4 vs. 6 test drive impressions

[Euljiro1ga]

I wondered how KIA surmised the 60-40 split between the 2.0 and 3.3 prior to launching in the US. It appears the Korean markets early adoption of the 3.3 lead to this conclusion.

The button issue has been addressed in the US launch, although the turn indicator failed to deactivate a couple of times during my testing which was disconcerting.

I hear what you say about the piano black being more in character with the interior. I also agree about the TFT screen in the cluster being a nice feature.

Surprised me that all Korean trims look the same. I'm thinking the GT would look good with darker 19 rims and some tinted windows. Maybe a cultural thing as US car manufactures basically just tweaked the exterior for decades and called it good, so the market here expects it. Much smarter now to focus on the interior, comfort and tech.

The GT2 seem to be doing really well. I offered 49.5 today for the grey one with red interior but I knew they would not bite as it won't last thru the weekend. The GT loses the power adjust on the steering wheel which I would miss. By the time the Super Bowl rolls around in early February it should be easier to deal. I hope its a hit.

The color my wife liked was the dark blue from the tester being shipped back to Korea. Oh well. I like the sparkly flakes in the blue and black, as the grey seemed tough but dull. White is nice, but I've got a white car now.

Its neat to think that the Stinger has a beast-mode just waiting to be unleased.

Coming from a white car, this deep chroma blue is absolutely gorgeous in my eyes. Very happy with the color choice I made.

If you are sharing the driving with your wife (like I do), having the memory seats and the streeing wheel function is such a time saver, it's a small thing but makes owning and driving the car so much better.

Talking about tech... no Android Auto in Korea... wtf right?

The sedan market is still very dominant in Korea, most families still look to sedans rather than the SUV - with all domestic models offering FRW cars, the stinger is the very first RWD car that appeals to families. Therefore, those who want to get a premium sedan all have to go with a BMW and the like. Then, those who are in the market for a premium sedan can afford (or willing to pay for) a BMW (be it entry level) anyway - so paying the same amount for the 3.3TT stinger makes a lot of sense for those people. More power, relatively competitive built quality and much cheaper costs of ownership. I think that's why the 3.3TT has been the better seller than anticipated.

In the US it seems, those who are interested in buying a sedan would likely to gravitate towards a 'sporty' or a 'performance' one, where anyone looking for a more practical car would go for an SUV and not the 2.0T - I think the 3.3TT may sell better than expected in the US as well.

I hope it all works out for you. Stinger is surely a nice car.

 

[Euljiro1ga]

From reading the discussion, I can see that it's very difficult to compare the stinger with the competition.

There seems to be a group of people coming from performance-orientated cars like BMWs, Audis, Lexus looking at the 3.3TT stingers. Probably with the mindset of getting a good value for a premium car.

Then, there are people looking at the 2.0T stinger, and trying to justify if it's worth paying extra over something like the Optima, Malibu, etc.

Sadly, we all cross-reading the impressions of the 3.3TT guys and some of the 2.0T guys - it confused the heck out of me. anyone else feels confused?

 

[ballistic]

From reading the discussion, I can see that it's very difficult to compare the stinger with the competition.

There seems to be a group of people coming from performance-orientated cars like BMWs, Audis, Lexus looking at the 3.3TT stingers. Probably with the mindset of getting a good value for a premium car.

Then, there are people looking at the 2.0T stinger, and trying to justify if it's worth paying extra over something like the Optima, Malibu, etc.

Sadly, we all cross-reading the impressions of the 3.3TT guys and some of the 2.0T guys - it confused the heck out of me. anyone else feels confused?

nobody should be comparing the 2.0 stinger to the optima or malibu. the buick regal is a proper competitor. don't worry about people making these crazy comparisons. audi a5 sportback. bmw 430i gran coupe. those are competitors for the 2.0 stinger.

 

[STNGRNV]

From reading the discussion, I can see that it's very difficult to compare the stinger with the competition.

There seems to be a group of people coming from performance-orientated cars like BMWs, Audis, Lexus looking at the 3.3TT stingers. Probably with the mindset of getting a good value for a premium car.

Then, there are people looking at the 2.0T stinger, and trying to justify if it's worth paying extra over something like the Optima, Malibu, etc.

Sadly, we all cross-reading the impressions of the 3.3TT guys and some of the 2.0T guys - it confused the heck out of me. anyone else feels confused?

There are definitely different groups of driver. I'm one of the "I don't like SUVS, but don't want a boring sedan crowd" who is choosing between a Stinger 2.0 and an Accord (or Regal Sportback). I don't care how fast a car goes (because I drive the speed limit anyway). I have no idea what vectoring is (I need a car dictionary or something). It's nice to have it for hills and such, but most of the performance talk is lost on me.

 

[ballistic]

There are definitely different groups of driver. I'm one of the "I don't like SUVS, but don't want a boring sedan crowd" who is choosing between a Stinger 2.0 and an Accord (or Regal Sportback). I don't care how fast a car goes (because I drive the speed limit anyway). I have no idea what vectoring is (I need a car dictionary or something). It's nice to have it for hills and such, but most of the performance talk is lost on me.

all three are good choices but there's a big quality difference with the accord. you may not always appreciate it but if you're cruising home from a family outing and your wife or kids are sleeping, the accord sounds like there's a tornado right outside. the buick and kia are quiet. both the buick and kia will save your life easier if you need to quickly dart away from a car speeding through a red light at an intersection. it's not all about performance. the accord is in a league of its own. below the stinger and regal.

 

[STNGRNV]

all three are good choices but there's a big quality difference with the accord. you may not always appreciate it but if you're cruising home from a family outing and your wife or kids are sleeping, the accord sounds like there's a tornado right outside. the buick and kia are quiet. both the buick and kia will save your life easier if you need to quickly dart away from a car speeding through a red light at an intersection. it's not all about performance. the accord is in a league of its own. below the stinger and regal.

Thanks for the advice. Honestly, my car is 20 years old so everything would be substantial upgrade. I haven't test driven anything. Still waiting for some Stingers to get my city. It's my first choice (and an easy one if the price is right).

 

[Kia Stinger]

Thanks for the advice. Honestly, my car is 20 years old so everything would be substantial upgrade. I haven't test driven anything. Still waiting for some Stingers to get my city. It's my first choice (and an easy one if the price is right).

the regal is a good fallback for the stinger. the accord is pretty quick with its turbo 4. it's an impressive car all around. all your choices are good but different so be sure to test drive a few before you make a decision.

 

[STNGRNV]

the regal is a good fallback for the stinger. the accord is pretty quick with its turbo 4. it's an impressive car all around. all your choices are good but different so be sure to test drive a few before you make a decision.

It will all come down to the price of the Stinger. I won't go above MSRP. The dealer emailed me today and told me he hasn't forgotten about me and they're still waiting on Stingers. I like most things about the Buick better except the looks. It's not ugly, but it's the least attractive out of the three (at least on a computer screen).

 

[ballistic]

i agree, the stinger and accord look better than the buick. the buick is just more laid back. not bad looking. send a few local dealers an email, cc them all on the same message and tell them all to get in touch with you when they're ready to sell a stinger at msrp or better.