Well, just to give a metric perspective on the matter, my understanding was that the CITY increased assistance tapers off by 70km/h (which is about 40mph).
Every now and then I notice it slightly 'caught out', like when littlepip says it has no assistance at high speeds - it takes a while to 'ramp up' the assistance as I slow down, so if I do a sudden slow from 80km/h and turn into someone's driveway, it's quite heavy. Also, for that matter, as the speed builds you can actually tell that the steering is getting heavier - ideally, the assistance would taper off with the decreased requirement so that you didn't notice. Like the stereo that turns itself up as the speed increases - the best result is that you can't tell that it does it
You can experience the delayed 'ramping up' of assistance if you're driving slowly and press CITY, you'll notice the increased assistance doesn't happen immediately - it takes a few seconds - or at least, it does in my Punto.
Anyway I will pop in two questions just in case anyone can answer them
1. I have a rattling sound from the steering column yet can't move the steering wheel up/down or side-to-side. The rattling is of course only on rough road surfaces (which is most roads when you have a Sporting!) What is this rattle likely to be, based on past experience?
2. I like the CITY mode, as I feel it takes nothing away from the controllability of the car (steering ratio is the same) or the steering 'feel' (which seems quite stiff and dead at all speeds compared to something like my Uno Turbo, whether or not CITY is on - actually I think there is more feel with CITY on than off.) If I leave CITY on all the time, is that going to cause the motor to die earlier? (I know of a number of motors that have died, but what I don't know is whether the failures were 'random' age-related or actually due to usage).
Thanks,
-Alex