One of the most significant demands of autonomous vehicles is the precise steering vehicle orientation. This work deals with two control techniques of a steer-by-wire (SBW) system based on a Genetic Algorithm GA methodology. The PID and LQR controllers are implemented and the PID parameters and LQR matrices are optimized using the GA to improve the dynamic performance and stability of the SBW system. A comparative analysis study of both PID and LQR controllers is presented using MATLAB simulation under different fitness function scenarios (MSE, ISE, IAE, and ITAE). That demonstrates the effective SBW system response based on the GA impact to minimize steering angle error and approach to the desired vehicle orientation. Four fitness functions are applied to contribute to the control enhancement of the steer-by-wire system that sheds light on different time response specifications regarding the fitness function of PID and LQR controllers.