Japanese auto makers scrambled to be the first to put active four-wheel-steering into production. Proponents of steering all four wheels argued that it improved both high speed handling and low speed maneuverability.
Both Honda and Mazda said their tests indicated four-wheel-steering improved performance in slalom courses while adding to a “secure” feeling on the highway.
Honda detailed its mechanical 4WS system, that was production ready for the 1988 Prelude. Honda taking a different approach than Mazda, which introduced a speed-sensitive computer-controlled, four-wheel-steering system on its 626.
The Honda system relied on the relationship between steering angle and speed. At high speeds, small movements of the steering wheel were all that were used. Any large movement of the wheel would have produced a skid or spin. At low speeds, however, a full-lock twist of the wheel was in order.
Honda’s approach promised mechanical reliability, but did not have Mazda’s flexibility. Mazda used a computer to control its rear wheels via a power steered rear gearbox. The Mazda system read road speed electronically, and the rear wheel angle was controlled in proportion to speed.
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