" Why don't any of these wheels have a center mounted horn? My racing experience just isn't complete without being able to punch the center of my wheel and hear the trademark rebel charge like the General Lee played. "

      Title: R440 Force Feedback Wheel by Saitek

      Format: PC Racing Wheel

      Reviewing Monkey: Our Ape Masters

      The Hype: People like to play driving and people like it when things vibrate in their hands…so Saitek, like the primitive man who figured out that peanuts and jelly together was the perfect cure for your late night munchy attack, have combined the concepts to make a vibrating driving wheel. Clever, huh?

      What This Monkey Thought...

      Ergonomics: Overall I really liked the feel of this wheel (Hey! That rhymes…damned I'm witty). It sits at a reasonable cant against your desk, it has a rubberized grip where you hands are supposed to go, and the entire assembly is nice and meaty so you won't feel like you're going to break the thing when your knuckles go white in that desperate final lap. That's the good news. The bad news is that it also subscribes to a number of my standard wheel gripes: the rubberized grips only appear where your hands are "supposed" to go (so forget holding it on the comfy pads when driving it like a normal car wheel), the table cant is non-adjustable, and the wheel is that same abnormally bumper-car sized that tends to cramp your elbows in when using it too long. The pedals, which have a nicely weighted base and good depression, are also oddly spaced so that they're not quite wide enough for dual foot use but not tight enough together to make you feel like you're driving a race car. 3.75 out of 5

      Features: In addition to a nicely decked out force feedback module, the wheel includes four on bar buttons, gas and break pedals, and on the tree paddle shifting. It's everything you need for a nice racing package and not a lot you don't. I've heard bitching that 4 isn't enough buttons, and they are far too close together…but I've never had use for more than that many and you'll adjust no problem. 4 out of 5

      Performance: Those of us with tight budgets will all lament the horrors of trying to play your favorite racing game using either the keyboard or some cheesy hand held wheel. It sucks- no question about it. So when this $80 beast landed on my desk I was really excited to check it out. Not only does it fall within a relatively reasonable price range but also includes everything I always wanted in a racer. But all that would be for nothing if it didn't handle well…and, fortunately, it handles fantastically.
          The feedback, one of the corner stones of any force feed back controller (duh!), is epic with just about the perfect amount of force. The responsiveness is fantastic. And, most impressively, is the smooth integration of pedal and wheel…with not lag issues or feed problems, which isn't exactly common with USB operated wheels. 5 out of 5

      The Verdict:

The R440 is a down right fantastic wheel and is definitely one to consider for your racing needs. I have a few small gripes with it…mainly in the way it's sized…but they don't detract heavily from a great racing accessory.

      The Good: Great responsiveness and a lot of features at a reasonable price point.

      The Bad: Too small for my macho frame.

      The Overall Ugly: Why don't any of these wheels have a center mounted horn? My racing experience just isn't complete without being able to punch the center of my wheel and hear the trademark rebel charge like the General Lee played.

      What it's Worth: Market