Who is considering purchasing a KIA for the first time because of the Stinger?

[Zorg]

oh sorry lol, your profile said UK.

Huh, strange, I'll have to figure out how to change That, lol.

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[KiaFan]

Huh, strange, I'll have to figure out how to change That, lol.

Sent from my SM-G955W using Tapatalk

You can change it from this page https://www.kiastinger.org/forum/profile.php?do=editprofile

 

[nikpmd]

Never considered it seriously until I test drove a Base stinger and enjoyed driving it more than my 335xi !
Now I?m looking for some nice lease deals. The base stinger is good enough for me!

 

[ATXStinger]

Never considered it seriously until I test drove a Base stinger and enjoyed driving it more than my 335xi !
Now I?m looking for some nice lease deals. The base stinger is good enough for me!

Nice, another German car owner convert.

 

[nikpmd]

Nice, another German car owner convert.

Not really a convert but I?m excited about any car that is being developed with a mission of catering to the enthusiast. I used to be a BMW fanboy and in general I was predisposed to German cars, but in order for them to be engaging, one has to upgrade to the 340i or C43 or S4 which are wayy too expensive and depreciate like falling bricks. Kia brings the same, if not better, sort of fun at a much more affordable price point. And they did a great job with the execution.

My only gripe with the stinger is the lack of color options in the base trim and the nonexistent space under the driver seats for rear passengers to stretch into. I do a lot of trips where four grown ups need to sit comfortably for long periods. These are the only shortcomings and looking at the residual value in the lease deals, I?m guessing even the stinger will be subject to terrible depreciation.

I?m kinda on the fence now. Also, I drove a GTI manual and now I want a manual. So, maybe when the stinger gets serious (gets a manual option), I?ll reconsider jumping ship.

 

[CajunStinger]

I?m kinda on the fence now. Also, I drove a GTI manual and now I want a manual. So, maybe when the stinger gets serious (gets a manual option), I?ll reconsider jumping ship.

Funny thing I went from a GTI to an Audi S3 and now to a Kia Stinger. I really doubt Kia will offer a manual for the Stinger, if you look at the trend these days even the C43 and S4 have all gone to auto.

 

[BriTay]

Funny thing I went from a GTI to an Audi S3 and now to a Kia Stinger. I really doubt Kia will offer a manual for the Stinger, if you look at the trend these days even the C43 and S4 have all gone to auto.

It's sad but I am inclined to agree. I've driven a manual since I learned how to drive but this will be the first automatic that will be my personal car if I do choose to get it. I was looking at the Golf R for a while and that does come in a manual but most owners of the Golf R agree the car is better in the automatic than manual.

 

[nikpmd]

Funny thing I went from a GTI to an Audi S3 and now to a Kia Stinger. I really doubt Kia will offer a manual for the Stinger, if you look at the trend these days even the C43 and S4 have all gone to auto.

Maybe I?m hoping for something that?ll never be realized. Still, I?m willing to wait for a year or two to see how things pan out.

 

[CajunStinger]

It's sad but I am inclined to agree. I've driven a manual since I learned how to drive but this will be the first automatic that will be my personal car if I do choose to get it. I was looking at the Golf R for a while and that does come in a manual but most owners of the Golf R agree the car is better in the automatic than manual.

The DCT in both the R and S3 is phenomenal, way better than even the transmission in the new S4/S5.

 

[CajunStinger]

Maybe I?m hoping for something that?ll never be realized. Still, I?m willing to wait for a year or two to see how things pan out.

Doesn't hurt to wait, they'll probably fix a lot of the first year bugs by then. Plus you'll probably have more color options too.

 

[mjsteelega]

I just bought one this past Monday. I?ve been tracking the car since Nov?16 and it is my 29th car. Never would I have thought I would buy a Kia. I?ve owned a MB CLS500, a Porsche Boxster, two BMW530?s, three 3-series and many more.

I am thoroughly impressed thus far and simply don?t think there is something else on the market in its price range; especially after a $6,500 (lease cash) discount.

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[Slowy]

Another beautiful Stormtrooper.

I really love the combination in withe and black and dark chrom.

 

[Rufus]

My wife and I briefly looked at Kias around 2013 before our son was born. While we were impressed with the value per dollar, as gearheads we were less than excited. Fast fwd to last month when our 05 Accord hybrid was in it's death throes and we needed new wheels. The latest Optima and Soul seemed markedly improved in driving dynamics, as was the Rio and Forte. Those were too small for our needs(excepting the Optima), but then we eyed the Stinger. I'd been clocking the development of the Stinger since the GT concept, and was smart enough to let my wife drive it 1st. Once she drove it, the search was "Game Over" lol!

 

[patek]

I looked at the Ceramic GT2 yesterday, beautiful car. But would like to see if they offer the Orange next year.

 

[robz32]

you mention orange, I am not aware of a factory orange color for the stinger...are you referring the color on the Stinger below?

 

[MarkyMark]

I will be another that never considered a KIA brand vehicle, but will switch to the car company due to the Stinger. Until I discovered the Stinger on a car website in December, I had no idea about it, nor had I known how well Kia was now doing in initial quality with JD Power & Associates (#1).

Now, the thread's question does not ask why the Stinger is causing us to get into a Kia, just if it is, but it certainly begs the question...

I am one of those that is driving a mid-size sedan ? 2014 Mazda6. I typically hold onto my cars around 5.5 - 6 years at a time, and while I've eek'd out nice/average sedans, never paying over $25,200 for a car, suddenly the Stinger changed my game.

I drive about 24k miles a year due to my job. Since I often have customers or managers with me, I want something that is decently comfortable and can haul customers out to lunch, etc... I also like a sporty look, that isn't tacky, handles in a way that makes me feel connected to the road, but needs to be comfortable enough for 2-6 hours of driving at a time.

When I noticed the Stinger the look seemed pretty fantastic (because it's design is, well, fantastic). When I discovered it also started at $31,900 and was well equipped for that price, I figured I could get the car under $30k! Another one of my rules, never spend more than $30k for a car that turns to dust faster than just about anything you can "invest" in. Rapidly depreciating assets, not good!

I test drove a Premium 2.0L and was thoroughly impressed. Versus my 185hp Mazda6, despite it's weight, it was still WAY peppier, and the handling was more savvy. The interior may be on-par with current Mazda6's, but it's head and shoulders over my 2014 model and the seats are fantastic. It's a fairly large car but doesn't come across as such. Mazda makes their full-size sedan feel like my old pocket toy Ford Probe, so well done Mazda. But Kia manages to pull that of with the Stinger, while its weight also lets you know it's extremely solid and well planted.

In short, I was sold on the 2.0L. Plenty of car for me.

Then in early January I stopped by a Kia dealership to take another look. The manger suggest I take out the GT just for fun. I decided, even though I wouldn't buy it, I'd like to see the difference in the engines and power just for fun sake. The 2.0L is certainly peppy, but the 3.3L V6 GT is like a Taco Bell burrito vs a Chipotle Burrito. Both burrito's, burritos, but really, no comparison. The 19" rims, the Brembo's, and discovering the GT has a lot more in the way of features compared to the base 2.0L intrigued me greatly.

Boom! I shifted from thinking about getting a base 2.0L under $30k (this coming fall/winter timeframe), to a GT. Sheesh!...

What Kia has done is delivered a car that didn't lose focus. What do I mean by that? Put another way, let's take a quick look at the Buick Regal Sportback (is it EVER showing up? Nice job GM...). When it does arrive, I believe I'll be left with the same impression GM has always left me with: Low-grade leather, hard plastics, lame nobs, and the feeling of a company trying to scrape and skimp, because GM believes it can get away with it, but they are actually fooling no one. Well, at least not me... It'll drive so, so, be quite quiet and feel like a vehicle built on a Malibu frame. The Regal gets it's own skin and interior, it has some tweaks, yet the design is watered down, trying to satisfy a lot of people that buy mid-size sedans. In short, the new Regal Sportback will be just another GM Buick product. I'll get a nice rebate, it'll be well affordable and bore me to pieces. I'd rather get newer Mazda6 at that point.

Kia's Stinger is the exact opposite of the Buick Regal. That's what I mean by "focus" from Kia. The frame is going to be the Hyundai G70 and Kia Stinger - that's it. It isn't the Insigna, The Malibu, the Buick Regal Sportback and other variants world-wide trying to be a dozen things do hundreds of thousands of different people. The Stinger is designed to deliver true luxury sport performance. The Stinger did not compromise the drive by dulling down the suspension or tweaking the drive-train to get better gas mileage because commuters and family folk don't need 0-60mph in 4.7, but want Accord range per tank. Kia could have toned down the sculptured sheet metal, or, or, or... That's the great thing about the Stinger, Kia clearly did NOT compromise.

What Kia built is not unlike an Apple product, in that they built something they (Kia engineers) would want to buy. "How can someone not want this car? Because I want this car!" Albert and Gregory might say. The passion put into the car is clear, and middle-management - hands in the cookie jar - were kept at bay. It didn't get formulaic and screwed up. The Stinger stayed true.

And THAT is what I really find inspiring about the Stinger. Focused. Didn't deviate and get watered down. It stayed true, and for that Kia should be so proud and learn from. Will it sell? I should think so. But even if it meets only a niche of buyers, we might just be the most satisfied owners in the market.

 

[mldavis2]

Nice post, [MENTION=477]MarkyMark[/MENTION]. Like the old story of the blind men inspecting the elephant, each of us sees the Stinger a bit differently, I suspect. I agree that the engineering focus is good. But all cars are a compromise.

Obviously 25mpg is not "world class" fuel economy on the highway with the little 4-bangers getting 30. You pay for power which requires fuel to achieve. And having come from the good old days of the '87 Buick Grand National, I am a bit cautious of turbochargers and their inherent design limitations with regard to cooling and life expectancy. But the 10/100,000 warranty got me past that hurdle because turbochargers are included in the power train warranty on the Stinger.

There are lots of "toys" in this car which raises the price. Both of my current rides are fairly "stripped" by Stinger's standards, but they are both 13 and 10 years old respectively, and were purchased by a driver (me), not a passenger needing entertainment on long trips. You can't haul a piano in the back of the Stinger but the hatchback is both stylish and functional with folding rear seats. If you haul pianos, you buy a truck (boring...) and live with those handling and fuel compromises. So as an old "car guy" the mechanical (as opposed to the electronic) technology, the power and handling are my selling points. Although my GT1 order includes the DriveWise package, I bought the car for the car, not the toys.

Some seem to need to have all the toys to be happy, yet what do they expect at this price point? Many of the minor complaints are in comparison with cars in the $75-80K range which isn't fair. The list of "complaints" is endless and somewhat amusing. I haven't had anyone in the back seat of my GTO twice in 13 years, yet there are those complaining of the lack of heated rear seats. I've heated my own seat for over 50 years. There are complaints of no wireless charging for mobile phones, but to use the mobile phone with Apple or Android requires them to be USB-connected which charges the phone while in use. There are complaints of no 360? camera, yet most of us learned to drive with mirrors quite effectively and safely. Sure, all of that is nice, but is any of it really related to the car itself?

The more toys you have in your car, the more things will go wrong, and they are a distraction. As a former service manager in the '80's we had some really lame options on up-scale cars that were just buyer-bait. The power antennas come immediately to mind. It cost about $200 to replace one of them. Once the warranty ran out, I don't think a single car had one that worked after winter. And as my current rides show, I keep my cars for a very long time to amortize that big first year depreciation hit. So I'm a driver first. I let the wife play with the toys while I'm driving. I often drive alone without music -- just the sound of the road and engine, and the concentration that comes with being one with the machine, aware of every unusual noise, predicting traffic flow ahead, planning for my lane or passing opportunity or watching for idiots on the road or police behind sign boards.

Yes, I'm a dinosaur, brought up in the days of Richard Petty's hemi dominating the NASCAR circuit, although I am not a NASCAR fan today by any means. I'm a driver from the "old school," wary of all the gizmos that kids today seem to need to be able to keep the fenders on the car while they mess with the media -- lane keepers, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, parking assist, backup cameras. Yes, I'll enjoy playing with all that junk, but to me, it takes away the very essence of a fine GT machine, the intelligence of a well-engineered 8-speed transmission taking over for my "old" 6-speed gearbox, and the wonderful power available from twin scroll turbos planted in a modified racing engine and bolted to a fine chassis with tunable suspension and big, grippy tires. I buy cars to drive, not to entertain me or drive for me. That is why I researched and ordered a Stinger, and it's killing me to have to wait on a factory build.

 

[MarkyMark]

Nice post, [MENTION=477]MarkyMark[/MENTION]. Like the old story of the blind men inspecting the elephant, each of us sees the Stinger a bit differently, I suspect. I agree that the engineering focus is good. But all cars are a compromise.

Obviously 25mpg is not "world class" fuel economy on the highway with the little 4-bangers getting 30. You pay for power which requires fuel to achieve. And having come from the good old days of the '87 Buick Grand National, I am a bit cautious of turbochargers and their inherent design limitations with regard to cooling and life expectancy. But the 10/100,000 warranty got me past that hurdle because turbochargers are included in the power train warranty on the Stinger.

There are lots of "toys" in this car which raises the price. Both of my current rides are fairly "stripped" by Stinger's standards, but they are both 13 and 10 years old respectively, and were purchased by a driver (me), not a passenger needing entertainment on long trips. You can't haul a piano in the back of the Stinger but the hatchback is both stylish and functional with folding rear seats. If you haul pianos, you buy a truck (boring...) and live with those handling and fuel compromises. So as an old "car guy" the mechanical (as opposed to the electronic) technology, the power and handling are my selling points. Although my GT1 order includes the DriveWise package, I bought the car for the car, not the toys.

Some seem to need to have all the toys to be happy, yet what do they expect at this price point? Many of the minor complaints are in comparison with cars in the $75-80K range which isn't fair. The list of "complaints" is endless and somewhat amusing. I haven't had anyone in the back seat of my GTO twice in 13 years, yet there are those complaining of the lack of heated rear seats. I've heated my own seat for over 50 years. There are complaints of no wireless charging for mobile phones, but to use the mobile phone with Apple or Android requires them to be USB-connected which charges the phone while in use. There are complaints of no 360? camera, yet most of us learned to drive with mirrors quite effectively and safely. Sure, all of that is nice, but is any of it really related to the car itself?

The more toys you have in your car, the more things will go wrong, and they are a distraction. As a former service manager in the '80's we had some really lame options on up-scale cars that were just buyer-bait. The power antennas come immediately to mind. It cost about $200 to replace one of them. Once the warranty ran out, I don't think a single car had one that worked after winter. And as my current rides show, I keep my cars for a very long time to amortize that big first year depreciation hit. So I'm a driver first. I let the wife play with the toys while I'm driving. I often drive alone without music -- just the sound of the road and engine, and the concentration that comes with being one with the machine, aware of every unusual noise, predicting traffic flow ahead, planning for my lane or passing opportunity or watching for idiots on the road or police behind sign boards.

Yes, I'm a dinosaur, brought up in the days of Richard Petty's hemi dominating the NASCAR circuit, although I am not a NASCAR fan today by any means. I'm a driver from the "old school," wary of all the gizmos that kids today seem to need to be able to keep the fenders on the car while they mess with the media -- lane keepers, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, parking assist, backup cameras. Yes, I'll enjoy playing with all that junk, but to me, it takes away the very essence of a fine GT machine, the intelligence of a well-engineered 8-speed transmission taking over for my "old" 6-speed gearbox, and the wonderful power available from twin scroll turbos planted in a modified racing engine and bolted to a fine chassis with tunable suspension and big, grippy tires. I buy cars to drive, not to entertain me or drive for me. That is why I researched and ordered a Stinger, and it's killing me to have to wait on a factory build.

We may be cut from a similar cloth. I owned my 1993 Ford Probe SE (stick w/2.2L) for 13 years, 167k miles. Drove it - literally - like a Ferrari. Kept running and running! That sold me on Mazda (it was a Japanese built and designed Mazda 2.2L with manual transmission). The fact Ford put the drivetrain in their sheetmetal (or the Mazda MX-6) in Flat Rock, MI didn't mean much with me about Ford, other than it was $2k cheaper than the Mazda version.

Suffice to say, like to keep my cars longer than shorter time period. Alas, my sales thing I do, the expectation is I should have a luxury car. But I don't want to do that, and the miles I drive (24k a year) make a lease impossible dollar-wise. I've had a Maxima 2006 (horrific), and now the 2014 Mazda6. I had planned on keeping this for 6 years, as is what I typically do. Then the Stinger came along. Ack!

If the Stinger is not a market disrupter, it's because too many people are not into cars enough to notice, no matter what Kia does. But my guess is it's going to make a nice dent and cause some luxury makers to change their own game a wee bit. Not initially mind you. If Stinger takes off, other mainstream brands will be quick to follow the formula. Yes, a copy is a copy. GM and Ford, etc... they'll cut corners and such, but this new great performance, w/functionality, with luxo-quality will be born.

At THAT point, BMW and maybe Mercedes will be forced to change their game a bit. But what? They are somewhat boxed into their current models. But I can see them being forced to make a 3-seriees version as a hatch, or make it more roomy / a combo of both hatch and room, and add more into the entire lineup while keeping price points nearly flat.

Lastly, I'd like a GT1, but when I look at the $$$ for it vs the GT, well, this is my most expensive car - ever - by a mile. Thus, the sunroof, all the GT1 upgrades, I really can't afford it, but I'll be more than happy with the GT and the Drive Wise package.

Congrats!

 

[mldavis2]

Yes, it will be interesting to see how well the Stinger sells. It is a bit pricey for the "kid" market segment and not "badgey" enough for the status-seekers. It is a geek car, and the world is full of so many boring cars and UV's these days that one wonders where the car guys like me are. I cried when Pontiac was axed. I cried when the GTO was discontinued and the G8 GT was discontinued, both flawless cars, mechanically. But the venerable G8 has nearly 200,000 and the wife thinks 10 years is long enough to keep it. The Stinger hit just at the right time for me and it's a driver's car. The wife can toodle around in Eco mode with the groceries, but I drive on trips.

The question is, whether the upscale snobs will even look at what Kia is doing. Perhaps when they get their doors blown off they will pay closer attention? Dunno. It is a risk, but Kia needs to shed its econobox reputation without eliminating the cars that got it to the top of the J.D. Powers ratings. Maybe a separate performance division like Genesis for Hyundai? I hope it works for them.

 

[MarkyMark]

Yes, it will be interesting to see how well the Stinger sells. It is a bit pricey for the "kid" market segment and not "badgey" enough for the status-seekers. It is a geek car, and the world is full of so many boring cars and UV's these days that one wonders where the car guys like me are. I cried when Pontiac was axed. I cried when the GTO was discontinued and the G8 GT was discontinued, both flawless cars, mechanically. But the venerable G8 has nearly 200,000 and the wife thinks 10 years is long enough to keep it. The Stinger hit just at the right time for me and it's a driver's car. The wife can toodle around in Eco mode with the groceries, but I drive on trips.

The question is, whether the upscale snobs will even look at what Kia is doing. Perhaps when they get their doors blown off they will pay closer attention? Dunno. It is a risk, but Kia needs to shed its econobox reputation without eliminating the cars that got it to the top of the J.D. Powers ratings. Maybe a separate performance division like Genesis for Hyundai? I hope it works for them.

Pontiac had a FEW great cars for enthusiasts. The G8 was one of them. Alas, it hit when gas prices where cresting towards $4 a gallon and it's mileage was horrible. Some odd Holden issues (power seats were where?...), but a great car none-the-less. Just bad timing. GTO another solid example. But most of Pontiac? G6? Grand Am? These were Chevy vehicles with more plastic ground effects and more bad plastics on the interior that were "exciting!" Uh, no, they were tacky versions of Chevy.

Instead, I purchased a 2002 Old Alero. The same as a Pontiac Grand Am, just more quiet and refined. AKA less plastic. Both divisions died on a vine as did Saturn, and now Buick takes on the Euro vehicles... Well now? Who knows, since GM sold off Opel. Hmmm...

The key to the Stinger is, again I'm a broken record, it's focused. It's that GTO or the SS done right. Not much in terms of "shared" rather designed and built for this car - focus. And that shows through so amazingly well.