Exactly. With power-steering, you can have much shorter racks and retain some semblence of non-loonacy !
It's not about being a problem !
Clearly you CAN drive a car without Power Steering - but why would you want to ? It just requires a bunch more effort to park/3-point-turn/whatever.
Anyhow, 309 GTi is still nothing like the weight of a modern car :)
If you stuck your Mum in a brand-new Diesel Mondeo, with no power steering, she would not be able to cope.
Because it only has one front wheel, I suspect.
Rubbish. If you have a big heavy modern day car, with wide tyres and a front-mounted engine, then it's basically a requirement.
I've driven lots of cars with and without Power Steering - and the PS is infinately preferable. You lose nothing, but you gain plenty - why on earth would you not want it ?
My first car was a Pug 405 GTXi with Power Steering. Girl I worked with, had a 405 1.9D Style, without Power Steering - and it was ludicrous ! I went for a spin, and nearly stacked it when I came back into the carpark, simply because I couldn't turn the wheel fast enough. When I asked her about it, she basically said she didn't bother parking it anywhere but in a bay, because she simply couldn't ! Granted, if I'd have been used to it, it would probably have been fine - but drivers aren't all hulking great blokes :)
You have very odd views Carl - you seem to be totally anti-comfort ! Anything that makes life easier, is clearly a good thing - unless there's some huge disadvantage to it.
This discussion is moot anyway - it's not like you CAN buy decent cars without Power Steering these days !