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5/5000 Ree-Port!

2K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Neanderthal 
#1 ·
It was the oneth of September when I rolled out of the Hamster Factory with my sunshine Soul.
I intended to write this at the five munff point, but everything was disappearing from GMI then so I held off. Just call this government scheduling/deadlines, if you must call it anything.

At five months, or Feb. 1, I had about 5000 miles on Jake.

When the car was new or near-new, I made two mods. I replaced the headlamp bulbs (which shone a dull shade of yellow) with Silverstars, and I swapped out the OE tires with Pirelli P7s. It was them or ContiPureContacts. Coin flip basically.
My wife's car had developed a vibration, my wrench said he thought we'd gotten belts shifting in the low-mile but 6-year-old tires.

So I needed two sets of tires.

About to start a 2000 mile trip east, I went through the TR and CR tests and customer comments, and went with the P7s for both cars. I can't complain.

I also can't say what my impression of the OE Nexen 762s would be. I stuck with stock size 215.55.17s for the Pirellis.
I can say the OE Nexens on my 2013 base Soul 1.6 rode harder, noisier, and harsher than the Michelin Defenders I replaced them with at about 200 miles. I went from 195.65.15 to 215.60.15 on my 2013 and the transformation was profound. The car still rode hard, but better. Always try for better.

Our high point was the 2000 mile trip from the wilds of the Inland NorfWest to the Glass City area. We departed on Election Day with winds in Post Falls whipping up in what felt like the 30+ range, our of the west. These were the precursors to the Alaska Clipper which arrived two days after we did in Toledo. Cold. Snow. Cold.

We had two people, one cat, and Stuff. My guesstimate was we had about 500 lbs. of cargo. This is also the time when our cat decided she is completely a person, and started drinking out of glasses instead of bowls. That there's a rear armrest with two cup holders, in a perfect place for her water glass really helped.
More secure than a bowl on a hard surface.

As with my first Soul, this one proved near-impervious to strong winds or gusts. My Charger got blown all over the place, before and after an alignment check (it was off--the Soul was spot-on from the factory). We could feel and hear the wind huffing and puffing and blowing all over, but only once or twice did a huge sideways gust move the car off its chosen course.

There was plenty of power for the mountains, we made a few 5000' passes. On cruise control most of the time, I didn't feel power loss though surely there was. The main indicator of altitude was lengthy periods in 5th or 4th gear going up inclines.

We've put a couple of thousand on the car since arriving in the Midwest.

I've never heard of this woman, but she reflects my thoughts on the matter:

Being taken for granted is an unpleasant but sincere form of praise. Ironically, the more reliable you are, and the less you complain, the more likely you are to be taken for granted.
Gretchen Rubin


Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/complain.html#bWakWBtBp8E1brQS.99

No complaints or remarks about performance, brakes, handling, cargo capacity--it is what it is--and long ago I resolved that these cars are not MPG champs.
I AM considering dropping a 5.3 in because someone here is getting over 30 with his 5.3 somethingorother.

So at 5300-odd miles and after the second O&F at about 4000, all ticks along well. I hate the winter filth that accumulates. I do understand why people move to places like Florida or Arizona.

We now have a heated garage. These are sooo kewl. With a drain in the middle.
We have two furnaces in the house we just bought. One is standard forced air, the other is the original hot water system with baseboard heating. Now THAT is how to heat a house. All warm all the time.

Changes I'd like for the Soul? Corner a little flatter, ride a little smoother, horsepower a little moreer, and Cd a little lower.
 
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#2 ·
Your thread finally displayed...

That sounds like a silly cat. Our cat will drink out of water glasses if you leave the level high enough
 
#4 ·
Actually she's quite thoughtful and considered.

So why the trade back to a Soul? (I'm sure you've got a thread somewhere but even if I go looking for it can't guarantee it's actually there amirite)
About eight trips to the Dodge dealer, with more coming, convinced me. Started with a blend door, then the electrogizmo that tied the radio and the HVAC together and a main cable and a bad liar in service and trip after trip, hour after hour, with no cure in sight. I ate it, ditched the Charger and got another trouble-free KIA.

Incidentally, for all the RWD-Is-King, I beg to differ. FWD is far more stable in most conditions. The Charger was heavily affected by wind. The Souls, not at all.
Go figure. You'd think a sleek 4100-pounder would resist winds better than a 2900 pounder shaped like a brick. Not so.
That's not the whole parade, but I was quite glad we were Souling it on the trip east, where the strong winds never quit. The Charger would've been all over the road.
 
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