Re: Finally something fun !
Steering lightness and steering feedback/feel are different things. I can see how the average owner might complain about too much steering "noise" coming through on bumpy roads, however modern cars are a far cry from that (we're not dealing with large positive scrub radii any longer). And I can see people complaining about overly heavy steering, but lightness does not mean you turn the steering wheel into a rheostat.
My point is that what has happened at BMW is either simple carelessness, or ignorance and a misinterpretation of customer feedback (typical among product development teams.) I have an E90 as well as a newer X4, and I can tell you that the steering on the E90 is stupidly heavy. People rave about the feel on those older BMW's, and yes, the steering feel and feedback are great, except the heaviness ends up masking the subtlety. On the other hand, the 10-years newer X4 has horrible steering for no reason I can see. Weight is fine, but it feels like a bad rheostat with zero feedback.
Ultimately, Porsche steering is still the best imho :)
BTW, the X4 is bad on several other dimensions: cheap materials (below Honda Accord, imo), cabin noise, bad ride. Relative to the E90, the cost cutting and below par design and engineering are visible everywhere.