Buyers remorse and life with your Stinger: Did you consider any other cars?

[Dr_jitsu]

I looked at a G80 first, then a G70 and also considered a Mustang and Hemi Challenger.

After living with this car for a while I had a thought cross my mind: 90% of the time I am cruising in comfort. 10% is vigorous driving in sport mode. Maybe I should have gotten a G80 (coming from an Equus/G90). The G80s/90s are outstanding luxury cars, and I can also keep the 3.3TT motor since it comes the sport package.

Then, I will do a highway loop and some twisties and think "yeah, I made the right decision".

I drove the G/70 and it is a more nimble car than the Stinger. It has a shorter wheel base. However, its ride is more harsh than the Stinger and it is not as practical. The Stinger also is a better looking car.

Finally, what about the Mustang and Charger? I owned 2 Mustangs and love them. I also thought long and hard about the hemi and maybe even a used Camaro ZL1.

If you drive these cars you will realize that they can beat the snot out of you. They are very fast, but it is not worth it if you compare them with the Stinger. As a daily they become very uncomfortable very quickly.

So, in all the Stinger presented the best balance of performance and luxury. The fact that they are so cheap does not hurt either.

This is an amazing car.

Please tell me your story, your decision making process.

 

[Gargamel]

I looked at a G80 first, then a G70 and also considered a Mustang and Hemi Challenger.

After living with this car for a while I had a thought cross my mind: 90% of the time I am cruising in comfort. 10% is vigorous driving in sport mode. Maybe I should have gotten a G80 (coming from an Equus/G90). The G80s/90s are outstanding luxury cars, and I can also keep the 3.3TT motor since it comes the sport package.

Then, I will do a highway loop and some twisties and think "yeah, I made the right decision".

I drove the G/70 and it is a more nimble car than the Stinger. It has a shorter wheel base. However, its ride is more harsh than the Stinger and it is not as practical. The Stinger also is a better looking car.

Finally, what about the Mustang and Charger? I owned 2 Mustangs and love them. I also thought long and hard about the hemi and maybe even a used Camaro ZL1.

If you drive these cars you will realize that they can beat the snot out of you. They are very fast, but it is not worth it if you compare them with the Stinger. As a daily they become very uncomfortable very quickly.

So, in all the Stinger presented the best balance of performance and luxury. The fact that they are so cheap does not hurt either.

This is an amazing car.

Please tell me your story, your decision making process.

I did not really consider other cars, because cars around $57150.5 list price isnt my range ( sweden).
But i got a 2018 3.0 Litres AWD red for $43642.2 and i could cash 55% and trade in of my "old" car was around $15586.5.
So i only had to take a loan for like $9351.9.
These are not exact numbers, but very close.

I bought a used one with 8300 km on the odometer, plus some new original uh "rount metallic things tyres gets put over"..

 

[Bonsai]

I looked at a G80 first, then a G70 and also considered a Mustang and Hemi Challenger.

After living with this car for a while I had a thought cross my mind: 90% of the time I am cruising in comfort. 10% is vigorous driving in sport mode. Maybe I should have gotten a G80 (coming from an Equus/G90). The G80s/90s are outstanding luxury cars, and I can also keep the 3.3TT motor since it comes the sport package.

Then, I will do a highway loop and some twisties and think "yeah, I made the right decision".

I drove the G/70 and it is a more nimble car than the Stinger. It has a shorter wheel base. However, its ride is more harsh than the Stinger and it is not as practical. The Stinger also is a better looking car.

Finally, what about the Mustang and Charger? I owned 2 Mustangs and love them. I also thought long and hard about the hemi and maybe even a used Camaro ZL1.

If you drive these cars you will realize that they can beat the snot out of you. They are very fast, but it is not worth it if you compare them with the Stinger. As a daily they become very uncomfortable very quickly.

So, in all the Stinger presented the best balance of performance and luxury. The fact that they are so cheap does not hurt either.

This is an amazing car.

Please tell me your story, your decision making process.

I sometimes feel I didn't do enough comparisons, but like you said once I'm driving and trying to have fun with it I could care less and feel I made the 100% choice. I have to reassure myself every couple days and just throw it in Sport and race the empty lane next to me.

But I came from an 05 GTO that had tons of power after my upgrades, and was very fun with the 6-speed stick. But I found myself driving my wife's base Veloster any time we drove anywhere just because I didn't feel like having to "work" when I was driving just to go to a restaurant/groceries. (the GTO was a daily) Now I'm building a 74 Nova with the motor and trans out of the GTO to have that "fun" only car. And my daily now with the stinger is almost as capable as the GTO but soo much easier to drive.

I did not really consider other cars, because cars around $57150.5 list price isnt my range ( sweden).
But i got a 2018 3.0 Litres AWD red for $43642.2 and i could cash 55% and trade in of my "old" car was around $15586.5.
So i only had to take a loan for like $9351.9.
These are not exact numbers, but very close.

I bought a used one with 8300 km on the odometer, plus some new original uh "rount metallic things tyres gets put over"..

I'm think you are thinking of the Rotors/Brake Disks.

 

[P22Tyler]

I looked at a G80 first, then a G70 and also considered a Mustang and Hemi Challenger.

After living with this car for a while I had a thought cross my mind: 90% of the time I am cruising in comfort. 10% is vigorous driving in sport mode. Maybe I should have gotten a G80 (coming from an Equus/G90). The G80s/90s are outstanding luxury cars, and I can also keep the 3.3TT motor since it comes the sport package.

Then, I will do a highway loop and some twisties and think "yeah, I made the right decision".

I drove the G/70 and it is a more nimble car than the Stinger. It has a shorter wheel base. However, its ride is more harsh than the Stinger and it is not as practical. The Stinger also is a better looking car.

Finally, what about the Mustang and Charger? I owned 2 Mustangs and love them. I also thought long and hard about the hemi and maybe even a used Camaro ZL1.

If you drive these cars you will realize that they can beat the snot out of you. They are very fast, but it is not worth it if you compare them with the Stinger. As a daily they become very uncomfortable very quickly.

So, in all the Stinger presented the best balance of performance and luxury. The fact that they are so cheap does not hurt either.

This is an amazing car.

Please tell me your story, your decision making process.

I SERIOUSLY contemplated getting a 5.0 Mustang, the decision was all but made before I went to the auto show and finally saw one of these in person and sat in it, that lead to a test drive and I was in love. I also considered a Golf R.

I haven't regretted it once, I drive this car whenever I get the chance which wasn't necessarily the case with some of my previous cars. I came from a 2017 Golf GTI SE which has a nice interior especially for the price, and is a fun little car but obviously has nothing on the Stinger as far as performance. I love the Mustang and will own one eventually, but the practicality of the Stinger (especially having AWD vs RWD living somewhere that it snows) made it an even easier choice. Plus to get everything I wanted in the Mustang was just ridiculous, I'm getting a Mustang for the performance, spec'ing one out with all the performance upgrades gets pricey.

 

[turboAWD]

I was all set on a Q50 Sport AWD - similar to the Stinger, but somewhat cheaper. I had a nearly-new one lined up at Carmax for $27K. Then I found the seats were too narrow for me - I couldn't take sitting for 5 minutes. That was after eliminating the Chevy SS (no more new, used asking too much / far away / unknown condition), STI (really wanted an auto), Golf R (none available most of the year, dealers adding $5K on top, etc), mid-level BMW/Benz (3/C series rear seats a bit too small, 5/E series not that sporty), wife couldn't stomach the idea of me driving a Caddy when I'm still in my 40s. I'd been getting numbers on both Q50s and Stingers for 6 months plus (I'd been "car shopping" for 2-3 years!), and when I eliminated the Q50 earlier this year, I knew that when it was time, it would be a Stinger.

Was hoping to get a chance to try the GTS, but my Subaru broke down in June, and I needed a car. So far, very few regrets. Sure, I've wished this or that might be a little better, but still loving the car every day.

 

[Chyoon]

The only remorse I have is not getting the GT. Love my 2.0T but definitely could use a bit more power...

 

[Johnman]

I'm lucky in that I have a Challenger Hellcat as well as a Stinger GT2 for my DD. I considered the G70, but it's too small and generic-looking compared to the Stinger, IMO.

 

[ktstinger]

Nope, no regrets so far. Of everything I test drove the Stinger was the best combination of speed, features and practicality for a daily driver. There are only 2 cars I would have taken over my Stinger and they are way out of my price range right now. New BMW M5 or the Audi RS5 speedback and I could buy 3 Stingers for the price of either of those optioned the way I want.

 

[Revvdmedia]

I considered a few other cars but really nothing checks as many boxes as the Stinger without costing me 20K more at the least which just wasn't worth it in my opinion. I'd always like a smaller more nimble car, but then you're classified as a sports car and have to pay a price premium on that too.

As for remorse, I'm only disappointed that I bought one with quality flaws. A bit of a foolish endeavor, but I really wanted a perfect car. Mine has some glaring defects that I hope will be soon resolved, otherwise it really is a fantastic year-round vehicle.

 

[Flameangel]

I liked the Stinger from the moment I saw it advertised but at $68,000 ( top price ) didn't know I could ever get one.Considering a Mustang too but it was over $50,000 and the ancap safety rating when they first arrived here was a poor 2.Whilst the Stinger had a top ancap rating of 5. I also was considering a base model Kia Sorrento or a second hand one.
I couldn't get my mind off the Stinger, watched a lot of reviews etc.Hubby advised to to wait a year after Ist gen out to see how the car performs etc.
In that time I saved some money and hubby sold a motorbike to enable me to get my " midlife crisis dream car " and Sonic has not let me down.The car has the mix of sporty looks, power and luxury I wanted.Sonic is quite unique, where I live, I don't see many other Stingers so she gets a fair bit of looks when out on the road or when parked.

 

[Oryan]

Nothing else does everything as well as the Stinger at it's price point. There are cars hovering 45-50k that do certain things better, are faster, more luxurious, etc, but none can do everything like a Stinger can. To me the next obvious step up from a car like this is an Audi S7. IMO nothing between a GT2 Stinger (as far as 4-door fastbacks go) and the S7 completely outclasses the Stinger in every category.

 

[ScottM]

It was the GT2 v the Dodge Charger and I chose the GT2 because it checked all the boxes and "fit" me better. No regrets! As far as the power, I've put it into sport mode 2 times in 1.5 years. I just haven't needed to because it pretty much puts down the power (as the kids say) well enough in all of my driving situations. Maybe this weekend I'll put it into sport mode for the 3rd time!!

 

[Pnbnationsbest]

I compared the STI, Stinger and Scat Pack Charger. The M2/M3 aren't Michigan DD's. The RS5 it too much. There's no real MB entry. The Infinitis are too......Japanesey.

The STI was far too rough of a ride, and let's face it, autos are faster. That wang....it screams pull my ass over. It also isn't really a competitor on the streets. TERRIBLE FINANCE PROGRAMS!

Scat Pack was nice-ish. The exterior design is tough (in a good way). The interiors are made of Fisher Price kiddy plastics. The ZF trans is awesome, but it's a boat with tons of tq so it just spins.

The Stinger has AWD, rather plush interior, nice ride, way more power than the STI, substantially more traction and agility to keep up with/beat the Scat Pack and finally isn't a fine a dozen like my other options.

 

[Dan1028]

I purchased a GT2/AWD in March 2018 because my wife and I were expecting our first child in May 2018. The car I came from was a 2012 Camaro 2SS/RS -- rear-facing child seat was a no-go in the Camaro.

I seriously compared the Chevy SS because it is a four-door Camaro, but it was discontinued by the time I was ready to buy. I also looked at the Infiniti Q50 Sport AWD and Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Sport AWD. Loved the Infiniti but hated the general manager (condescending). Loved the Alfa, too, but it threw an indicator light when we pulled into the dealership after the test drive, lol.

The Infiniti and Alfa lost out due to practicality of the Stinger. The Infiniti was getting a bit long in the tooth, and I would have preferred a Red Sport 400, but the financial numbers for the higher horsepower model exceeded the Stinger by a lot.

The Alfa was a tough decision not to buy. There is a lot of passion in the design, the car was a pleasure to drive, and I have a soft spot for underdog car makes that have entered the US market. The unknowns about reliability and brand stability ultimately turned me away, but I often wonder about that car and whether I would have been happy with it, especially considering it would have been about $10,000 less than the Stinger at the time.

 

[Rynil2000]

I guess I kind of arrived at the Stinger from a more down-market focus originally. Coming from a worn out Ford Explorer Sport Trac (285k miles; Given to me, not chosen) I wanted anything that was a better and more dependable daily driver. I have a penchant for eye catching design and an appreciation for fast, fun cars, but still needed something I could plan to keep for a while.

When I started my search, I was set on a few criteria 1) a fun amount of power 2) dependability 3) four doors 4) stylish interior 5) NOT an SUV/CUV. Started at the bottom of my range and tested everything I could see myself driving: Elantra GT 2.0T, Sonata 2.0T, Optima 2.0T, Soul 2.0T, VW GTI, VW Passat SEL V6, VW Golf Sportwagen, Mazda 6 2.5T, Stinger 2.0T, and finally the Stinger 3.3T. No BMWs, MBs, or Alphas, or Maseratis here.

I nearly walked out of the VW dealership with a GTI because it was so much fun to drive. But in the end I'm glad I didn't take the deal (they weren't willing to come down to where I wanted at the time anyway), the trunk space was way too small. Plus taking up half of the glove box for a CD player and SD card reader in 2019 is stupid. The V6 Passat felt surprisingly sluggish for it's 280 hp and very generic all around. The Sportwagen needs a new name because there is absolutely nothing sporty about it; slow as mud, but roomy and has a sweet panoramic sunroof.

The top trim Elantra GT still felt like a flimsy economy car, just quicker, but not as hot as the GTI. The Sonata was a decent ride, but LOUD at highway speed. Tons of road noise from that thing.

The Optima 2.0 SX was nice, but oddly I didn't fit. My head brushed the ceiling which was a no go. It was quick, but didn't feel special. The Soul was more of the same. Good headroom, but zero storage space behind the seats. Plus, I was worried about driving a car that is clearly claimed by the elderly and rental car markets.

The Mazda 6 was a real close contender. The interior trim was absolutely loaded for the price. They were practically throwing the car at me when it came time to talk pricing. It was relatively quick, but in the end it just also felt too "bland sedan" generic. I still rave about the cooled seats though - Instead of pushing cold air out, their system sucks the hot air away from your body. If feels instantly cool instead of waiting for the AC to reach through the seat.

After all of those, I took myself to drive the Stinger 2.0T Premium and fell in love with the styling of the car. The interior was absolutely a show stopper compared to the others; seats are great, I don't brush the ceiling, the accent lighting is really cool, sound system, and sunroof are top notch. It just felt really well put together and thought through. But after the test drive I could tell the car would fare so much better with the extra two cylinders. I had the salesperson walk me over to the GT2 in the showroom and let me drool over it before I had to be drug out. It was more than I was willing to spend at the time. So I waited, saved, and pondered my next move.

I think my attitude really changed the following months when I had the chance to rent a Challenger R/T for a weekend trip through the mountains. That was a fun car. Having 375 hp on tap with a set of growling pipes was enough to sell me on the idea of a more powerful car. It was fun to rent and hoon, but no way in hell I would put money down on that ancient boat of a platform which seems reserved for douchebag glares. Plus, only two doors and the rear seats are made for amputees.

Once I drove a 3.3T Stinger I was hooked - Power, unique style, tons of tech, comfort (front and rear), four doors, real usable storage space, a kick ass warranty, and great financing deals. I spent a few months cross-shopping dealers and finding the trim I wanted before pulling the trigger on a HiChroma Red MY19 GT1. I couldn't be happier with the stares and compliments this car receives daily. Plus the Borla pipes give it a nice ring.

 

[CKeeler]

I daily drove a 2006 V6 Mustang for 12 years. Bought it brand new, it was my "Sally". After 190,000 miles it felt tired. I still love the suspension setup I did though. Made it actually fun to drive, but the motor didn't excite me anymore. I was getting frustrated being beaten by 4 cylinder Camrys. I was pretty much dead set on picking up a 2018 Mustang 5.0 with the 6 speed manual and the performance pack.
Then, I saw Randy Pobst's review of the Stinger GT. And I was hooked. From then on I took in as many videos, articles and breakdowns of the Stinger I could find. It took me a while to decide if I even wanted the stinger over a Mustang. I'm a die hard Mustang fanatic and for me to actually want something other than a Mustang as my daily driver was, to put it mildly, stressful.
Took my wife with me to go test drive both cars, cause I needed a level head to pull me back to reality. Test drove a stock Mustang GT with the performance pack and absolutely loved the drivability and sound. The brakes felt very touchy, but with 6 piston Brembos clamping down on 15" rotors, who's complaining? The interior of the Mustang was very overwhelming to me. SO MANY BUTTONS EVERYWHERE! The salesman at the Ford dealership was great. He even directed me to a deserted dead end street so I could test the brakes. I just about felt my organs were going to end up on the dashboard with those brakes.
I proceeded to park the new Mustang next to my '06 Mustang to compare and contrast. The car seat I have for my son is small, but it fits in the backseat of my '06. It would have been an even tighter fit in the backseat of the '18. His car seat pretty much drops right down into the trunk of my '06. When I opened the trunk lid on the '18, my heart sank. It's 3/4 the size of my '06! I had to shove my son's seat down into the trunk of the '18 and shove the lid closed. I was devastated. I wanted another Mustang so bad, but ti just didn't seem to fit my needs right now.
My wife and I then went to a nearby Kia dealership to test drive the Stinger. As soon as I sat inside it was so much different. I remember being in awe of how simple the interior design was compared to the Mustang. Before we even made it out of the dealership lot, I knew this car was a better option. Similar power delivery, similar brakes, more interior room, better cargo capability. I knew I found the car that fit me best right now.
It took a couple more months before I found a dealer that actually had a base GT. Let alone, multiple options of base GT's. Every dealer around me only carried 4 or 5 and only 1 GT2. I had to travel 50 miles to find the dealer that had the Stinger I went home with.
Do I regret getting the Stinger over the Mustang? No. But I still stare at every Mustang that goes by, and I still roll my windows down to hear their exhaust. The Stinger is the best fit for my life at this time, and I love it.

 

[Joeygt]

My daily drive was an Aussie 2013 ford falcon 4.0L XR6 turbo sedan, and I was very close to upgrading to a ‘17 mustang GT.
After procrastinating about it for months, I decided to keep my falcon because it was a much more practical car.
Enter the Stinger....... my wife had a couple of cheap run around KIA hatch backs over the years, and I was impressed with their reliability, and of course the warranty. I figured if KIA applied that same principle to a performance car, we would be onto a winner!
Once I sat in the stinger I couldn’t help but be impressed, and when I took it for a test drive........ I was hooked!
I really wanted a mustang and I still love the mustang, but it’s just not that practical for me. I also weighed up the cost of getting the stang to where I wanted it to be, ie wheels/tyres, suspension, exhaust, tune etc. it wasn’t worth it.
The stinger for me was the complete package. It was perfect straight off the showroom floor.
I’m happy with my purchase and I don’t regret a thing.

 

[Manaz]

My budget was about $60k. I am 6'2" tall, and have two tall kids who will only get taller.

The car the Stinger is replacing is a 2009 Subaru Liberty (Legacy) GT Spec.B. It replaced the VW Bora (Jetta) because the Bora was getting too small - the Liberty is now in the same position - so I need a large car, but do not want an SUV (we already have a 4WD).

FWD, no thank you.

So, in my budget, in the style of car I want:

Holden Commodore (aka Opel Insignia). Both the VXR and RS are in budget. They're not a bad car at all (the VXR in particular shrinks around you as a driver, it really surprised me how good it actually is). But it's not a Commodore (I nearly bought a 2017 SS-V wagon at one stage, it's a proper Commodore - V8, RWD), but it is supported by a company (Holden) who I cannot bring myself to risk (their after-sales support) or support them (after their decisions to take govt funds and still pull out of local manufacturing).

VW Passat/Arteon AWD. I've owned a VW in the past, and whilst they're nice, they're expensive to maintain, VW after-sales support isn't great, and DieselGate makes them hard to support.

Infiniti Q50. Was advised to leave them alone. Infiniti are a real minor player here.

Subaru - WRX, Levorg, Liberty, Outback. I just don't see the value in Subaru any more. The Liberty is boring, the WRX and Levorg are no bigger than my current car, the Outback is basically an SUV. The CVT auto is a killer too.

Other cars are either too small for my requirements, or too expensive.

 

[Nasscar]

I liked the Stinger from the moment I saw it advertised but at $68,000 ( top price ) didn't know I could ever get one.Considering a Mustang too but it was over $50,000 and the ancap safety rating when they first arrived here was a poor 2.Whilst the Stinger had a top ancap rating of 5. I also was considering a base model Kia Sorrento or a second hand one.
I couldn't get my mind off the Stinger, watched a lot of reviews etc.Hubby advised to to wait a year after Ist gen out to see how the car performs etc.
In that time I saved some money and hubby sold a motorbike to enable me to get my " midlife crisis dream car " and Sonic has not let me down.The car has the mix of sporty looks, power and luxury I wanted.Sonic is quite unique, where I live, I don't see many other Stingers so she gets a fair bit of looks when out on the road or when parked.

Kia Sorrento. I bet you are glad you got the STINGER instead. At least you are one of a kind rather than one of the many SUVs on the road now. I also considered a Mustang GT but was not impressed with the ANCAP rating of 3 stars for the second generation especially when my kids would be travelling in the back. Also Ford sales have dropped off a cliff recently with only the Ranger and Mustang sales keeping their head above the water. Kia is killing them at the moment. Not sure you can trust Ford either. Look at what happened with the dodgy gearboxes in the Ford focus of a few years back and Fords refusal to replace or fix them. There was no choice in the end for me.
Plus Stinger is way sexier than Sorrento.

 

[Ozstung]

.....I just wanted one, saw the YouTube footage of them in early '17 Seoul or Detriot motor show? My mechanic kept on harping on how reliable Kia's are as a brand. Pre-ordered one. Purchased without a test drive.

A white was available and offered to me and I could have driven it out the first day it was available along with the other "First" drivers. Waited some months more for my factory ordered and built DCB one. This was then delayed, so I was offered another dealers stock car. Each dealer was initially delivered 2 vehicles one to sell and a demo one. Got it 4 days before xmas, it turns heads like a supermodel. I must say pilots seat is the most comfortable I've ever been.