MOZA Racing’s most recent addition to their line-up is another NEW entry level Direct Drive Wheelbase Bundle.  This time it’s the 3.9 Nm R3 Wheelbase.  But what makes this one particularly interesting is that it is bundles with the ES XBOX Compatible wheel, which unlocks MOZA on a console for the first time.  While the ES XBOX Wheel will also work on XBOX with other MOZA Wheelbases, it is currently only available as part of the bundle with the R3 Wheelbase.

The R3 Wheelbase is a significant step up in strength and quality in terms of force feedback when compared to something like a Logitech G923, making it a very interesting option for those looking for their first Sim Racing setup on XBOX or PC!

Available as a bundle with the ES Steering wheel and SR-P Lite Pedals or as a standalone purchase, it is a very good value wheelbase that offers a very similar experience and build quality to much more expensive bases.

The MOZA R5 Wheelbase provides 5 Nm of Peak Torque, which is equivalent to the Fanatec CSL DD without the Boost Kit.  And compared directly to its Fanatec counterpart, it offers a very similar driving experience.  5 Nm of peak torque is quite weak, and if you really start going down the Sim Racing rabbit hole you will definitely find yourself wanting to upgrade to something stronger.  But if you are upgrading from a belt or cog-driven base like the Logitech G923 you will definitely appreciate the precision and smoothness of the MOZA R5 Direct Drive base.

THE MOZA R9 Wheelbase at 9 Nm is a valuable step up from the R5 base. If you are able to skip the R5 and go straight to the R9, you’ll likely be quite satisfied with the strength it provides and perhaps not feel the need to upgrade even if you become quite serious with your sim racing.

It provides the same smooth and detailed Force Feedback as all other MOZA Wheelbases do, but with that added strength over the R5 you will be able to feel what the car is doing that little bit more, which can impact your performance on the road.

As with the R5 and CSL DD, the R9 offers a very similar experience to the Fanatec CSL DD with Boost Kit.  While on paper it has the slight upper hand on the CSL DD when it comes to peak torque, the overall difference in strength is not really noticeable. I again find the MOZA R9 to be a smoother feeling force feedback than the Fanatec CSL DD, but the Fanatec CSL DD can be a little easier to fine tune to your personal preference.

The MOZA Racing R12 Direct Drive Wheel Base at 12Nm could be the sweet spot when it comes to Force Feedback strength for most Sim Racers.  When using much stronger wheelbases, most people will still end up operating around the 10-15Nm mark, which puts the R12 right in the middle of that range at a competitive price.

The MOZA R12 maintains everything we like about the build quality and FFB characteristics of the R9, but with the added dynamic range of the stronger motor, you are able to get more detail and a more immersive experience than that of the weaker bases.

The R12 not only fills a gap in the MOZA line-up but surprisingly there is very little to choose from in this range across the entire Sim Racing market.  While the R9 will keep most drivers happy for a long time, there is definitely the potential you will feel the need to upgrade one day.  But I would suggest that going with the R12 will keep you satisfied long-term when it comes to Force Feedback strength and quality.

Keeping in mind the sweet spot of 10-15 Nm Peak torque, the R16 is also a sensible offering as it provides that extra bit of headroom and peak force for extreme situations. While you may not become a faster driver with the additional 4 Nm over the R12, the added strength does bring another level of immersion and fun to the driving experience.  The R16 again offers a very smooth feel, smoother than that of the Fanatec DD1 which is capable of 20 Nm of peak torque.

For me, the R21 is unnecessarily strong and doesn’t provide anything I want and can’t get from the R16.  However, if you are built like the Hulk and want to experience extreme forces, the R21 is more than capable of that!

MOZA Racing now have a range of wheels to suit most driving styles at different price points.  The quality across the board is quite good for their respective prices. There is a clear improvement in the construction quality as you jump up in prices.

MOZA Racing Wheels can only be used on MOZA wheelbases, with the exception of the FSR wheel.  It can be used on any wheelbase when connected through the MOZA Universal Hub and Quick Release Adaptor.

You are also able to attach a MOZA Quick Release to any wheel with a 70mm bolt pattern.  For shifter paddle and button functionality, your wheel will need its own separate connection to the PC via USB or Bluetooth etc.

The ES wheel is MOZA’s entry-level wheel and is available as a stand-alone purchase or in the R5 Bundle.   It is only able to be used with the R5 and R9 v2 wheelbases.

At 280mm, the ES Wheel is a very versatile design that can be used for anything from Formula to street cars.  The smaller diameter is perfectly suited to the weaker wheelbases as it does not introduce a dampening effect from the leverage created by a larger wheel.

While this wheel is a clear step down in construction quality to the other wheels in the MOZA range, it still provides a great level of rigidity, comfort and functionality.  To save money, we have a plastic housing, push button style shifter as opposed to magnetic, but it is great to see the same quick release as on all the other wheels.

You also have the option of the ES Formula Wheel mod and ES 12″ (300mm) Round WHeel Mod, which for a very reasonable price are very solid rims with nice smooth but grippy grips. They are not difficult to swap over from the original ES Rim.

For a small step up in price, we find the MOZA CS 13″ (or 330mm) round wheel.  And again for a very reasonable price when compared to wheels from other brands, we have a great quality wheel.  The CS adds magnetic shifters with forged carbon fibre paddles, an aluminium enclosure and nice metal touch points on the rotary encoders.

The CS is a great option with a very similar driving experience to the more expensive rims, just with a little less functionality when it comes to Inputs and LEDs.

For me, 330mm is on the large side, especially if you are using a weaker wheelbase.  For formula-style driving, I’d say this is much too big for a nice snappy and responsive steering input, and even for GT3 or GT4 i would still rather have something around the 300mm mark.  Such as the KS or GS wheels.

Detailed Review of the MOZA CS Racing Wheel

The MOZA Racing KS Steering Wheel is a feature-rich 300mm GT Style racing wheel built to a sensible budget, which could take the crown of Best Value Sim Racing Wheel on the market.  While there is obviously some cost-cutting when it comes to materials used, the overall driving experience has been very well maintained.  The KS Wheel is brilliantly ergonomic and in my opinion, looks fantastic with backlit buttons which have a very similar feel and appearance to the much more expensive Cube Controls wheels.

The shifter paddles have a nice solid click to them, but there is some flex present meaning they don’t quite have the high-end feel of the shifters found on the GS or FSR wheels.

The KS wheel can be used on any Moza Wheelbase as is, or your favourite wheelbase from another brand with the MOZA Universal Hub Kit.

This wheel stacks up extremely well to much more expensive wheels from Cube Controls or Asetek for example.  It is also a big step up in quality and functionality to what I have previously suggested to be the best value sim racing wheel, the Fanatec McLaren GT3 V2.  The Fanatec GT3 wheel comes in slightly more expensive when you upgrade to their metal quick release, but does not have the same level of functionality or premium feel in your hands as the MOZA KS Wheel.

Detailed Review of the MOZA KS Racing Wheel

Strangely MOZA has opted for another 13″ (330mm) round wheel with the RS. This time with additional features such as individually programmable RGB LEDs and an overall improvement in the quality of components used.

It is worth noting the significant change in design to the RS V1 wheel.  In my opinion, they have done a great job with the V2 in creating a much more classy-looking, and high-end feeling wheel.

The GS wheel is a feature-rich 300mm GT Style wheel with an array of encoders and buttons all very well laid out.  It is a perfect fit for GT-style driving and will also work well for Formula-style cars, although slightly smaller is my ideal preference there.  So for most racing styles, this is likely the best fit, provided you don’t intend to use it for Rally or drifting, of course.

The wheel we looked at is the V1 version of the GS wheel.  The GS V2 comes with perforated leather grips like on the FSR wheel.  But other than that, the GS V1 and GS V2 are essentially the same.

The addition of thumb encoders is very welcome and something that has become a must-have feature for me when driving F1 or GT cars.  The 5 rotary encoders on the face of the wheel have a nice positive click and quality feel to them.  And on the back, we have magnetic shifters and the addition of analog paddles with dual-clutch functionality.  They can also be assigned to other functions such as throttle and brake if needed.

The current flagship wheel, the MOZA FSR Formula brings a huge list of features to the table while maintaining the same good build quality of the GS wheel.’

I would definitely recommend checking out our full detailed review of the MOZA FSR Formula Wheel to see everything it can do.

The 4.3″ built-in display is very well integrated with good visual quality and a growing list of dashes in the Pithouse software.  It does lack the ability to customize the dash as you can in programs such as Simhub or Z1 Dash, which some people will really miss, but for others, the simplicity of it all being pre-set within the Pithouse software could be more valuable.

At 280mm I find this ideal for Formula cars and also good for GT3, and the overall ergonomics and comfort of this wheel are very good.

The FSR also provides an RJ connection on the back which allows you to plug it in to your PC via the MOZA Universal Hub.  You can then mount a Quick release adaptor to the wheel and hook it up to your sim rig with any brand of wheelbase.  We have been running the FSR wheel for a nuumber of months now on our Simucube 2 Ultimate base, and you can see the wheel in action in our Hyper-Realistic Sim Racing videos during the MOZA F3 series in iRacing.

While we have been very impressed by the overall design, quality and execution of the MOZA Ecosystem, it must be said that the MOZA Racing pedals are the weak link in their range.  While there is nothing particularly wrong with each of their three pedal sets on offer, I definitely think there are better options if you look at other brands.

The SR-P Lite Pedal set is available only as part of the R5 bundle and are not compatible with any of the other bases. They are well constructed with a nice solid look and feel, but in terms of pedal feel they are fairly lifeless.  The main factor in this is the lack of any progression or threshold point in the brake pedal. This means your muscle memory will have to rely on on the position of the pedal more than the force being applied to the pedal which can be quite tricky. Having said that, many of the fastest drivers around are using even more basic pedal sets than this, so it can be done!

The SR-P Pedals are a very similar design on the surface with a few differences such as anodised aluminium pedal faces.  But the important upgrade here is the inclusion of a Load Cell on the brake pedal.

The spring stack with a few options for coil and elastomer spring combinations provides much more feel than you get with the Lite edition of the pedals.  By using this Load Cell design it does encourage good braking technique and the ability to set you muscle memory based on pressure rather than position.

MOZA Racing’s high-end pedal set, the CRP Pedals, bring a lot more to the table, for what is a pretty big price jump too.  They boast a CNC machined assembly, 3 stage clutch pedal, and a much more sophisticated spring stack on the Load Cell Brake.

But when it comes to driving with these, I don’t think they have reached their potential.

The throttle has a nice smooth and linear feel which is found when it comes to throttle input sensitivity and driving fast, but it is a loud pedal that springs back with a big clunk which sends the spring shaking.

Coming in quite a bit cheaper than the Fanatec shifter, I have been very impressed with the quality and feel of this H Pattern Shifter by MOZA.

The obvious downside to this shifter is that is just an H Pattern shifter with no ability to flick a switch and it works as a sequential shifter as you can with the Fanatec.  But for those who only want an H-pattern gated shifter, this does a really good job at a good price!

The MOZA HBP Handbrake is a classy-looking bit of kit with easy and flexible mounting options that do the job very nicely.

It has a very smooth feel and a 16-bit hall effect sensor.  This is a big plus over the potentiometer of the Fanatec handbrake which I found had a tendency to get a little dirty which would affect the signal going to your PC.

Unlike more expensive load cell handbrakes, there is not a lot of modulation around a threshold point.  Some advanced drivers may rely on that ability to modulate the handbrake throughout a slide, but for someone like me who just grabs at the handbrake quickly to initiate a slide, it works really well.