Brand snobs

[Appl2noe]

i have to say it’s been a wild ride owning this Stinger for few days. Besides the constant stares and thumbs up from random people - I have a few friends that can’t believe I bought a KIA....

Literally melting their minds that a car can have this much of everything for $15-20k less than the Germans.

Never experienced such hate towards a brand before.

They are crazy!

 

[YEH]

^ Think of yourself as a trailblazer/trendsetter and not a follower.

 

[Appl2noe]

This car is next level and I could care less what they think but it just surprised me.

 

[bugaboo90]

Ditto.. I am so happy with my purchase regardless of the brand discussions I have with friends. Plius, I have received nothing but thumbs up from from people who know cars.

 

[mldavis2]

Yes, I'm in a part of the world where nice cars are sparse and everyone thinks a Dodge Ram with a gunrack and a hemi is cool. Nevermind that today's hemis are nothing like the old hemi Richard Petty made famous. Lots of Souls, Optimas and Sorentos around but I'm the only Stinger for miles around (that I know of.) There is no Lexus or Audi or BMW dealer within 50 miles and the housewives driving the cheapo MB's have no clue they got screwed for a 3-point star until they take their little C's in for service. The only looks I get are from Mustang and Camaro drivers. And although I am not a stoplight racer at my age, I did enjoy a nice uphill stoplight pull leaving a 5.0 Mustang in the dust yesterday just using Sport mode and the advantage of AWD, not even Launch mode. Must start acting my age again.....

 

[Ucinn]

I just love finding great deals..great value for my money and thus why I have been in a KIA or hyundai since 2006. I have not been disappointed in any way either. I have never had any problems with any of the Kia's I have owned. They have all just required routine maintenance. If you add in the kids, we have had 10 Kia autos which 6 are current (a Soul, two Forte's, Nero, Sorento, Stinger) one of the Fortes had a window switch replaced under warranty and that's it. Let the others be ignorant and snobs, that just leaves us as the smart ones.

 

[KoreaDaBOMB]

i have to say it’s been a wild ride owning this Stinger for few days. Besides the constant stares and thumbs up from random people - I have a few friends that can’t believe I bought a KIA....

Literally melting their minds that a car can have this much of everything for $15-20k less than the Germans.

Never experienced such hate towards a brand before.

They are crazy!

I'm in the same boat.
I've had 3 BMWs in the past and this is my first Kia that I picked up yesterday. The value of the Stinger vs. German cars was a no-brainer.
Just driving home from the dealer, I've received 2 thumbs up and lots of stares from people.

If Kia came out with a luxury brand like Hyundai did with Genesis brand, the hate will be less for sure.

 

[Rufus]

When people feel threatened they tend to react with defensive mechanisms designed to minimize the threat. In this case the threat is to their sense of superiority. Sadly, I wouldn't expect less from most who try to look down on our Stingers. Disruption of their status quo must be very disconcerting for them. Poor brand snobs

 

[jrhodes87]

I smoke German cars all day in Chicago

 

[mldavis2]

Most German car owners around me are stodgy old people who don't bother to assert their alleged superiority.

 

[Soca Boy]

I have a few people at my work like that, funny thing is their “better” brand is below KIA right now. I don’t say anything, just get inside of my Stinger and enjoy the ride with a big smile.

 

[Euljiro1ga]

I've experienced something quite the opposite.

So, in Korea, where the majority drives Korean cars, the snobishness came in a different way. I got people kind of saying "if you are going to pay this much for a domestic car (Kia, Hyundai), why not just pay a little extra and get an import (BMW, Audi)" or a used import for the same price.

The funny part is I get this from people who have never owned an imported car in Korea. They forgot that I am paying like 50$ for a service compared to 350$ not to mention the repairs, parts, and insurance.

 

[KoreaDaBOMB]

I've experienced something quite the opposite.

So, in Korea, where the majority drives Korean cars, the snobishness came in a different way. I got people kind of saying "if you are going to pay this much for a domestic car (Kia, Hyundai), why not just pay a little extra and get an import (BMW, Audi)" or a used import for the same price.

The funny part is I get this from people who have never owned an imported car in Korea. They forgot that I am paying like 50$ for a service compared to 350$ not to mention the repairs, parts, and insurance.

Before I leased my Stinger GT2, I've asked my cousins in Korea their opinion on the new Stinger GT2 and that is exactly what they said. Spend a little more and get MB, BMW or Audi.
Well some of us have a monthly budget and if I went with another German car, I would have 50~60% less options on the vehicle.
Many people are really hating on the fact the Stinger is from Kia but Kia really deserves some respect rather than hate from people.

 

[Euljiro1ga]

Before I leased my Stinger GT2, I've asked my cousins in Korea their opinion on the new Stinger GT2 and that is exactly what they said. Spend a little more and get MB, BMW or Audi.
Well some of us have a monthly budget and if I went with another German car, I would have 50~60% less options on the vehicle.
Many people are really hating on the fact the Stinger is from Kia but Kia really deserves some respect rather than hate from people.

Agree. It's a little sad to hear those in Korea driving German cars look at the Stinger as a poor man/woman's BMW rather than being proud that Kia can make a car of this caliber.

 

[Waynerm002]

Some folks think buying a brand makes them better than others, some buy it to fit in and some buy it to enjoy it. I’ve always heard the stories about BMW being a great drivers car and the first time I went to purchase one, a 3 series, it certainly drove better than other products but to get the options I wanted, the price got crazy. Years later I drove an Audi and ended up getting one as I loved the looks and how it drove. Years later a friend suggested I try one and I went out to drive a 525 with the Sport package, I was hooked! Traded it for a 535 with the M Sport Package and I really loved that car, optioned it up with everything I wanted as I planned on keeping it long term. Matter of fact, that car was the car I had the longest out of all the cars I’ve had. When I drove the Stinger GT, it was like being in that car again.

I love driving but the BMW while great had issues, which is why I traded it and went to the KIA Optima. They weren’t like they are now but they was one of the few manufacturers that had a European driving feel and they have a lot of options like the Europeans but at a better price. Now, with the Stinger GT on the market, there are not many vehicles like it for the price that performs as it does. For a lot of folks though, the badge is more important than the drive. For them it’s a status thing. They would prefer to buy the base model rather than go with KIA which would give them more for a better price.

Good thing KIA has taken the step to bring us this car. I hope they bring this sort of performance to all their products.

 

[Merkur720]

Just got back from a round trip Dallas to San Antonio Long weekend. The car was amazing on the interstate; I averaged 27.8 mpg going 75-85 most of the way (yes some roads have up to 85mph limit). So solid. So much reserve passing power. Sooooo many stares mainly from German and Infiniti drivers. I love having this Kia... it’s a sleeper and no one really seems to understand that it could be a Kia.

 

[Bigserver1]

Kia has three cars that legitimately punch well above their weight. The Stinger, the Cadenza, and the K900. All three of those fill spots in car segments that easily compete with other entries that are 10-20k more.

Anyone hating or slow to realize is simply misinformed.

 

[westcoastGT]

where I live literally every second car is German with a good smattering of Maseratti , Lambos etc . driving a BMW makes you look like one of the herd here ..............my rebadged GT is completely unique I've only seen 2 others in the 6 months I've owned it ................its funny to see the German drivers galk and point .

 

[Soca Boy]

where I live literally every second casr is German with a good smattering of Maseratti , Lambos etc . driving a BMW makes you look like one of the herd here ..............my rebadged GT is completely unique I've only seen 2 others in the 6 months I've owned it ................its funny to see the German drivers galk and point .

It’s Vancouver, it’s the home of the rich. All the other drivers must be shocked to see anything besides their “higher brand” cruising around looking slick.

 

[mldavis2]

Snobs? Well, yes, some of them. I would rather think of them as clueless.

I've always been a "car guy." I was a dealership service manager for about ten years back in the 80's before I went back to being a chemist. I kept up on cars since the days of my youth when cars got a total sheet metal update every two years -- the days of the old Pontiac Tri-Powers, the Corvette Rochester fuel injection, the "real" Chrysler hemis, and the original GTO and 442. For many years I kept up on new technology until job and family took over, finances were slim, and circumstances dictated practicality rather then enjoyment.

Then the kids left and I followed my fetish with U.S.-built cars and bought my '05 GTO and '08 G8. Love(d) both of them enough I was not in the market for a new car, and so I dropped off the radar and failed to renew my Car & Driver, Motor Trend and other enthusiast subscriptions -- a ten year lapse. With the venerable G8 turning 200,000 miles, my wife (for no discernible reason) started making noises about "reliability." Since the G8 (which was her DD) had never had a repair, much less a failure, I read that as "isn't it time for a new car?" Well, I love the G8, but OK, it's your DD.

Fortunately my wife is totally clueless about cars. And having come from a poor farm family in the Texas panhandle, she has no pretensions about brand identity. I am also fortunate that she leaves the car buying totally, 100%, up to me. So I jumped back into the literature, reviews and tech stuff and looked at the Accord, Subaru Legacy (boring..), Regal GT (couldn't find one anywhere to look at) and the Mercedes C-class. (No Lexus, Audi, Acura or BMW dealers anywhere within 100 miles round trip or more.) The Stinger popped up on my radar and I dropped by to look at one, read everything I could get my hands on, and ordered one without even a test drive. No regrets.

It is a lovely car for the wife because it defaults to Custom mode. I hope she never finds that little dial between the front seats and decides to twist it one notch to the right. Yes, it's a sleeper, even to my wife, so I have to wait until I'm in the car alone -- to twist the little silver knob.