Is the Drive Wise Package Worth it?

[StungBlueGT2]

Absolutely worth every penny! I really didn’t think I would use most of the features, but now I couldn’t live without them.

The Forward Collision Avoidance has already saved me once when a driver unexpectedly pulled out in from of me! That alone was worth the upgrade, but I also learned to love the smart cruise combined with the active lane assist. On the highway the car basically drives by itself! After customizing the settings it’s unobtrusive and helps a lot more than I ever expected. The blind spot and cross traffic warnings are a must as well, so I can’t think of any feature I’d be willing to give up.

Maybe I got a little spoiled, but it’s nice to finally enjoy the finer things in life.

 

[StingerNYC]

I think it's well worth it. It saved me over the weekend on the golden state parkway. Going 85 and suddenly the traffic over a slight incline was at a dead stop. The car reacted before I did, the tires didnt quite squeal but it was close and if left to me it may have been much worse!

 

[Soca Boy]

I agree with pretty much all of the above that the DriveWise features are worth it. However there are two points previously not mentioned you may want to consider:

• Your auto insurance premium might actually be lower on a vehicle with DriveWise than without. I'm not sure if that's true or not for everyone or with all insurance companies, but for it was in my case.
• I think if the car has AWD & DriveWise, it will come with the rather lousy Bridgestone Potenza RE92AS-02's (might just be these on the 2.0T models, not sure.) I wanted all season tires on mine, but I didn't realize how awful these tires are until it was too late. There are some posts on these forums about them.

Stingers with the DriveWise have a 5 star safety rating and the ones with out are 3 star. Maybe that’s why insurance might be lower with DriveWise. 2K to save your life or others, why not, we are humans and do have our moments.

 

[Stinger305]

Stingers with the DriveWise have a 5 star safety rating and the ones with out are 3 star. Maybe that’s why insurance might be lower with DriveWise. 2K to save your life or others, why not, we are humans and do have our moments.

We're insured with AAA and the only question they asked was whether my car was 4 cylinder or v6. Maybe I dodged a bullet with that one.

 

[Paul32]

We're insured with AAA and the only question they asked was whether my car was 4 cylinder or v6. Maybe I dodged a bullet with that one.

They know all about your car based on the Vin number.

 

[Stinger305]

They know all about your car based on the Vin number.

Then why'd they ask if it was a v6?

 

[Paul32]

Then why'd they ask if it was a v6?

Don't know, but I received all discounts based on the safety features without them asking me if I had the package.

 

[jrhodes87]

Don't know, but I received all discounts based on the safety features without them asking me if I had the package.

From my experience the safety features were not relevant to insurance, I was quoted the same on one with and one without when I was shopping around. Could be specific to company.

 

[Stinger305]

From my experience the safety features were not relevant to insurance, I was quoted the same on one with and one without when I was shopping around. Could be specific to company.

Also, the Stinger has great standard safety features as well. But maybe the Drive Wise package's star rating brings the entire average up and helps everyone. Hey, I'm not complaining!

 

[Paul32]

From my experience the safety features were not relevant to insurance, I was quoted the same on one with and one without when I was shopping around. Could be specific to company.

Think you guys are right, checked my insurance and discounts were for the standard safety features of the Stinger.

 

[eflyguy]

When I filled out the pricing and feature survey for KIA, my mentality was "hell no, I want a pure drivers car."

Having since driven cars with 360º camera, active lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise (with collision avoidance), I am now absolutely sold on them.

 

[Stinger305]

Having since driven cars with 360º camera, active lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise (with collision avoidance), I am now absolutely sold on them.

I can't wait till I can pay Kia to upgrade to a 360º camera. That's technology I can get behind!

 

[TV3]

Absolutely worth every penny! I really didn’t think I would use most of the features, but now I couldn’t live without them.

The Forward Collision Avoidance has already saved me once when a driver unexpectedly pulled out in from of me! That alone was worth the upgrade, but I also learned to love the smart cruise combined with the active lane assist. On the highway the car basically drives by itself! After customizing the settings it’s unobtrusive and helps a lot more than I ever expected. The blind spot and cross traffic warnings are a must as well, so I can’t think of any feature I’d be willing to give up.

Maybe I got a little spoiled, but it’s nice to finally enjoy the finer things in life.

Worth it. I did it and I've never questioned my choice. It's just like having my wife in the car except there are no arguments

 

[MerlintheMad]

On the highway the car basically drives by itself!

Oh, my, goodness! Don't even think that, let alone say it, ever again. They do NOT drive themselves. And if you get lazy with your commitment to engage at least half of your brain power while driving you are going to turn into a flabby and eventually sad driver, if not a crippled or dead one. I'm very exercised about this! "Self-driving" (autopilot) cars are not the wave of the future until every road is standardized material, markers, intersections and etc. And pedestrians, bicyclists, whathaveyou, are banished from interfacing with motorized traffic. The accident that will get you is like the woman a couple of months ago here in Utah, who was looking up "route options" on her cell phone while her Tesla "drove itself". She'd been doing this for TWO YEARS!? She hadn't touched the steering wheel for eighty seconds before her "autopilot" car drove full speed into the rear end of a fire truck waiting at a red light.

I deliberately avoided the "drive wise" package, not to save money per se, but to avoid having all kinds of "nanny" programs aboard. I don't want any of them when I am supposed to be driving. Cars changing lanes in my rear can be scoped with rearview mirrors. You should always be checking your rearview mirrors for moronic motorists. They are literally the ones endangering you more often than any other quadrant: because so many people have their eyes down looking at something besides the road ahead, etc.!

 

[MerlintheMad]

When I filled out the pricing and feature survey for KIA, my mentality was "hell no, I want a pure drivers car."

Having since driven cars with 360º camera, active lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise (with collision avoidance), I am now absolutely sold on them.

If, IF, I had known then what I know now, and 360 degree camera had been available, I'd have bought the drive wise package just for that alone. And I'd now have perfectly pristine wheels instead of three out four with curb rash. Grrr! That camera technology is amazing. I'd only use it when parking, not when driving: well, I say this in ignorance: it might be useful when driving too. But it would be the parking assist that I'd get if for.

 

[StingerGT68]

I deliberately avoided the "drive wise" package, not to save money per se, but to avoid having all kinds of "nanny" programs aboard. I don't want any of them when I am supposed to be driving. Cars changing lanes in my rear can be scoped with rearview mirrors. You should always be checking your rearview mirrors for moronic motorists. They are literally the ones endangering you more often than any other quadrant: because so many people have their eyes down looking at something besides the road ahead, etc.!

You're missing out, it's a fantastic system and all the nanny programs can be turned off. Use only what you want.

 

[MerlintheMad]

You're missing out, it's a fantastic system and all the nanny programs can be turned off. Use only what you want.

But I don't want any of that; only the 360 degree camera. And we can't have one.

 

[StingerGT68]

But I don't want any of that; only the 360 degree camera. And we can't have one.

As others here have said, you don't know you want it until you've had it.

 

[MerlintheMad]

As others here have said, you don't know you want it until you've had it.

That is certainly true. Before this car, I didn't know that I "wanted" a luxury sport sedan. I read about it all last winter. Now it is an intimate part of my daily thoughts and activities. And when I drive, my imagination is engaged in ways utterly foreign to the "old me". But, BUT, "drives itself"??? No, freaking, way, not now, not ever. Nannies are fine. Imagining that this or any car "practically drives itself" is scary laziness to the max!

 

[Jonathan]

Its worth it. Blind spot monitoring works with the HUD as well -the BSM logo appears on each side.
The forward collision sensitivity can be turned down.
As a daily going through the Dallas highways, it nice to have due to other horrible drivers on the road.