Packaging

The G25 arrived in an attractive and sturdy box covered with glossy photos of the goodies inside.  Interestingly, the box is smaller but heavier than the box that contains Logitech's older and less expensive MOMO Racing Wheel.  Inside the box I found the wheel, the requisite wire connections, the three-pedal base, installation instructions, a press kit and a free copy of ISI's superb racing simulator, rFactor. 

The wheel itself looks absolutely magnificent. The wheel mechanism has three spokes and two buttons, with a pair of flippers behind the wheel for Formula One type shifting.  The spokes and the flippers are brushed stainless steel.  The wheel is wrapped in real leather with prominent stitching. I couldn't resist giving it the nose test. The aroma of new leather was pleasantly strong like the leather interior of a brand new car. 

The G25 wheel is larger than what is currently available from the competition--at least one inch bigger than the Thrustmaster RGT and Logitech's MOMO Racing.  Some racing sim fans might holler about the death of buttons on the G25, especially if they're used to the Logitech DFP or Thrustmaster's RGT, but I found the two button format very refreshing, because it is much more realistic, and the greater the realism, the greater the immersion factor, at least for me.

A gamepad-style thumbpad is on the separate shifter mechanism which also contains eight buttons. Logitech was wise enough to wrap the shift stick in leather, again sending a message that the G25 is serious hardware.  Finally, the shifter mechanism contains a dial that is used to select how you prefer to manually shift--either sequential or six-speed H-pattern.

The pedal base is heavy. Unlike the MOMO Racing wheel which felt hollow and ready to crack whenever I put too much weight on the base, the G25 felt solid and sturdy. The gas, brake and clutch pedals are metal. I also noticed the distance between the gas and brake pedal is wider than the distance between the brake and clutch. This was a distinction missing from the Thrustmaster RGT Clutch Pedal Edition Wheel, which placed the three wheels an equal distance apart, a set up I found to be sloppy under heavy racing, but maybe my feet are unusually large.

Clearly, Logitech designed the G25 to convey the look and feel of the parts in an authentic sports car.