[Quiet Lunatic]

I've only had my Nitro for about 2 months now and I'm noticing that I don't particularly like. I do a lot of highway driving between Baltimore, MD and western PA. The very first trip I made it was very cold and windy outside and to say the least, it was a bit of a challange to keep the Nitro going straight. I found myself having to grip the steering wheel with both hands and was constantly having to steer into the wind to keep it going straight down the road. Every time a gust of wind would come along it was blowing me all over the road. At times it got a little scary. My wife notices this alot as well just driving around town. Just doesn't seem to handle very well in windy conditions. I'm curious if anyone else has noticed this type of behavior?

 

[reehmicks]

Hey Bowhunter4Life,

I also do alot of highway driving (probably not as far as you), but around 25 miles to work each day.. I really haven't noticed the vehicle being pulled around. I'm in WNY near Lake Erie and there is alot of crosswind off the lake usually causing snow drifts, etc.. across the highways and I have noticed that in extreme weather conditions that, yeah, it will blow me out of the lane, but nothing that I couldn't just turn the wheel to compensate for. I do also have the tow package on my Nitro, so I don't know if the stiffer shocks may be helping..

Does the vehicle drive straight when there's no wind, ie. maybe an alignment problem? As my old vehicle drove like a concrete box and had bad alignment, so the slightest summer breeze and I'd be flipping off the road.

 

[gABE]

As with reehmicks, I to have not noticed the Nitro being thrown around with the wind. Three weeks we had a dust storm with wind gust up to 70mph and I could feel the wind moving the Nitro but it wasn't anything crazy, that same day I drove a Compass and I did have my hands full driving it in the wind. I will say the Nitro did better then any other vehicle I have driven in our famous dust storms except for the Tahoe.

The alignment could be an issue even tho it drives straight it could be off just enough that wind can make it noticeable.

 

[Quiet Lunatic]

Lets face it folks it's boxy (sp). Your are gonna get pushed just like every other box out there. Yes I get blown around here in NE but hey when a huge wind broad sides you it's expected. I had the same problem in my wrangler (small box) and in a vw van (bread box). Boxes get moved around if you can't compensate with a slight toe in then you may have a problem. The vw I actually got blown 1/2 way out of the lane but that was with 1969 suspension. Just my opinion which some probably don't care to here. The only time I would even think of worrying is on snow or ice other then that just toe in.

 

[dk1677]

200 mi round trip

I just got home from a 200mi round trip on the NYS thruway under very windy conditions most of the way and I did get pushed around some but nothing I couldn't handle in fact it was MUCH less of a problem then the Honda Element I traded for the Nitro. I did 70 to 80 all the way too with about 18 mpg. ( love the 3.7) got around 750mi now

 

[StreetDancer]

I agree with papillion. the profile of the vehicle against the wind is going to play a lot in how the vehicle handles in the wind.

I live on the east slopes of the Rocky Mtn. Continental Divide, and it's not uncommon to have routine wind gusts around 45 mph and get severe wind gusts up into the 90's.

I have noticed the suspension not being as stiff as I'd like and may change out my shocks. I am sure the R/T's are running a much stiffer suspension than the SXT's and SLT's though.

 

[AirJunky]

Kind of depends on what kind of car/truck your used to driving when you get the Nitro. I had a Dodge Dakota Clubcab & a Dodge Neon. And my wife has a Chrysler Pacifica. This breadbox we call a Nitro is a light weight, short wheelbase SUV. I never thought it was going to drive or handle like anything I was driving at the time. Yea, it gets blown around a little compared to the Neon. But I remember driving a full size van & it doesn't blow around like that.

Ever driven a Honda Element in the wind? Their like 1000 lbs lighter & about the same size as the Nitro.

 

[bogeycentral]

Yeah, driving the Element in the wind definately deserves the white knuckle approach.

 

[StreetDancer]

Kind of depends on what kind of car/truck your used to driving when you get the Nitro. I had a Dodge Dakota Clubcab & a Dodge Neon. And my wife has a Chrysler Pacifica. This breadbox we call a Nitro is a light weight, short wheelbase SUV. I never thought it was going to drive or handle like anything I was driving at the time. Yea, it gets blown around a little compared to the Neon. But I remember driving a full size van & it doesn't blow around like that.

Ever driven a Honda Element in the wind? Their like 1000 lbs lighter & about the same size as the Nitro.

U got that right Air! I had a big 'ol tank before this thing (ford Expedition) and a Durango before that, they definately handle different.