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I have owned the following cars: E90 328i, 2010 128i sport package, 335is, c63, E92 M3 comp package. Soon to be an owner of M235xi.
Here is my 2 cents. I loved the "on-rails" steering of the previous gen BMWs, all of them. However at one point I have upgraded the rims and tires on 335is. Going from bridgestones to Michelin PSS made the steering feel a lot lighter and unsettled on-center. Eventually I sold the new rims and the tires.
Recently I had a chance to drive 2012 128i with M-sport package. Even though the car was equipped with staggered setup it felt no where near as responsive compared to my previous 128i which had bigger rims/tires of a different brand.
From that experience I learn that car manufactures tune suspensions and steering based on specific type wheel setup.
With previous generation cars Bridgestone Potenza's had a big impact on how BMWs handled. It was however rather disappointing to learn that the whole "on rails" experience is mostly an illusion caused by the tires.
Surprisingly, the steering on M235i equipped with PSS tires felt closer to E92 M3 than to any other previous gen BMW. Obviously it's not anywhere near as communicative as the M3, but at the same time it's no less artificial compared to 328i, 128i, 335is in terms of assistance.
Road feel however is a whole different story. Electrical steering is nowhere good as hydraulic. Some manufactures are better than others. In opinion, Mazda and Ford are doing a better job in providing closer connection to the road through the steering wheel.
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