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... and I'm absolutely LOVVVING ITTTT (in my Oprah voice)!!!
Fully loaded Stinger GT2 AWD. I test drove the Stinger multiple times this year so I had a pretty good idea on what I was getting. Over the course of the past month or so I drove the S5 Sportback and the 440i GC. BMW didn't have a chance. Old car that is about to be replaced, not big on the interior, plus my business partner has one optioned out the exact same way I would get it. The Audi was amazing. Loved the power, ride, technology, design etc. Lots to love. However, what I didnt like was the price (10-15K MSRP over my Stinger) and the way they are optioned in my area. In comes the Stinger.
The first thing that attracted me to the car was the design. I think it looks utterly amazing! Low, big wheels, aggressive design, SMALL GRILL (by todays standards), long hood short deck. It looks fast standing still. But it sure is an attention magnet. Neighbors, friends, co-workers, strangers in traffic all stop and gawk and say "what is that, no way thats a Kia?!" over and over again. Its going to get old after awhile, but I really do love the design down to the key which is shaped like a detonator. I got the Ceramic Grey color. It looks like well... shiny Ceramic. Its a very unique color that I am seeing on certain Audi RS models, Porsches (I think they call theirs Cement), and even Mazda offers similar on the Miata. Depending on the lighting/sun, some people thought it was white, while others thought it was burnt Orange. Its really cool.
Utility was high on my list. I do have to haul a few things around from time to time and for the limited amount of time that I do that, a SUV is pointless and Im not a big SUV fan. Just so happens this car is a hatchback. I will say that the trunk isn't as massive as you'd think, but for obvious reasons the opening is huge and the seats fold flat to open up the entire cabin from the front seats to the back. It is shallow, as the trunk holds the battery and a spare tire. But overall, its still better than a sedan plus the hatch is power operated. No nifty waving the feet under the car, but stand in front of the trunk for a few seconds and it will auto open. Thats good enough.
Performance was next. Its very quick with power everywhere! Its so hard to not bury my foot whenever I have open road (i did it once... okay i lied... i did it 3 times. smh). The drive modes are very different (ECO, Comfort, Sport, Smart, Custom). Eco kepts the revs down and trys to get to the 8th gear as fast as possible. It feels like a normal 4 cylinder commuter car in ECO. Comfort gives you a little bit more and is pretty normal. It tends to give you a little bit of that torque band but changes gears right before you get too excited and start pushing your foot further into the accelerator. Because of this, the shifts may feel a little clunky but Im going to give it some time to learn my driving habits. In most situations the shifts are pretty smooth. Sport is absolute perfection for this car. The shifts are all on point, the power is all there, a slight touch of the pedal has you rocketing down the road. Full boil all the time. However I dont like that the car doesnt have an option to keep the transmission in manual mode. From what I can see the car will go back into Drive once you come to a full stop. To get out of it you just pull the paddle, but that shouldnt be the case. Plus I HATE steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. My old Maxima has them mounted to the column where IMO it should be as I can always locate them but not on the Stinger and pretty much EVERY other car produced. The new Maxima also has them on the wheel now. Urgh. Transmission as stated is a little clunky but i have a little over 150 miles on the ODO so thinking its still learning my habits.
Steering is great! Great communication through the wheel and with Sport mode it seems to be more direct. Theres little difference in heft between the settings and Im perfectly okay with that. My commute has some nice twisty roads if I take the backroads. It handles it like a pro. Great turn in, doesnt waver, lots of confidence. I do wish the cars were fitted with the Michelin summer tires in the NE, but instead we get the A/S. Not bad, but I know it could be so much better with more grip. One thing I dont like, it seems like the rear end floats a little bit on certain bumps. Some people have stated this on the Stinger forums, and it was the first thing I noticed. Its weird considering how sharp the rest of the car handles and feeling this extra vertical motion from the rear is awkward but its not unsettling. Everyone who has lowered it and put on sways says this is mostly gone which is what I want to do anyway.
Lastly was the technology. I have a reverse commute to the suburbs of Philly and its just as bad as the rush hour commute into the city. Having a cruise control that steers (nothing Tesla like, but it will stay in its lane) and brakes for you makes my commute so much less stressful! I'll never have another car without it again. The stereo is amazing even if i feel like the bass is lacking in some songs. 15 speakers 750 watts. Very clear, and love the surround sound settings. Very well done. Touch screen is nice to have if slightly out of reach. Android Auto I love but I need more time to learn it. Im not sure if Im supposed to see anything on the monitor or not and use 100% voice control and steering buttons but nothing is showing on the screen when I turn Android Auto on. But voice control, in usual Google fashion is flawless. Cooled seats are wildly powerful, much better than my Maxima. The AC dips when a call is placed and turns off if I open a window/sunroof and vice versa.
Overall it has what I was looking for in a car at a cheaper price. Utility, Performance, Technology and stunning good looks. The tons of stellar reviews and accolades ring true here and this car 100% works for me! I totally understand that its not a luxury badge and even worse, its a KIA. I get it, its cool. But I also think you're doing yourself a disservice by not giving it a shot.
Congratulations. I personally am not into heavily sport-oriented vehicles like that, but I like the way that virtually all Kia products are built. They have a solid feel inside and out. Kia is at or near the top in several recent initial-quality surveys.
Take it easy on the gas pedal and brakes, though, for the first 500-1000 miles. Those Break-In rules are in the Owners' Manual for a reason.
Way to go! Somehow to me the stinger brings the kind of excitement the 2nd gen lexus gs did... an unexpectedly awesome package with performance cred without being useless.
Congrats on the new Stinger! I think it's an awesome car for the money.
Originally Posted by GFerg
The AC dips when a call is placed and turns off if I open a window/sunroof and vice versa.
Is there a way to bypass this "feature"? ^^
That would probably be a deal breaker for me, as I usually drive around with my sunroof open and A/C on in the summer. I like the fresh air and direct sun, but without the A/C it would sometimes be unbearable.
Congratulations! You picked a great color - very easy to keep clean...
How do you feel it compares to the GS as far as ride and NVH (noise, vibration and harshness for those who don't know)?
The Stinger really is a great car - with a great warranty. It lights up nicely at night - and turns heads everywhere. Very easy to tune as well, if you're into that thing. Burger Motorsports, creator of the JB4 so popular with the BMW crowd, makes the same tuner for the Stinger: https://stingerforum.org/kia-stinger...a-stinger-jb4/
Originally Posted by GFerg
... and I'm absolutely LOVVVING ITTTT (in my Oprah voice)!!!
Fully loaded Stinger GT2 AWD. I test drove the Stinger multiple times this year so I had a pretty good idea on what I was getting. Over the course of the past month or so I drove the S5 Sportback and the 440i GC. BMW didn't have a chance. Old car that is about to be replaced, not big on the interior, plus my business partner has one optioned out the exact same way I would get it. The Audi was amazing. Loved the power, ride, technology, design etc. Lots to love. However, what I didnt like was the price (10-15K MSRP over my Stinger) and the way they are optioned in my area. In comes the Stinger.
The first thing that attracted me to the car was the design. I think it looks utterly amazing! Low, big wheels, aggressive design, SMALL GRILL (by todays standards), long hood short deck. It looks fast standing still. But it sure is an attention magnet. Neighbors, friends, co-workers, strangers in traffic all stop and gawk and say "what is that, no way thats a Kia?!" over and over again. Its going to get old after awhile, but I really do love the design down to the key which is shaped like a detonator. I got the Ceramic Grey color. It looks like well... shiny Ceramic. Its a very unique color that I am seeing on certain Audi RS models, Porsches (I think they call theirs Cement), and even Mazda offers similar on the Miata. Depending on the lighting/sun, some people thought it was white, while others thought it was burnt Orange. Its really cool.
Utility was high on my list. I do have to haul a few things around from time to time and for the limited amount of time that I do that, a SUV is pointless and Im not a big SUV fan. Just so happens this car is a hatchback. I will say that the trunk isn't as massive as you'd think, but for obvious reasons the opening is huge and the seats fold flat to open up the entire cabin from the front seats to the back. It is shallow, as the trunk holds the battery and a spare tire. But overall, its still better than a sedan plus the hatch is power operated. No nifty waving the feet under the car, but stand in front of the trunk for a few seconds and it will auto open. Thats good enough.
Performance was next. Its very quick with power everywhere! Its so hard to not bury my foot whenever I have open road (i did it once... okay i lied... i did it 3 times. smh). The drive modes are very different (ECO, Comfort, Sport, Smart, Custom). Eco kepts the revs down and trys to get to the 8th gear as fast as possible. It feels like a normal 4 cylinder commuter car in ECO. Comfort gives you a little bit more and is pretty normal. It tends to give you a little bit of that torque band but changes gears right before you get too excited and start pushing your foot further into the accelerator. Because of this, the shifts may feel a little clunky but Im going to give it some time to learn my driving habits. In most situations the shifts are pretty smooth. Sport is absolute perfection for this car. The shifts are all on point, the power is all there, a slight touch of the pedal has you rocketing down the road. Full boil all the time. However I dont like that the car doesnt have an option to keep the transmission in manual mode. From what I can see the car will go back into Drive once you come to a full stop. To get out of it you just pull the paddle, but that shouldnt be the case. Plus I HATE steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. My old Maxima has them mounted to the column where IMO it should be as I can always locate them but not on the Stinger and pretty much EVERY other car produced. The new Maxima also has them on the wheel now. Urgh. Transmission as stated is a little clunky but i have a little over 150 miles on the ODO so thinking its still learning my habits.
Steering is great! Great communication through the wheel and with Sport mode it seems to be more direct. Theres little difference in heft between the settings and Im perfectly okay with that. My commute has some nice twisty roads if I take the backroads. It handles it like a pro. Great turn in, doesnt waver, lots of confidence. I do wish the cars were fitted with the Michelin summer tires in the NE, but instead we get the A/S. Not bad, but I know it could be so much better with more grip. One thing I dont like, it seems like the rear end floats a little bit on certain bumps. Some people have stated this on the Stinger forums, and it was the first thing I noticed. Its weird considering how sharp the rest of the car handles and feeling this extra vertical motion from the rear is awkward but its not unsettling. Everyone who has lowered it and put on sways says this is mostly gone which is what I want to do anyway.
Lastly was the technology. I have a reverse commute to the suburbs of Philly and its just as bad as the rush hour commute into the city. Having a cruise control that steers (nothing Tesla like, but it will stay in its lane) and brakes for you makes my commute so much less stressful! I'll never have another car without it again. The stereo is amazing even if i feel like the bass is lacking in some songs. 15 speakers 750 watts. Very clear, and love the surround sound settings. Very well done. Touch screen is nice to have if slightly out of reach. Android Auto I love but I need more time to learn it. Im not sure if Im supposed to see anything on the monitor or not and use 100% voice control and steering buttons but nothing is showing on the screen when I turn Android Auto on. But voice control, in usual Google fashion is flawless. Cooled seats are wildly powerful, much better than my Maxima. The AC dips when a call is placed and turns off if I open a window/sunroof and vice versa.
Overall it has what I was looking for in a car at a cheaper price. Utility, Performance, Technology and stunning good looks. The tons of stellar reviews and accolades ring true here and this car 100% works for me! I totally understand that its not a luxury badge and even worse, its a KIA. I get it, its cool. But I also think you're doing yourself a disservice by not giving it a shot.
Last edited by Sal Collaziano; 08-03-18 at 05:23 AM.
Reason: Moving reply above the quote...
It's a pretty impressive car. Car and Driver got a 0-60 run in 4.4 seconds. Piggyback tunes are getting the car the under 4 seconds - and there's surely a lot more to come...
Congrats! I have had my eye on the Stinger for awhile now for when my GS lease is up. Love the color!
Originally Posted by Mike728
Congrats on the new Stinger! I think it's an awesome car for the money.
Is there a way to bypass this "feature"? ^^
That would probably be a deal breaker for me, as I usually drive around with my sunroof open and A/C on in the summer. I like the fresh air and direct sun, but without the A/C it would sometimes be unbearable.
Same here. Any day that there is no rain, my sunroof is open, whether it’s 30 degrees or 100 degrees out, relying on the HVAC to keep me comfortable. This feature is hopefully just a setting as that would really bother me.
hmm... my g90, while it does lower the fan speed when on a hands free call or during voice recognition (great feature) certainly doesn't turn off ac when opening the sun roof. if the car has been sitting in sun for a while, i sometimes tilt the sunroof to let out excess heat for a bit while the ac cranks full blast.
So, I just tried it, when I cracked the window or opened the sunroof it lowered the AC to its lowest setting, but not off. Apologies, I thought it turned it off. Im looking to see if there is a setting to remove it, but currently cant find it. So many menus and I have been too busy to really figure it all out except for the most important things.
Congratulations! You picked a great color - very easy to keep clean...
How do you feel it compares to the GS as far as ride and NVH (noise, vibration and harshness for those who don't know)?
The Stinger really is a great car - with a great warranty. It lights up nicely at night - and turns heads everywhere. Very easy to tune as well, if you're into that thing. Burger Motorsports, creator of the JB4 so popular with the BMW crowd, makes the same tuner for the Stinger: https://stingerforum.org/kia-stinger...a-stinger-jb4/
Thanks! So the only 4GS that I drove is the GS F around a race track during one of the Lexus events 2 summers ago. I dont want to give inaccurate information since it was so long ago, but I have no reason to believe that its not at least comparable to a GS F.
SO I havent even driven the car at night yet. A common complaint I see is the headlights are too low and some are readjusting higher. The most I can say is that driving through my work offices garage, the lights do seem pretty powerful and turn into corners, so I am looking forward to seeing them in action.
I live right outside of downtown Philly and while I do want to mildly tune it, I will have no place to stretch its legs like how I would want to and racetracks are a fair distance. Once I get used to it, I will revisit that. But for now, I am planning tint (next week), springs and sways, and the intake. Viewing the multiple videos I have seen so far, the car sounds utterly amazing with a simple intake bolt on. Greatly looking forward to doing that!
08-02-18, 07:27 PM
So I bought a Kia
I get it, its cool. But I also think you're doing yourself a disservice by not giving it a shot.
I personally am not into heavily sport-oriented vehicles like that, but I like the way that virtually all Kia products are built. They have a solid feel inside and out. Kia is at or near the top in several recent initial-quality surveys. 
