[FN-2187]

Hey all, haven't been around much to post but I've been creeping.
As some of you may remember, I traded in my '16 Special Edition for an '18 Tech Turbo.
12,000km strong, I'm absolutely loving every bit of the new Turbo model.

But I have an odd issue that we cant seem to track down and I'm wondering if anyone else has had this issue.
Clearly the Soul wasn't designed with aerodynamics in mind, certainly not at the top of the list.
But all the while I've had it, it absolutely gets kicked around on the highway by wind.
Bad enough to the point where I have been stopped once for suspicion of DUI.

I've had it in a couple times to the dealership for this, and they cannot find anything mechanically wrong.
Alignment, tire rotations, checking all suspension parts. And nothing is showing up as a cause.

My '16 was bad in wind, but only in really strong wind, especially crosswinds.

I'm almost tempted to put an OEM spoiler on the back as that's really the only difference between the 2 lol.

Has anyone else had issues with the car just getting tossed around by the wind?

 

[Rollinon]

I have an '18 turbo also and it moved around in the wind. Not as bad as your description but still more than I liked. I was dissatisfied with the OEM tires (Nexen CP671) and sprung for a set of "higher quality" tires. That helped noticeably. But like you say, the boxy shape doesn't give the greatest aerodynamics.

 

[FN-2187]

You may be onto something there, it is better on the winter tires I have (Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2) now that I think about it.
But I just chalked that up to them being 16's with more sidewall, giving a little bit better ride quality all around.

 

[Buzz]

Maybe a strut tower brace will help, I know it did on my 2010 Soul. A good set of tires will also help and I have a spoiler but mine was installed for looks. :smile:

 

[neiljrosen]

When I drove cross country loaded to the max. 850 lbs. mine handled great up to 85 mph and no wind issues. Of course it was a little sluggish from the weight.
Does yours handle any better with a full tank of gas?

 

[conwelpic]

nothing out of what I would expect under various conditions on my model. Much more stable in winds than my old '86 Olds even though that vehicle was 10" lower.

I know in many parts of Alberta you can get some very high winds (I lived in Lethbridge for 12 years) as it can knock semi's over at times.

 

[Neanderthal]

Odd. My '15 was almost totally invulnerable to winds. We drove cross-country starting election day 2014 when a huge Alaska Clipper was blowing in, big big winds for a week plus. We could feel the wind blowing and buffeting, but other than a couple of huge gusts that moved us a bit, the car was rock solid. We had about 500 lb. aboard.
I was running Pirelli Cinturato P7 all seasons in stock size on the OE 17" wheels.

My '17 feels more sensitive to wind. It sure was on the winter tires, Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 in 205.65.16. I'm currently running BFG G-Force COMP 2 A/S in 225.55.16. I still feel more wind effect than the '17 but less than with the winter tires on.

From that and other comments above, I'm suspecting tires.

 

[Sparkland]

Our 2013 base model handled beautifully when we drove from Cincinnati to Denver. We had a few hard rain showers and it hugged the road fine at 60-65 mpg. Try too keep the speed down if you start having handling problems. 85 mph is a little fast for the econobox, Soul.

 

[Soul_Mac]

"it absolutely gets kicked around on the highway by wind"

I had 2017 Toyota Yaris iA and that I cannot keep straight on the freeway. It is also the common complain about the iA. Now with the Soul +, I do not notice this cross wind. I can keep the car straight even on windy days which is everyday where I live (15+ mph wind).

 

[nikschaf]

I’m guessing you’ve already checked this, but if you haven’t, check the tire inflation. My tires were overinflated when I purchased. The whole ride felt more stable once I got it down to the recommended PSI. Prior to that I drove an ‘18 as a rental, which got buffeted a bit by wind on the highway. In retrospect, based on how it rode and the improvements I saw in my own car when I corrected the inflation, I think the tires on the rental must have been REALLY overinflated.

 

[Ajay]

I've had a 2016 Soul and now my 2018 - we have strong winds coming off the mountains West to East and a main highway running North to South. I haven't noticed any wind issues - I mean, it's a box... but it's still pretty decent.

A spoiler isn't actually functional on the Soul - as a spoiler is mean to push the rear down to help with downforce to the rear wheels. The soul is a front-wheel drive... therefore a splitter on the front of the vehicle at the base of the front bumper would be more functional than a spoiler on the rear for looks.

Most people have mentioned tires, and as Nikki put it, potentially check your tire pressures. Mine were also over inflated when I purchased, taking air out helped the ride quality.