The Bottom Line
- Extremely small footprint
- Low price
- Strong return-to-center spring
- Pedals slide around more than most
- All-Plastic wheel
- Less solid feel
Description
- 9.5" plastic steering wheel
- Very small pedal unit with gas and brake
- Gameport connector, does not support USB
- List $39, can be found for much, much less than that on eBay and in garage sales.
Guide Review - Thrustmaster NASCAR Charger 2
Also notable are the extremely compact pedals that are included. A little disconterting at first but they could be a real asset if space is a concern at your desk.
Convenience
This wheel is extremely small and light and takes up the least amount of desktop space. Thrustmaster's standard clamping mechanism is a single 'V' shaped clamp with a quick-release latch that was above average in convenience.
Installation of the included device drivers was quick and painless. Thrustmaster has overcome the "twitchiness" problem that I saw in the earlier model. The Charger 2 calibrates solidly and performs adequately.
The Feel
The smaller diameter all-plastic wheel makes for less precise steering, but lets be honest here. If you are racing online or spending 5 consecutive hours running 500 laps at Dover you probably have moved up to one of the other wheels on this list. For it's price and intended audience the wheel drives well. I did note a stronger than expected return to center spring. This wheel actually works quite well for road racing sims like F1 Challenge.
The pedals are another story. The small pedals are a bit uncomfortable to drive for long periods of time and tended to slide around more than the others tested.
