Audi S4 to Stinger GT?

[4wheelpilot]

Just joined your site and looking forward to following the Stinger.
It's a great looking fastback.
I had a 2013 Optima SX and liked it a lot, but the dealerships had some questionable sales tactics.
Since then I picked up a 2014 Audi S4, and have been very impressed with the car and Audi service.

Took an initial walk around a GT2 and a brief test drive.
I'll be going back to spend more time checking it out a taking a longer test drive.

After doing a bit of reading, it seemed a surprise to me that 0-60 and 1/4 mile times have been better in the 2WD. And a comment from the reviewer who concluded that Kia programmed the 4WD more for safe riding rather than performance.
I live in SE Pennsylvania where we get weather of all kinds, so I have been considering the 4WD.
Since I'll need a second set of tires anyway, I may choose the 2WD.
But acceleration and fun to drive between 2WD and 4Wd may change with the tunes that are coming out.

Congrats to all the new Stinger owners! Hope you all have a great experience for many years to come.

 

[iclicku]

Welcome to the forum! Hope you find helpful info you need here to help you in your decision.

 

[SteveCo]

I have the AWD, as that is all they sell in Canada - but I would have purchased it anyway for our climate, even if RWD was available. Handling I think is very impressive, but as they stress in their marketing it's tuned as a Grand Tourer, not for the track. Cross shopped with the Audi A5/S5 sportbacks, as the hatch is a key selling point for me. Nice cars, but decided the Stinger was a better car for me. Took a couple test drives in the Stinger myself before purchasing, both long drives in a variety of road conditions - liked it even better the second time ...

Good luck with whatever you decide. Have a good look around, lots of good info on here!

 

[Grayt 8]

Just joined your site and looking forward to following the Stinger.
It's a great looking fastback.
I had a 2013 Optima SX and liked it a lot, but the dealerships had some questionable sales tactics.
Since then I picked up a 2014 Audi S4, and have been very impressed with the car and Audi service.

Took an initial walk around a GT2 and a brief test drive.
I'll be going back to spend more time checking it out a taking a longer test drive.

After doing a bit of reading, it seemed a surprise to me that 0-60 and 1/4 mile times have been better in the 2WD. And a comment from the reviewer who concluded that Kia programmed the 4WD more for safe riding rather than performance.
I live in SE Pennsylvania where we get weather of all kinds, so I have been considering the 4WD.
Since I'll need a second set of tires anyway, I may choose the 2WD.
But acceleration and fun to drive between 2WD and 4Wd may change with the tunes that are coming out.

Congrats to all the new Stinger owners! Hope you all have a great experience for many years to come.

Happy shopping! If you haven't driven a strictly RWD car through snow before, I would carefully consider your choice. I see you mentioned a FWD car and an AWD car. As a person who has driven through 25 Iowa winters now, I went with AWD and it was an easy decision for me. I've driven cars with RWD with limited slip diffs and without limited slip diffs, 4WD and 2WD trucks, FWD cars, AWD cars and SUVs, and all with and without winter tires. RWD with snow tires brakes well and steers well, but acceleration is still not good. The Stinger GT2 RWD will get you the limited slip diff at least. See if you can take one out on a bad weather day.
The AWD may be testing a tenth or two of a second slower in dry track testing, but I suspect in most nonideal situations in the real world, the AWD is just as fast or faster. At least where I live, the AWD would be faster and more secure about half the days of the year.
I think one reason the Stinger RWD seems to be faster is that it hooks really well, at least in these track conditions. What if it's cold and raining? What if it's cold and dry?

 

[Rufus]

Welcome to the Hive! You'll find plenty of like-minded enthusiasts who are also very helpful and friendly on this forum!

 

[Kia Stinger]

Just joined your site and looking forward to following the Stinger.
It's a great looking fastback.
I had a 2013 Optima SX and liked it a lot, but the dealerships had some questionable sales tactics.
Since then I picked up a 2014 Audi S4, and have been very impressed with the car and Audi service.

Took an initial walk around a GT2 and a brief test drive.
I'll be going back to spend more time checking it out a taking a longer test drive.

After doing a bit of reading, it seemed a surprise to me that 0-60 and 1/4 mile times have been better in the 2WD. And a comment from the reviewer who concluded that Kia programmed the 4WD more for safe riding rather than performance.
I live in SE Pennsylvania where we get weather of all kinds, so I have been considering the 4WD.
Since I'll need a second set of tires anyway, I may choose the 2WD.
But acceleration and fun to drive between 2WD and 4Wd may change with the tunes that are coming out.

Congrats to all the new Stinger owners! Hope you all have a great experience for many years to come.

Welcome aboard! And thank you for signing up. Good luck with your search! You found the best place to get the real deal as far as information is concerned about the Stinger. There are plenty of honest reviews from hundreds of people here...

 

[Kamauxx]

After doing a bit of reading, it seemed a surprise to me that 0-60 and 1/4 mile times have been better in the 2WD. And a comment from the reviewer who concluded that Kia programmed the 4WD more forsafe riding rather than performance.

The 0-60 and quarter mile differences probably have more to do with the extra weight of the AWD car and the all season tires it rides on.

Regarding Kia tuning the car for safe riding the reviewer may have been talking about the AWD GTs with 18" tires being limited to 130 vice 167mph.

What if it's cold and raining? What if it's cold and dry?

Don't make any WOT runs?

Same as any other vehicle, FWD, RWD, AWD, or 4WD--drive responsibly for the location, traffic, and weather.

 

[Grayt 8]

The 0-60 and quarter mile differences probably have more to do with the extra weight of the AWD car and the all season tires it rides on.

Regarding Kia tuning the car for safe riding the reviewer may have been talking about the AWD GTs with 18" tires being limited to 130 vice 167mph.



Don't make any WOT runs?

Same as any other vehicle, FWD, RWD, AWD, or 4WD--drive responsibly for the location, traffic, and weather.

Agreed. My point is if you are used to the grip from an S4 in not great conditions, a RWD Stinger can be quite different.

 

[Berzerker]

The 0-60 and quarter mile differences probably have more to do with the extra weight of the AWD car and the all season tires it rides on.

Regarding Kia tuning the car for safe riding the reviewer may have been talking about the AWD GTs with 18" tires being limited to 130 vice 167mph.



Don't make any WOT runs?

Same as any other vehicle, FWD, RWD, AWD, or 4WD--drive responsibly for the location, traffic, and weather.

Agree, but mostly for the weight. All models come with 19" Summers unless the 18 all-seasons are specified, even on the AWD.

The .1 difference is probably offset by the extra weight.

 

[mldavis2]

The 18" all-weather tires do not have the "bite" that the 19" tires have. As you begin to lose traction on the launch, the power is pulled back until traction can be caught up. I would not expect the 18" tires to be as "quick" as the 19".

 

[Grayt 8]

The 18" all-weather tires do not have the "bite" that the 19" tires have. As you begin to lose traction on the launch, the power is pulled back until traction can be caught up. I would not expect the 18" tires to be as "quick" as the 19".

That is certainly possible. I've yet to see any testing for an AWD-type of car where switching tire compound, rim size, or tire width in any way, really changed the acceleration in a straight line. It is possible, I just don't remember seeing a test that shows it.

The 18-inch wheel and tire combination is going to be lighter than the 19, which could give the 18 an edge at lower speeds. Also in theory, the 18 is likely to have less rolling resistance and wind resistance at higher speeds, due to the narrower rears and harder compound. It's an interesting thing to think about. Sorry if this thread is getting off topic.

 

[Kamauxx]

The 18" tires on the AWDs are made for dry/cold/snow/ice traction.

The tires on the 19" wheels are summer tires and made for performance. They will grip better than all season tires.

 

[mldavis2]

The 18-inch wheel and tire combination is going to be lighter than the 19, which could give the 18 an edge at lower speeds. Also in theory, the 18 is likely to have less rolling resistance and wind resistance at higher speeds, due to the narrower rears and harder compound.

I'm not sure the 19" is heavier since the circumference is the same. Where the 18" has more sidewall the 19" has alloy and less sidewall. I'm also not sure about tire compound. Treadwear number for the 19" Michelins is 320. I don't know about the all-weather 18". That should be a fair indicator of comparative hardness.

 

[Kamauxx]

I'm not sure the 19" is heavier since the circumference is the same. Where the 18" has more sidewall the 19" has alloy and less sidewall. I'm also not sure about tire compound. Treadwear number for the 19" Michelins is 320. I don't know about the all-weather 18". That should be a fair indicator of comparative hardness.

The rear 19s are quite a bit wider than 18s though.