Kia stinger?

[Albertaoil]

I can't belive I'm the first guy to pose this question? ( or I'm bad at searching!), but it looks like on paper the Kia is better! Sacrilege I know but you can't ignore the facts.
What does everyone think?
I'm personally going to test drive one soon. I've only had a 2012 stage 1 S4 but I'm still curious how it will feel performance wise and feature wise

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[Audibot]

One thing for sure is Audi underrates its engines.

Other than that, I'm kinda interested in it as well.

[4ringnut]

Better? Sit in one and you’ll quickly answer your own question.

[dbuxton13]

Me: Hey, guys, check out my awesome new whip! It's got HP!
Friends: Is... is that a Kia?
Me: Yeah, it's the fastest car they have ever made!
Friends: But... it's a Kia.

I feel the same way about a Hyundai. They keep getting better, but the brands are just too off-putting, and not anywhere on par with Audi's interior and build quality. Not to mention no Quattro!

[Jezza]

My opinion is that Hyundai and Kia over rate their engines performance figures. As a result, the cars are much slower in the real world. My last car was a Hyundai Genesis coupe 3.8. Its supposed to have 306hp, so it should be a lot faster than current car, A5 2.0t. Maybe it is, I've never taken either to a dragstrip, but I do know which one feels faster after a tune. I also was never able to get a 0-60 under 6 seconds in the Genesis. The Hyundai also didn't handle as well, and it produced a crazy amount of lift above 100mph. As in, the steering went numb and it skitted all over the place. The Stinger will probably be better than the Genesis Coupe, but I think you would soon be very disappointed if you traded your car in for one.

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[ECS Tuning-Audi]

If they'd let you order Micro Blue with Red Nappa I might think about one for the wifey. It's not a bad looking car at all (admittedly I like the lines), but let wait for it to be a few years old and we'll see how the build quality holds up.

-James

[DTP1980]

One thing for sure is Audi underrates its engines.

Other than that, I'm kinda interested in it as well.

Had mine dyno’d recently. It made exactly what Audi state at the crank. Has 5000 miles on it.

And I will certainly be taking the Kia for a drive. I am not a brand snob and will judge by my own experiences not everyone else’s ignorance and conjecture.

[Albertaoil]

Me: Hey, guys, check out my awesome new whip! It's got HP!
Friends: Is... is that a Kia?
Me: Yeah, it's the fastest car they have ever made!
Friends: But... it's a Kia.

I feel the same way about a Hyundai. They keep getting better, but the brands are just too off-putting, and not anywhere on par with Audi's interior and build quality. Not to mention no Quattro!

I could care less about kia's "fastest car they have ever made" but what interest me is the bang for the buck compared to what's currently offered by the competition.

I also think these two Korean auto makers entering this market will push the 3 Germans to put out better alternatives, all be it a lot more spendy.



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[dbuxton13]

With a base price of $32K, you get what you pay for. If the goal is HP and acceleration on a budget, with drawbacks in other categories, then by all means the Kia is for those people. But comparing the Stinger to an S4 is pretty much apples and oranges. As for the design, I can't personally get past the front end, but the side profile does look pretty good. I don't believe this car truly provides significant competition to the Germans brands.

[LINDW4LL]

Threads like these make me accept that I'm a German snob. I couldn't care less how others perceive me or my car, but I simply just can't get excited (at the moment) about anything made by Kia.

--
Trying to be objective, I find the Stinger to be okay looking but not great. The RWD version is faster than a B9 S5 Sportback per Car and Driver tests, though.

Stinger GT RWD

CURB WEIGHT: 4004 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.4 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 10.6 sec
Zero to 140 mph: 22.4 sec
Rolling start, 5-60 mph: 5.0 sec
Top gear, 30-50 mph: 2.5 sec
Top gear, 50-70 mph: 3.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.9 sec @ 111 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 156 ft

S5 Sportback

CURB WEIGHT: 4017 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.3 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 10.9 sec
Rolling start, 5-60 mph: 5.8 sec
Top gear, 30-50 mph: 3.4 sec
Top gear, 50-70 mph: 3.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.9 sec @ 108 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 158 ft

[cdigiovanni]

Kia build quality compared to German. .....I don't think so... lipstick on a pig is still a pig

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[HurrayFive]

While I personally think the front end is atrocious, the rest of the car isn't bad. I also don't think it will ever compete with German (and especially Audi) interior quality, fit and finish, but you can't argue the early performance tests of the RWD version. They also offer it in AWD (though performance testing shows it to be slower) if you need all weather traction.

It's not a fit for me, but I hope it's a blazing success if only because cars like this force the rest of the competition to up their game, which makes the rest of the market better.

[Albertaoil]

While I personally think the front end is atrocious, the rest of the car isn't bad. I also don't think it will ever compete with German (and especially Audi) interior quality, fit and finish, but you can't argue the early performance tests of the RWD version. They also offer it in AWD (though performance testing shows it to be slower) if you need all weather traction.

It's not a fit for me, but I hope it's a blazing success if only because cars like this force the rest of the competition to up their game, which makes the rest of the market better.

Couldn't agree more.

I'm not brand loyal so for me, I try all the offerings before I buy.

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[danaeroS4]

The only thing I’m jealous about the Kia stinger is it has a flat bottom “heated” steering wheel lol


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[GSS5]

Not sure how people reference build quality as a detriment to the Stinger without having spent significant time with one. These aren't the Hyundai/Kias of last decade or even five years ago. Over the last couple years these guys have poached designers, engineers and all sorts of experts from the best of the best in the industry. They're serious about breaking through that Korean car stigma and every new car they come out with is leaps and bounds over its predecessor. I can't say the same for Audi.

[Lord Dragon]

Ballin on a budget😂😂

[HurrayFive]

Not sure how people reference build quality as a detriment to the Stinger without having spent significant time with one. These aren't the Hyundai/Kias of last decade or even five years ago. Over the last couple years these guys have poached designers, engineers and all sorts of experts from the best of the best in the industry. They're serious about breaking through that Korean car stigma and every new car they come out with is leaps and bounds over its predecessor. I can't say the same for Audi.

While this is true, it's also a lot easier to accomplish when the previous generations each look successively more and more like turds. In general Audi has been consistently ranked at the top for interior fit, finish, and overall build quality for over a decade now, and is the guiding line for a large portion of the industry. Even today, sitting in my S4 back to back to back with an M3 and a C43, the S4 still wins easily here, the little touches and overall feel are just a notch above, and something that every magazine/blog always says the same about.

That said, and as mentioned already, I still hope the Kia sells enough to force some shakeup. You're still going to pay a premium for whatever German brand, but if something like Kia comes along and gives you most of the same experience at 60-70% of the price, you've got to do a better job of defining why the premium exists to keep it, which results in better options all around.

[acturater]

While this is true, it's also a lot easier to accomplish when the previous generations each look successively more and more like turds. In general Audi has been consistently ranked at the top for interior fit, finish, and overall build quality for over a decade now, and is the guiding line for a large portion of the industry. Even today, sitting in my S4 back to back to back with an M3 and a C43, the S4 still wins easily here, the little touches and overall feel are just a notch above, and something that every magazine/blog always says the same about.

That said, and as mentioned already, I still hope the Kia sells enough to force some shakeup. You're still going to pay a premium for whatever German brand, but if something like Kia comes along and gives you most of the same experience at 60-70% of the price, you've got to do a better job of defining why the premium exists to keep it, which results in better options all around.

Why are we bringing in to question Kia's past, which has also been pretty spotless lately. They were #1 in JD Power for 2016, and that doesn't happen based on just a few months of history. Once you take that out of the equation, we're comparing 2018 Kia Stinger GT to 2018 Audi A4/A5/S4/S5. Forget the 2000 Kia Sportage.

If you insist on it, Kia has essentially only been in the automobile game since the '80s so we should be comparing the 2018 Kia Stinger GT to maybe 1998 Audi A4. It just doesn't make any sense.

I do agree with you on one point though which is I also hope they hit this one out of the park. It can only help to improve competition and value for the consumer, whether or not you end up with keys to the Kia.

[LINDW4LL]

Why are we bringing in to question Kia's past, which has also been pretty spotless lately.

He was simply responding to GSS5's remark that "every new car they come out with is leaps and bounds over its predecessor. I can't say the same for Audi".

Obviously as a product gets better/more refined, improvements will become less dramatic, as the standard is already high. Kia was starting from a pretty low rung (and as you mentioned, is still a relatively young company), so it shouldn't come as any surprise that more improvement is seen from model to model as compared to Audi who has been at the top of the luxury market (fit, finish, build quality) for over a decade.

[OmaHahn]

Had mine dyno’d recently. It made exactly what Audi state at the crank. Has 5000 miles on it.

And I will certainly be taking the Kia for a drive. I am not a brand snob and will judge by my own experiences not everyone else’s ignorance and conjecture.

You musty have a Lemon from Audi! LOL! Kidding aside, It's been proven Audi does in fact really understates the figures! Plenty of YouTube videos to prove this - one that comes to mind is an S8 that was put on a Dyno and the crank HP was way more than Audi claims!

[khj677turbo]

Not sure how people reference build quality as a detriment to the Stinger without having spent significant time with one. These aren't the Hyundai/Kias of last decade or even five years ago. Over the last couple years these guys have poached designers, engineers and all sorts of experts from the best of the best in the industry. They're serious about breaking through that Korean car stigma and every new car they come out with is leaps and bounds over its predecessor. I can't say the same for Audi.

Same could be said about Alfa Romeo now, but they are still struggling to compete with the Germans. Simply, the Germans have been building these cars well, for a long time now. Would make anyone a little gunshy about jumping into unproven territory.

[GSS5]

Same could be said about Alfa Romeo now, but they are still struggling to compete with the Germans. Simply, the Germans have been building these cars well, for a long time now. Would make anyone a little gunshy about jumping into unproven territory.

Alfa Romeo and FCA brands in general just don't seem to want to improve despite all the opportunities they have. Look at any Alfa or Maserati and the first thing you notice is how inconsistent, and mismatched the panels gaps are..and then you have the piss poor quality interiors, horrible reputations for reliability and no real time-proven established presence. It really blows my mind how poorly Alfas and Maseratis are designed and built. It's no wonder they can't compete with the Germans. Meanwhile you have former Lamborghini, Bentley and Audi design chiefs currently on top of the command chain at Kia and Hyundai, so no, I don't think the situation is really comparable.

[Eric_C]

Better? Sit in one and you’ll quickly answer your own question.

I have and it was every bit as nice, including the Nappa leather as my '14 S4 with Nappa. The outside styling needs some work but interior wise it was very impressive.

Kia had the GT2 cars shipped over from Korea and have had them on display. An associate is buying a GT2 which just arrived in the US yesterday and I'll get to drive it on Tuesday.

Do I expect it to be an S4, no, but its also 51K fully loaded with AWD, 14K less than my S4.

[Eric_C]

Better? Sit in one and you’ll quickly answer your own question.

Alfa Romeo and FCA brands in general just don't seem to want to improve despite all the opportunities they have. Look at any Alfa or Maserati and the first thing you notice is how inconsistent, and mismatched the panels gaps are..and then you have the piss poor quality interiors, horrible reputations for reliability and no real time-proven established presence. It really blows my mind how poorly Alfas and Maseratis are designed and built. It's no wonder they can't compete with the Germans. Meanwhile you have former Lamborghini, Bentley and Audi design chiefs currently on top of the command chain at Kia and Hyundai, so no, I don't think the situation is really comparable.

Got one of those too.

Our Giulia Ti has decent interior quality. Leather on the seating is not as nice as our S4 was but the doors and full dash are wrapped.

From a handling and steering standpoint it puts my S4 to shame. It is the most communicative and fun car I've driven even with only 280hp. Supposedly a 350hp AWD version is coming with an electric SC which would be about the perfect car from a drivers standpoint especially for 50K.

There are things I do not like about it. It is hard to describe. Fastest steering on the market, goes right where you point it, has crappy all seasons but provides more grip than cars with summer tires but the bushings are very soft in the front end. It doesn't effect the steering but it does make the brakes feel odd. Lack of initial bite and lot of movement under hard braking but you can carry so much speed that fact is not that apparent.

[snocat17]

Ballin on a budget😂😂

$ave Dat Money

The Stinger does look good for Kia. Their recent models have greatly improved styling. I actually think the Optima is the nicest looking new sedan under $50,000.

[4ringnut]

I have and it was every bit as nice, including the Nappa leather as my '14 S4 with Nappa. The outside styling needs some work but interior wise it was very impressive.

Kia had the GT2 cars shipped over from Korea and have had them on display. An associate is buying a GT2 which just arrived in the US yesterday and I'll get to drive it on Tuesday.

Do I expect it to be an S4, no, but its also 51K fully loaded with AWD, 14K less than my S4.

I would lose sleep at night knowing I just spent $51k on a Kia.


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[callmecue]

Simple for me. Fake hood vents! Pass.

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[jonpark]

My in law has a Stinger in Korea and it is pretty powerful

[klquattro]

I think the tier 2 luxury makers (Acura, Infiniti, etc) should be more concerned with the stinger and Genesis offerings compared to the German 3 and Lexus. We're on an enthusiast website, albeit Audi specific, but I think generally we are more open minded when it comes to other car offerings.

The general car buying public though, if you tell someone they can have a BMW or Audi for the same price as a Kia or a Hyundai, I would wager that 9/10 people are going to go with the car that looks more prestigious, because keeping up with the Jones' still matters to a vast majority of the public.

With that said, improved cars from Kia and Hyundai will not only lead to improvements from higher tier brands, but also their direct competition, VW, Mazda etc. Competition is good, anyway you slice it.

[Sylvania A4]

I would lose sleep at night knowing I just spent $51k on a Kia.


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But you spent over $50k on a Honda...

[4ringnut]

But you spent over $50k on a Honda...

So what you’re saying is, I also spent $60k on a Volkswagen? The Acura is made by Honda, yes. But if you drive one you’ll quickly realize it’s no Honda Pilot. You can make the same comparison with Lexus and Toyota. Let’s face it, the two aren’t the same.

[Sylvania A4]

There a far more commonalities in Japanese auto manufacturers under the same umbrella (Nissan - Infiniti, Toyota - Lexus, Honda - Acura), so to answer your question; no I wouldn't say you spent $60k on a VW. I'm no expert, but I am on the technical side of Automotive OEM. If this car is in the same conversation as an S4 or S5 SB, it's winning. I saw an early release of the Kia, not really something that excited me, but if it checks all the boxes then you can argue that you are essentially buying an 'S' car for 'A' money. Full disclosure, I have spent $60k on a VW and I don't regret it.

[joe biker]

Kia + Hyundai = CRAP
What people never hear about is all
the recalls on those cars.
Having worked for a dealer and going to the parts warehouse you would see for your self.
At the warehouse they leave all the rebuilt transmissions on the loading docks they never see the inside of the
warehouse.
According to Top Gear the best present you can give a Hyundai owner
Is a BMW.
Resale on either brand is


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[snakerb]

Just so you know, Kia is quite high up on the reliability rating, even better than parent Hyundai.
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-...they-stack-up/

Kia + Hyundai = CRAP
What people never hear about is all
the recalls on those cars.
Having worked for a dealer and going to the parts warehouse you would see for your self.
At the warehouse they leave all the rebuilt transmissions on the loading docks they never see the inside of the
warehouse.
According to Top Gear the best present you can give a Hyundai owner
Is a BMW.
Resale on either brand is


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[4ringnut]

Just so you know, Kia is quite high up on the reliability rating, even better than parent Hyundai.
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-...they-stack-up/

https://media.giphy.com/media/ac7MA7r5IMYda/giphy.gif


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[snakerb]

😂😂😂😂 I’m sorry but I’m not brand loyal 🤷*♂️

https://media.giphy.com/media/ac7MA7r5IMYda/giphy.gif


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[joe biker]

I would lose sleep at night knowing I just spent $51k on a Kia.


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If I told my friends that I spent over 50k on a KIA they would have me committed !!!!!



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[vdubjetta02]

Their are some pretty good Stinger RWD reviews on youtube these days.....

However, I still think the Infiniti q50 Redsport is the S4's closest comparison... and with just a full Turboback they make around 500 HP... I've even seen videos of them exceeding 600HP on flexfuel tunes

Better not get too cocky in an S4 rolling up to one.

[VMRWheels]

Playing devil's advocate here...
Spent some time in a Stinger GT and had to say the interior build quality, at least on initial impression, was pretty nice!
Granted, I saw a bunch of copycat queues from Audi in there... and not sure what longevity for this interior would be like.

[plat]

The whole point about the Kia Stinger GT is really to show prospective customers that Kia is good enough to run and go head-to-head with the big boys (Audi A5/S5 Sportback, Porsche Panamera, and BWM 640i Gran Coupe. This is why the official Kia Stinger GlobalPress Launch was done over at the Nurburgring in Germany and you know what that means. "If the Stinger does not have the right fundamentals, the 20.8 km. Nordschleife will tear it apart." Video below:


Randy Probst of Motor Trend had fun with it and he says, 'it rocks for a Kia!" And, he does mention the fact that Kia held the international launch at the Nurburgring. "You know what that means."


From Canada: "This car really has no direct competitors. It is fighting with the Audi A5 sportback and the BMW 440 and so on. Now, its not like those cars. Its got its own attitude. But, considering the value, it's worth trying out. It is not a pure sports car...it is a nice grand tourismo, a touring car. That was the goal and goal achieved." The reviewer owns an Audi A7 and he is impressed with this Kia Stinger and what Kia has done to it. Watch the video:


If Alex of Alex on Autos (one of my favorite car reviewers) likes it so much that he says it's his favorite out of all the cars he's driven and the one he would buy, it must be worth a look and test drive. Video here: