[WhiteNitroCA]

First of all, I swapped vehicles today with a friend of mine to deliver some TV's to some people. Therefore I was driving very slow and careful in his car, but he was able to beat up my Nitro R/T for the day.

Bear in mind this is a 2004 Avalanche, not a new car by any means, versus my 5K Nitro.

1. My steering sucks, the minute I got into the Avalanche I remembered what a real steering wheel should feel like. When my friend gave me the vehicle back he told it was really horrible and he would take the car in immediately as its not safe. We live in LA, and he was up in Mullholland Canyon, a very swervy road here in Los Angeles, he told me he couldn't go over 35mph because he thought the thing felt like it was going to flip over.(I need to ask some more questions, curious he ESP turned on, etc..) Driving my car home, it seems like you need to turn the wheel 1/3 before anything happens? I don't think this bad before, but its horrible now. :-(
2. I got feedback that the 20" R/T wheels are oversize for the vehicle and damage the ride quality. I personally drove an SLT and the R/T, and I thought the R/T's ride was stiffer and fairly enjoyable for being in a "jeep".
3. Going straight on the highway in a straight line is the only time the vehicle performed well. I guess that's the only time you get to enjoy the comfy seats, FREE Sirius radio, and don't have to use the steering.

On a side note I am seeing more SLT/SXT Nitro's on the road..

 

[Quiet Lunatic]

Sorry to here that WNCA, so what now?

 

[2KoolRT]

So did we learn our lesson about loaning or trading our beloved Nitro's to irresponsible friends?:SHOCKED: Yes the steering on the Nitro is very precise making them feel a little touchy at times, compared to how the Crossfire handles it feels almost out of control in some circumstances, it requires a little finnesse...but then it is a truck and performance could be improved with a lowering. I find shifting up and down using the Auto Stik more difficult than the Crossfire, it feels stiff, and I'm sure that will wear in with time. With only 1000 miles on Casper I'm not yet doing a lot of manual shifting. As far as the stiff suspension, we have the R/T too and I actually wish it was a bit stiffer, body roll is much as can be expected in a truck but the ESP program does a good job of keeping rollover situations at bay. I've entered a couple of turns a little too fast on these windy Carolina roads and am impressed with the traction control...be sure to get any of your concerns checked at the dealer in case something might be amiss, remember this is a first year model and anything can happen even though Chrysler put three years of developement into the Nitro...Happy good Thursday and I hope all works out for you, quit letting others drive your Nitro, haven't you seen the commercial about the insurance company extending coverage to anyone who drives it?

 

[Waldorf]

I don't even like it when my wifey drives it!

 

[IMWhisper]

I like the 'touchy' steering. I swapped vehicles with my stepdad - he owns an Escalade - and when we swapped back he complained about the steering. I said that I prefer that over the 'I have to turn the wheel three times before it does something' steering.

 

[acx]

the wheels will communicate bumps and imperfections in the road, that is the price of having big boots. I'd not trade it for anything.

Re the steering I have never thought I needed to turn the wheel alot before anything happened.

I'm not disgusted by the handling of the nitro, but it indeed isn't a sports car. I'm looking at some end links from bwoody performance which I hope will help the handling a bit.

I'm about 1000kms in on the R/T and love it.

 

[BearlyNitro]

Two Nitro owner family here, my R/T and my wife's SLT, so I have first hand knowledge of the riding and steering characteristics of both.

The steering is great on both of them in my opinion, and I do a lot of twisty mountain road driving each week. The ride is actually better on the R/T when bad potholes or train tracks are encountered at speed.

My previous ride was a Toyota Sequoia, which rides very nice, but in comparison, my R/T feels like a sports car, I love it!

 

[Roxy]

Before I got use to the steering difference I kept running up over the neighbors curb turning into my drive way. It's different but you get use to it and adjust which makes it not a big deal IMO.

 

[KenCary]

First of all, I swapped vehicles today with a friend of mine to deliver some TV's to some people. Therefore I was driving very slow and careful in his car, but he was able to beat up my Nitro R/T for the day.

Bear in mind this is a 2004 Avalanche, not a new car by any means, versus my 5K Nitro.

1. My steering sucks, the minute I got into the Avalanche I remembered what a real steering wheel should feel like. When my friend gave me the vehicle back he told it was really horrible and he would take the car in immediately as its not safe. We live in LA, and he was up in Mullholland Canyon, a very swervy road here in Los Angeles, he told me he couldn't go over 35mph because he thought the thing felt like it was going to flip over.(I need to ask some more questions, curious he ESP turned on, etc..) Driving my car home, it seems like you need to turn the wheel 1/3 before anything happens? I don't think this bad before, but its horrible now. :-(
2. I got feedback that the 20" R/T wheels are oversize for the vehicle and damage the ride quality. I personally drove an SLT and the R/T, and I thought the R/T's ride was stiffer and fairly enjoyable for being in a "jeep".
3. Going straight on the highway in a straight line is the only time the vehicle performed well. I guess that's the only time you get to enjoy the comfy seats, FREE Sirius radio, and don't have to use the steering.

On a side note I am seeing more SLT/SXT Nitro's on the road..

WhiteNitro & Roxy,

Wow!! that is quite a different reaction than most people.

I think both of you have something wrong with your Nitros.

See today's posting by NitroTech: TSB 02-005-07 Slight Play in Steering Stiff/Choppy/Bumpy Ride This might be part or all of your problem.


I think if you ran the numbers the Nitro RT would out-slalom and pull more cornering G's than the Avalanche. I own multiple cars a Vette, Suburban, police cruiser and a Saturn and the Nitro. I bounce back among all these vehicles and I never felt that the Nitro was out of control compared to my other cars.

What I can tell you is that the ESP takes getting used to if you drive the truck at the limit. I am used to controlling things myself and the first time I felt the ESP "correcting" my driving it felt odd and I felt out of control.

This is however common to most cars with ESP. I drove a Cadillac CTS at the limit and felt the same strange intervention.

I am not sure why the steering feels loose to you. If anything to me it seemed a little twitchy until I got used to it.

Ken

 

[Roxy]

I've driven 3 different SXT's and all 3 had the same..what I call "sloppy steering". That isn't the norm?

 

[IMWhisper]

The steering on mine is nice and tight.........?

 

[HighVoltageNITRO]

I have no idea what some of you are talking about 'sloppy steering'. This is one of the most accurate steering vehicles that I have ever owned, and I have owned a lot, quite a few of them being sports cars. Now it does have lite steering effort, which I really like, which simply means that the steering wheel turns very easily. If you are not used to it, you could over-steer your mark which could make you apprehensive about curves. I take ramps and merge lanes 50-60 mph all the time. Mine never feels like it could tip over, and I am running all terrain tires. I love it!! My wife swears she would try to take it from me, but lucky for me I added the Flowmaster and that chases her away.

 

[HubbardA]

I have a 04 Silverado crew cab, I have replaced the shocks and struts in the past year with premium performance struts and shocks to get the best handling stock, and our stock Nitro still out handles it at every turn....

The Silverado and Avalanche are for the most part the exact same drive train. So this post baffles me completely......

 

[Nitrogen]

my wife bought a Mazda CX3 last month, its 4WD, 6 speed with F1 paddle shifters, all the options, it drives realy nice,

still the kids always want to take the Nitro,