New Forbes Article - Stinger vs performance Icons

[westcoastGT]

Kia Is Happy To Compare Stinger, A Value Play, With Performance Icons

 

[MerlintheMad]

"The muscular-looking performer wields a 3.3-liter twin-turbo engine that generates 365 horsepower, an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, Brembo high-performance brakes, head's up display, 19-inch wheels and all-wheel-drive in a $39,000 package that also is just capacious enough in the rear to fit a huge lawn mower on its way to repair."

Where is this $39K GT2?!

 

[Waynerm002]

Merlin, they never said it was a GT2 but remember that's where a GT starts.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Merlin, they never said it was a GT2 but remember that's where a GT starts.

The heads up display is only on a GT2. And AWD adds $2,200 to the price tag. So conflating those features into "$39K" is lazy wordsmithing and not true either.

 

[Metalmania82]

19's only come on the GT2 if I'm not mistaken

 

[MerlintheMad]

19's only come on the GT2 if I'm not mistaken

You are blessedly mistaken! GTs, all three trims, come with either A/S 18s (although I have read on here about a singular case of a brand new car having 18s and square setup with Michelin UHP summer tires; but I bet that car still only goes 140 MPH tops), or 19s with Michelin UHP summer tires. The rims are the "GT rim" and look the same to the eye, whether 18" or 19".

 

[Waynerm002]

You know most press folks don’t get their info correct and like to state the lowest price for stuff and not explain the car they have is actually the top version. Also, in their minds, that’s probably an easier number for folks to digest. All GTs can have 19” wheels in RWD guise, on the AWD it come standard with the 19” Summer tires or you can get the All Season options that comes with 18” wheel/tire combo.

 

[CaliSting]

Sounds like someone on Kia payroll. 1600 units a month? Dream on more like 1100 a month now in US. Stinger sales fading quickly. Not sign of a winner. BMW 4 Series sold almost 3000 in US. Novelty of the fancy Kia has worn off. I give Stinger another year before it goes on life support.

 

[nhcowboy28]

Sounds like someone on Kia payroll. 1600 units a month? Dream on more like 1100 a month now in US. Stinger sales fading quickly. Not sign of a winner. BMW 4 Series sold almost 3000 in US. Novelty of the fancy Kia has worn off. I give Stinger another year before it goes on life support.

Need a hug or something?

 

[MerlintheMad]

Novelty of the fancy Kia has worn off.

Sure could fool me, and all the newbies posting here every day with rapt delight in their new rides. I think it's still just gearing up.

I just returned with my wife from a friend's wedding. And as I was pulling out of the parking lot onto a busy highway, my wife asked: "What was your favorite part?" And I gunned it up and over the hill. "That was," I said. "I mean the wedding," she said needlessly. At the next light I had pole position and put it into manual gate. The road before me was open. But I enjoyed the climbing roar of the engine so much that I didn't shift out of second soon enough and redlined it and it *upshifted* "for me". Was fun anyway. "Did you keep it under fifty-five?" she asked. "For a second there I was going a bit faster," I said. And the fun goes on, on a daily basis, like that ...

(edit: oops, *downshifted*, nope, that would be stupid of the thang; this has occurred before when I manage to get into the redline area; the nanny takes control and upshifts for me. Heh. I've got to not do this anymore.)

 

[CaliSting]

Sure could fool me, and all the newbies posting here every day with rapt delight in their new rides. I think it's still just gearing up.

I just returned with my wife from a friend's wedding. And as I was pulling out of the parking lot onto a busy highway, my wife asked: "What was your favorite part?" And I gunned it up and over the hill. "That was," I said. "I mean the wedding," she said needlessly. At the next light I had pole position and put it into manual gate. The road before me was open. But I enjoyed the climbing roar of the engine so much that I didn't shift out of second soon enough and redlined it and it downshifted "for me". Was fun anyway. "Did you keep it under fifty-five?" she asked. "For a second there I was going a bit faster," I said. And the fun goes on, on a daily basis, like that ...

I know youre a senior citizen Stinger fanboi. But there aren’t many of you and me. Don’t let my sarcasm or complaints fool you ...I love the car . But I’m also a realist. Stinger is dying. I don’t think Kia will try to revive it. Steady monthly sales declines in US for past 7 months is not sign of a “hit”. When it dips below 1000 units a month it becomes a marketing unicorn.

Funniest thing ever. I just for fun asked what dealer would offer me as trade in on another Kia. My 8 month old 13k mile fully loaded GT2 in perfect condition . $32K. Lol! TELLS ME THEY ARE HEAVILY DISCOUNTING Stingers just to move them off lots now. So glad I negotiated hard into mid 40s . I’d be bummed if I had paid $51k MSRP

 

[GRStinger]

I know youre a senior citizen Stinger fanboi. But there aren’t many of you and me. Don’t let my sarcasm or complaints fool you ...I love the car . But I’m also a realist. Stinger is dying. I don’t think Kia will try to revive it. Steady monthly sales declines in US for past 7 months is not sign of a “hit”. When it dips below 1000 units a month it becomes a marketing unicorn.

Funniest thing ever. I just for fun asked what dealer would offer me as trade in on another Kia. My 8 month old 13k mile fully loaded GT2 in perfect condition . $32K. Lol! TELLS ME THEY ARE HEAVILY DISCOUNTING Stingers just to move them off lots now. So glad I negotiated hard into mid 40s . I’d be bummed if I had paid $51k MSRP

Avg. 1400/month thru November. http://carsalesbase.com/us-car-sales-data/kia/kia-stinger/
I read earlier this year - can't remember where - that Kia hoped to sell 15000 in US for 2018, so they'll hit that.
Would anyone expect that in year-one of the model that the KIA Stinger would outsell a comparable BMW - with 100 years of luxury/sport auto heritage, market-segment presence, and brand panache? Kia is making a purposeful effort to change brand perception. Kia made the Stinger as their 'halo car'. (Presumably hoping it will help them sell x% more Optima's and Souls, as much as selling x # of Stingers). Based on virtually all indications from 'the car world' they've been successful.
It will take a long time. I'm old enough to remember the howls of laughter at the first "CARS from HONDA?!?" or "a PICKUP from DATSUN?!?" Recall how the RX-7 started people noticing Mazda (I owned that 'halo car' too). The Stinger as we know it now will not be "popular" (personally I'm fine with that)...because right now 1) SUV's are killing sedans and 2) the collective competition in this segment is overwhelming. (As great of a value as the Stinger is, I think it would have been smarter to find a way to cut $5k-$10 off the MSRP across trims, rather than walking up to the 3 thousand-pound-gorilla's and slapping them in the face.)
But Kia hit a home run with the Stinger. They're behind but it's a long game, and I'd expect that they will continue swinging. (How's that for a metaphor?! )

 

[MerlintheMad]

Stinger is dying. I don’t think Kia will try to revive it. Steady monthly sales declines in US for past 7 months is not sign of a “hit”. When it dips below 1000 units a month it becomes a marketing unicorn.

Very premature of you, Cali. I think sales are fine for a first year. We see a slow, steady decline: to what level? We don't know yet. Sales may stabilize at or above a thousand a month. This isn't a popular segment of the automobile spectrum to begin with. We are talking relatively small sales volume at the best of times. Optimas sell five to ten times more than Stingers per month. Kia wasn't producing a big seller: they have created an attention getter, a game changer, a reputation enhancer. Watch and wait.

 

[CaliSting]

Well some creative intreputations of average sales for sure. Declining sales are declining sales in my book. For perspective Dodge Challenger/Charger sell over 10,000 units a month. BMW 3/4 Series sell 6000 units a month. With November Stinger sales plummeting to 1173 from a high of 1700 units ....and with 7 consecutive down months I’d expect Stinger sales trend to dip below 1000 December and 900 January. Not exactly numbers to justify investment in new gen Stinger . So Kia bean counters are likely to cancel this car next or following year.

 

[CaliSting]

Halo car is something that is thrown around pretty loosely and I don’t see Stinger in general as a good Halo car. Honestly Stinger reminds me of my past 2006 MazdaSpeed 6 GT. The MazdaSpeed 6 was odd car too and died at Mazda same way Stinger appears to be. But thinking back surprising how similar Stinger experience has been to MazdaSpeed 6. Also reminds me of Subaru SVX in 1990s. I’d argue BMW M cars, Audi S series, Mercedes AMG, Porsche GT cars, Dodge SRT, Ford Mustang GT 500, Chevy Z series, Cadillac V Spec are true halo cars. I’d prefer anyone of those halo cars over Stinger GT and I don’t believe I’m the only one who thinks this way. It’s just that my fully loaded Stinger GT2 at heavy discount was $20 K plus less than most of these Halo cars and it was unknown oddball that not many had seen. I bought car more as a novelty than on its true merits.

If Stinger was true Halo car it would draw people to showrooms, people would dream about it. While it’s a cool quirky car I don’t think most people even know this car exists. Which is kind of pathetic given Kia bought huge dollar ads on super bowl Sunday.

I’m not as emotionally attached to my purchase as many on this forum. I love the militancy from some who are clearly trying to convince themselves Stinger is second coming of car world. I see Stinger as well designed yet quirky car. It’s too sporty for most sedan buyers but not sporty enough for halo car buying crowd.

I’d argue Soul is more of a Halo car than Stinger. Bringing young buyers in and introducing them to Kia brand. Stinger is sort of quirky test by Kia. I love it but no denying it’s a bit of an odd duck with a fairly predictable ending.

 

[CaliSting]

The heads up display is only on a GT2. And AWD adds $2,200 to the price tag. So conflating those features into "$39K" is lazy wordsmithing and not true either.

Hey I have a $32k 2018 GT2 according to my Kia dealer. I bought my fully loaded gt2 for mid 45k out the door 8 months ago so perhaps a good negotiator could find a $39k GT2. Lol

Does make me thing Stinger is going to be used car bargain of the world soon. $20k GT is probably not too far away.

 

[CaliSting]

But Kia hit a home run with the Stinger. They're behind but it's a long game, and I'd expect that they will continue swinging. (How's that for a metaphor?! )

I’d call Stinger more of a bunt with a forced out on second base rather than home run.

 

[westcoastGT]

I’d call Stinger more of a bunt with a forced out on second base rather than home run.

Yo Cali Boy ...........................we have a new avatar for you........................ now go to your room and let the adults talk ..............................

 

[Peeso33]

Hey I have a $32k 2018 GT2 according to my Kia dealer. I bought my fully loaded gt2 for mid 45k out the door 8 months ago so perhaps a good negotiator could find a $39k GT2. Lol

Does make me thing Stinger is going to be used car bargain of the world soon. $20k GT is probably not too far away.

-You got a good price 8 months ago. A 2018 GT2 for $45,000 out the door. So that's $41,000 plus TTL in california.
-According to Kelly Blue Book, 2018 GT2 with 13,000mile is worth an average of $36,000 if your trade it in, or $38,637 if you sell it yourself. The dealer is low balling the trade in value with that magical $32,000. Most would agree we take KBB's word over that of a local dealer's. 2018 Kia Stinger GT2 Sedan 4D Trade In Values | Kelley Blue Book
-According to KBB, your stinger depreciated between $2313-$5000 depending on if you trade (selling it to carmax) or sell it yourself, which is the same as 6-12% of your purchase price. Average depreciation rate of new car during first year is anywhere between 10-19%. Depreciation Infographic: How Fast Does My New Car Lose Value? on Edmunds.com

I believe we're all here willingly in joining Kia in this experiment. First year models will have problem, sometimes huge problems, but this is true with any make or model. You're right, Stinger may survive, it may not. Either way I hope Kia steps up and treats you right, otherwise I'm sure many other Stinger owners like myself will make the Stinger my first, only, and last Kia ever.

 

[Kamauxx]

Kia bean counters are likely to cancel this car next or following year.

Kia bean counters shipped a new generation of K900 even though dealerships in the US still had brand new 2016s on their lot.

Don't overestimate their levels of common sense.

...in all seriousness Kia has a huge market OUTSIDE of the US. US sales don't matter as much to them as you seem to think.