that prides itself on driver connectivity—the component only becomes more central to the experience. At its best, BMW balances the essentials deftly: a comfortable rim, intuitive controls, and clean styling. But which BMW had the best steering wheel? The answer requires looking beyond the most attractive design. A great wheel has to feel right, keep important controls within reach, and complement the surrounding cabin without demanding too much attention. At the same time, it has to stand up to expectations—so excellent materials and a little bit of personality are equally important. From the beautifully simple 3.0 CSL to the F80 M3, these five steering wheels show how BMW’s approach evolved and where it may have reached its peak.

BMW 3.0 CSL Steering Wheel

The BMW 3.0 CSL’s steering wheel is a reminder of just how little a great design actually needs. Its thin rim, three drilled metal spokes, and compact center section look delicate compared to any modern steering wheel. There are no buttons, drive-mode selectors, heating controls, or oversized airbag covers to interrupt the shape. Its slender construction also left the analog gauges clearly visible and complemented the rest of the E9’s sparsely decorated cabin. Of course, the CSL’s wheel is a product of its time. You’re unlikely to see anything like it again, thanks to airbags and other safety guardrails. But the CSL wheel remains an icon of functionality and elegance.

E28 BMW M5 Steering Wheel

The E28 M5’s steering wheel retained much of that simplicity while adding a little more visual substance. The thicker leather-wrapped rim improves grip, while the leather center section gives the wheel a level of refinement appropriate for a high-performance luxury sedan. Remember: the original M5 wasn’t covered in carbon fiber, bright red buttons, or oversized M logos. At first glance, it could pass for an ordinary executive car. Its steering wheel followed the same formula by communicating performance through subtle changes rather than spectacle. That subtlety was a lot of the charm, and the steering wheel channels it perfectly. Later evolutions of the wheel (like the M Tech II wheel pictured at the top of this article) offer similar virtues.

E46 BMW M3 and 330i ZHP Steering Wheel

The E46 generation arguably perfected the traditional BMW steering wheel for everyday use. It retains the favorable three-spoke design, which by now was clean and instantly recognizable. Airbags demanded a larger center section, but allowed for multifunction buttons to pop up on the thicker horizontal spokes without feeling overwhelming. More importantly, it felt excellent. The rim had enough thickness to feel substantial in your hands but stopped short of the excessively padded designs that appeared later. It was sporty without requiring an M car, too.

The Alcantara-wrapped versions were particularly special. ZHP models received an Alcantara wheel, as did the E46 M3 with the Competition Package. The material offered a noticeably different texture and made the wheel feel like a genuine performance component rather than a decorative upgrade. Alcantara inevitably showed wear, especially in cars driven every day. But a clean example still feels special today. Combined with the E46’s excellent steering and relatively compact dimensions, this wheel became an essential part of one of BMW’s best driving environments.

F30 BMW M Sport Steering Wheel

BMW moved in a modern direction with the F30-generation M Sport wheel. The rim again became thicker, the central airbag cover more rounded, and the lower spoke gained a prominent metallic accent. It was a vast improvement over the non-M Sport wheels, both aesthetically and in terms of feel. While the thickness could occasionally feel a bit excessive, generally it was the “right size.” Easy to forgive, too, when the steering wheel simply looks great. Its clean design and general simplicity is easy to appreciate.

F80 BMW M3 Steering Wheel

The F80 M3’s steering wheel made only small changes to the F30 M Sport design, but that was all it needed. It retained the compact, circular center section, relatively slim spokes, and thick leather-wrapped rim that made the original so satisfying to hold. M-color stitching, slender and more premium-feeling shift paddles, and model-specific controls provided enough distinction without fundamentally altering the shape.

The programmable M1 and M2 buttons were also integrated neatly into the horizontal spokes. Their placement made them easy to reach while maintaining a conventional hand position. Like the rest of the F80 M3, the wheel balanced everyday usability with a clear sense of purpose. It felt special, but it did not try too hard to communicate its performance credentials. There were no oversized accents, unusually shaped spokes, or conspicuous controls. BMW simply took one of its best modern steering wheels and made the minor improvements required for an M car. It’s also worth mentioning that the F80’s layout, though modified, essentially carries through to this day.

Later BMW Steering Wheels Became Busier

Beginning with the F90 M5, BMW retained much of the F30 and F80 wheel’s underlying design but added prominent red M1 and M2 buttons above the horizontal spokes. The color and placement made them immediately recognizable as M features, but they also introduced visual clutter to an otherwise cohesive design. Arguably, the new position made the buttons less immediately accessible as well. Later steering wheels also adopted thicker horizontal spokes with larger control panels. In one sense, the heavier spokes echoed the substantial three-spoke design used by the E46. However, the resemblance was mostly superficial. Buttons crowd the spokes, and as you can see from the Neue Klasse steering wheel pictured above, that looks to be a bit of a trend moving forward.

Are all modern BMW steering wheels bad? Of course not. The size and weight is still right, and the basic form is still recognizably BMW. But each addition weakened some of the original’s no-nonsense character. The F80 M3 wheel may therefore represent the point at which BMW had added everything a modern performance steering wheel needed—and nothing it did not.

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com