Anybody coming from BMW 5 or 7 series?

[Transylvan]

Hi. I have been following Stinger for a year now. Read and watched pretty much every YT video and review out there. I also "analyzed" this forum (great btw!) to understand what is the frequency of various issues this car can have (road noise, body roll, drive comfort, getting in/out of the car etc). I am coming from BMW which I've driven for the past 7 years (528 & 740i). I am a bit tired of the problems they both are having (google "drivetrain malfunction") but in all honesty I love the ride. I am seriously considering a Stinger and I got some offers in SoCal for 2.0 Premium and GT at about 4.5-5k under MSRP. I know a 20 min testdrive is way too short to realize what will become later the little things that can drive u crazy. So I am asking anybody coming from potentially the 2 cars mentioned above, how does Stinger compare in ride quality. I enjoy driving a lot, and I like "sporty" but only to a point... I appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Never thought]

Hi. I have been following Stinger for a year now. Read and watched pretty much every YT video and review out there. I also "analyzed" this forum (great btw!) to understand what is the frequency of various issues this car can have (road noise, body roll, drive comfort, getting in/out of the car etc). I am coming from BMW which I've driven for the past 7 years (528 & 740i). I am a bit tired of the problems they both are having (google "drivetrain malfunction") but in all honesty I love the ride. I am seriously considering a Stinger and I got some offers in SoCal for 2.0 Premium and GT at about 4.5-5k under MSRP. I know a 20 min testdrive is way too short to realize what will become later the little things that can drive u crazy. So I am asking anybody coming from potentially the 2 cars mentioned above, how does Stinger compare in ride quality. I enjoy driving a lot, and I like "sporty" but only to a point... I appreciate your thoughts.

I am not coming from a BMW but I do wish the ride of the GT was a tad bit softer but it’s definitely not punishing. Very comfortable seats. People have actually reported that the ride improved after doing Eibach lowering springs. But so far the only real issue I’ve had was with paint.

 

[Waynerm002]

Not coming directly from BMW for the Stinger, but I had an ‘09 535 M-Sport that I traded in for an Optima in 2012 and have been with KIA since. The first Stinger I drove was the base GT and it was quite reminiscent of that car in how it felt and handled. I ended up driving the GT2 with the electronically controlled suspension and I feel the Sport mode could use a bit firmer setting however, as is the rear end can do a dance over bumps mid corners when pushed. The Stinger’s ride does feel more BMW like as it was tuned by Albert Biermann, former BMW M Division chief who now works for Hyundai-Kia. The Stinger is a GT car but we like to treat like a sports car. I knew I wanted one since I drove it last year and with the deals they had going on, I was able to score one for $41+k out the door back in August.

I visited the dealer and looked th car over many times, I drove th 2.0T, then GT, then 2.0T and GT2 to make a final decision. I visited different places so I could drive it over different surfaces and types of roads to make sure I was going to like it. My recent change is moving from the Michelin PS 4 tires to Nitto Motivo which are softer and the car feels more comfortable with that change. Sport mode feels a bit better, more like what I think not]r,al should be, still would go for a bit firmer in sport. Got rear sway bar in order to hopefully take care of the rear end dance when cornering at speed and hitting bumps. My advice, spend more time driving the ones you are considering then get one. KIA has a great warranty and works on resolving issues that come up and typically solves them by the next year’s production. You’ll find some things mentioned here, paint issues on some colors, warping rotors, etc., mine has a couple of niggles which are being taken cared of. Still the best deal out there on a great performing sedan.

 

[hummus]

I've had two e39s: 530i sport and 540i6 pre-Vanos, as well as older and newer model A6s (4.2 wide body and 3.0T Prestige). 2,000 miles into my Stinger 2.0T, I'm convinced I've never had a more satisfying car to drive. The ride quality is divine IMO, perfect damping, just sporty enough. Smothers bumps without jumping or shivering, while still having Germanesque body control through curves. The balance is really obvious even when driving normally, and it has the best feeling electric power assisted steering I've ever experienced (granted, I haven't driven modern high-end hardware).

Rarely, some surfaces give a fair amount of road noise, but I find it's not very intrusive from the driver seat; you hear it but I personally don't feel any vibration so it's not fatiguing at all, though those surfaces don't run very long around here before changing back to better pavement.

I don't have anything I'd call an annoyance, but not having backup sensors, the lack of rear visibility has me occasionally backing up very gingerly. Sometimes, the door seals tick a bit for a few minutes when starting out on a a drive, but it goes away quickly in my case. I wish it would remember my driving mode and idle-stop go setting, but that barely registers on the annoyance meter IMO.

Probably the biggest annoyance is the number of people who rev on me .

 

[Deisic]

I’m coming from a 435 x drive and am not in a gt2 AWD. I enjoy driving this car way more. I miss some of the steering feel from the 4 series. But that’s about it.

 

[rocket23]

Always wanted a bmw....m-3 or 3 series until the stinger came along and the wifey gave me the thumbs up......granted all the planets were in alignment.

 

[Darth Stinger]

I’m coming from a Shelby GT350...One of the greatest all around sport/track cars and the best driver’s car I’ve ever owned. Only owned the Stinger a few days and I love how she drives and handles. Love the tech too. The Shelby was bare bones. My only nit so far is limited visibility out the rear windshield but it’s not awful.

 

[Crccobra]

Hi. I have been following Stinger for a year now. Read and watched pretty much every YT video and review out there. I also "analyzed" this forum (great btw!) to understand what is the frequency of various issues this car can have (road noise, body roll, drive comfort, getting in/out of the car etc). I am coming from BMW which I've driven for the past 7 years (528 & 740i). I am a bit tired of the problems they both are having (google "drivetrain malfunction") but in all honesty I love the ride. I am seriously considering a Stinger and I got some offers in SoCal for 2.0 Premium and GT at about 4.5-5k under MSRP. I know a 20 min testdrive is way too short to realize what will become later the little things that can drive u crazy. So I am asking anybody coming from potentially the 2 cars mentioned above, how does Stinger compare in ride quality. I enjoy driving a lot, and I like "sporty" but only to a point... I appreciate your thoughts.

in I

 

[rocket23]

imo that rear window is negligible you use the front one anyways........

 

[Deisic]

oh right forgot about that rear visibility, it does suck. but i am starting to get used to it.

 

[NYLAWBIZ]

Replaced my 2013 5 series. No regrets - not for a minute.

 

[westcoastGT]

Have owned several BMWs , 3, 5s , a 6 cabriolet , a 550 GT ( which is a 7 with a hatch back ) and some X5s and an X6..............dont miss the reliability issues , they all drove great though , I would say the GTs are very similar to the 6 series in ride and handling , pretty close in size as well ( wheel base and interior vs 6 GC ) I dont think you'll miss the BMW , I would wait for a MY19 though , they'll have a few of the kinks worked out ....................

 

[Ucinn]

I have a mustang convertible and the rear window is no worse or better than it, so I was already used to having a limited rear view .

 

[Crccobra]

I traded in my 2009 BMW M6, convertible for my GT2. I had my six for about 4 years and loved it but repairs get of hand. I put over 15 grand in repairs over that 4 years with an average mpg of 11.4.
Before the six I had a supercharged Shelby GTH a Shelby GT 500 and several other American muscle cars. I have a 1981 DeLorean with only 17,000 miles on in but engine froze up otherwise in great shape, new breaks, clutch and fuel system. Anyone want to buy it?
Anyway I love my GT2 along with the 20 year 200,000 mile warranty that came with the car.
I plan to do some bolt ons to get more power but now its a pleasure to drive. Its q amazing car at a good value. Im having fun telling people about the car as many ask about it.

 

[jaccfrost]

Formally drove an S-Class and am currently splitting driving time between The Stinger GT2 and ‘11 SL550. Before upgrading to Eibach sway bars to The Stinger, everything said about the car going through curves is confirmed and was my main ding on the car. Now, the handling is what it should’ve been leaving the factory just awesome. I’ve never owned a BMW but if this is a reincarnated BMW, I’m totally satisfied.
People are sleeping on this car

 

[Doel]

My last car was a 2016 Nissan Maxima and my car before that was a 2007 BMW 330xi. The Stinger completely blows both cars out of the water in every respect. That was a 9 year old BMW though so it really isn't a fair comparison.

 

[John Strednansky]

I had a 2013 535xi that I did European delivery for. Loved the car, BUT and yes it's a big BUT, too may issues over my 3 year lease including a vibrating steering wheel at stop (in gear at a light for example) that they could not fix even after replacing the engine mounts. Plus a faulty transmission that left me stranded on the road in year 2... not counting all the little computer glitches. As much as this was indeed my dream car, will be hard ever going back to a beamer after this experience. Gotta say, the dealer experience and the European experience were excellent. Followed up with a Lexus 350 GS F-Sport, total opposite as far as readability but a very boring car. Now with my GT2, I hope I have the best of two worlds...

 

[Doel]

I had a 2013 535xi that I did European delivery for. Loved the car, BUT and yes it's a big BUT, too may issues over my 3 year lease including a vibrating steering wheel at stop (in gear at a light for example) that they could not fix even after replacing the engine mounts. Plus a faulty transmission that left me stranded on the road in year 2... not counting all the little computer glitches. As much as this was indeed my dream car, will be hard ever going back to a beamer after this experience. Gotta say, the dealer experience and the European experience were excellent. Followed up with a Lexus 350 GS F-Sport, total opposite as far as readability but a very boring car. Now with my GT2, I hope I have the best of two worlds...

I've never understood why Lexus vehicles are so slow for their power output. Is it the transmission maybe?

 

[BobbyGT]

I'm coming from an Audi A6 3.0T quattro. I now have a Stinger GT AWD, almost 2 weeks into it. I enjoy the Stinger GT more than the A6. Both are great cars, the Stinger just beats the A6 in most areas (damping/dynamics are better, braking is better, engine has more punch). The A6 does have a little less road noise, not that it's bad on the Stinger. It is overall a better ride than the A6 was. My two complaints coming from the A6 are that the rear visibility isn't great (the DriveWise package makes up for this somewhat) and that the Stinger's gas tank is too small. Also have to keep in mind the great warranty Kia has vs BMW or Audi. I wouldn't even bother test driving the base Stinger with the 2.0, I did and it's a completely different experience compared to the GT.

 

[Transylvan]

I had a 2013 535xi that I did European delivery for. Loved the car, BUT and yes it's a big BUT, too may issues over my 3 year lease including a vibrating steering wheel at stop (in gear at a light for example) that they could not fix even after replacing the engine mounts. Plus a faulty transmission that left me stranded on the road in year 2... not counting all the little computer glitches. As much as this was indeed my dream car, will be hard ever going back to a beamer after this experience. Gotta say, the dealer experience and the European experience were excellent. Followed up with a Lexus 350 GS F-Sport, total opposite as far as readability but a very boring car. Now with my GT2, I hope I have the best of two worlds...

Same here. Very unlikely to go back to BMW again because of the endless issues that require a continuous outflow of $$$ to make them running, not counting the time wasted at the dealeship.