Calling all converts

[Dark_Knight GT]

Greetings All:

Just got a GT1 RWD after the wife picked up a GT2 AWD. The wife has owned various Kias for the past 15 years, so it made sense she’d grab the Stinger immediately. I’ve always been satisfied with her cars, but never had the thought of buying one myself. Alternatively, I’ve been driving a 3 series or M car for several years. After driving hers, I swapped a BMW 340i (and at a cost). Just curious if there any other bimmer, Benz, Audi converts out there and what your impressions are of the Stinger relative to the “class standards.” I think Kia nailed it and these guys better step up. Happy holidays and new year to everyone!

 

[Mhol]

I swapped my 3 series BMW for an Optima in 2012. Beemer had a bunch of issues that kept it in the shop. Love the Optima and will upgrade to the Stinger if I can get a good deal in a few months.

 

[iclicku]

My 2 previous cars were BMWs. '15 428xi and a '12 528xi.

I still love German cars and engineering. I guess I encoutered some BMW fatigue. The interiors on both, while good, were boring after 6 years. I wanted something new and fresh. The interior of the KIA doesn't blow me away when compared to the Germans but they are definitely class competitive. That and the fact the exterior design just speaks to me got me to convert. I have been extremely satisfied thus far. I'm sure as the honeymoon fades I will be a bit more critical but for now I am a happy KIA supporter.

 

[Dark_Knight GT]

Fatigue is a perfect description. Had I mixed in some Audi, perhaps I’d feel differently. I also agree with your assessment of the interior being class competitive. I don’t get the feel of cheapness that reviewers have complained about. BMW got a bit spartan after a while. The handling is also comparable to the 340i. The stinger is definitely faster straight line and the exhaust much more muscular. Now if I can talk the wife into an exhaust and downpipe.

 

[westcoastGT]

yup , 2 550 MSports , 550 GT ,650 cab , M5 , X6 ,X5 , been there done that , very happy to be in the Stinger , completely refreshing and very very similar to a 6 series .

 

[Kia Stinger]

Welcome aboard, @Dark_Knight GT! Thank you for signing up. And congratulations on having not one but TWO Stinger GTs in your family! Wow! I think that's a first for our group! Amazing... Yes, there are a LOT of ex-BMW and Audi drivers here. I don't have a Stinger yet - but I've had a good mix of Mercedes-Benz (E63 HIGHLY modified), BMW (750Li, 335i (highly modified)), Audi S4 (HIGHLY modified), Lexus (softeez), Cadillac, Lincolns, blah, blah, blah. But I'm 117 years old so I've had plenty of time to experience all this good stuff. The Stinger is the most sensible option to have a car that performs extremely well right out of the showroom, looks incredible, offers serious comfort and versatility, excellent reliability, and a warranty that cannot be beat! It's kind of a no brainer. And THEN you factor in the price... How long have you had these two Stingers now?

Happy holidays and new year to you and yours as well!

 

[westcoastGT]

Fatigue is a perfect description. Had I mixed in some Audi, perhaps I’d feel differently. I also agree with your assessment of the interior being class competitive. I don’t get the feel of cheapness that reviewers have complained about. BMW got a bit spartan after a while. The handling is also comparable to the 340i. The stinger is definitely faster straight line and the exhaust much more muscular. Now if I can talk the wife into an exhaust and downpipe.

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[Dark_Knight GT]

About 2 weeks. She got hers on a Wednesday and me Friday. She had put money down several weeks prior and I was lucky to snatch this one up. The dealership wants us for a photo shoot. They speculated we were the first couple with a pair. Lol. I suppose a Kia loyalist and German convert makes for a good story.

 

[Kia Stinger]

About 2 weeks. She got hers on a Wednesday and me Friday. She had put money down several weeks prior and I was lucky to snatch this one up. The dealership wants us for a photo shoot. They speculated we were the first couple with a pair. Lol. I suppose a Kia loyalist and German convert makes for a good story.

Yeah, I bet! Great story! I mean - just selling two to a couple AT ALL is a great story! You're two are like celebrities.

 

[Skyguy]

yup , 2 550 MSports , 550 GT ,650 cab , M5 , X6 ,X5 , been there done that , very happy to be in the Stinger , completely refreshing and very very similar to a 6 series .

If you have the coin to have had those cars you wouldn’t be in a Stinger. So either A - you are telling fibs about having a stinger or B - you are telling some big porkies about your previous cars. I pick B. Just sayin.........

 

[westcoastGT]

If you have the coin to have had those cars you wouldn’t be in a Stinger. So either A - you are telling fibs about having a stinger or B - you are telling some big porkies about your previous cars. I pick B. Just sayin.........

Well you can have your opinion but I'm old enough that at a point reliability becomes more important than perception . Both my 2008 550 MSport and 2013 X6 5.0 Sport were lemons , real lemons purchased back by BMW Canada .................I swore I would never drive another BMW again , despite some pretty enticing offers to maintain my allegiance by BMW Canada and my dealer . Having spent 12 years driving BMW ( both my wife and I ) I was fairly anti Audi and Mercedes so I took several months during research with my top objective being "Reliability" , the cache of German engineering was long lost on me with the dozens of issues that had occurred with the BMW's we owned over the years . The JD Power IQ swung me over to look at Kia and shortly thereafter I bought a Soul SX as our city car . My wife still had here 550 GT but after a few more issues with it we sold it and we bought a Sorento SX ...............both vehicles have been 100% and fun to drive .............I traded the Soul for the Stinger . Having the financial ability to buy expensives cars doesnt mean you have to spend foolishly , I would say I learned that lesson . The gap between the Stinger and a 650 Coupe is negligable from a quality and driving perspective and when value is brought into the equation its not even close .

 

[Bigserver1]

If you have the coin to have had those cars you wouldn’t be in a Stinger. So either A - you are telling fibs about having a stinger or B - you are telling some big porkies about your previous cars. I pick B. Just sayin.........

I respectfully disagree with your sentiment.

I make enough money to drive anything priced at 100k or less, but my current car is a 2015 Kia Forte, and I am strongly considering a stinger when my forte lease is up in a little less than a year. I also know a lot of people that make 35k a year and choose to drive a 60K Mercedes because “badges”.

 

[Waynerm002]

I can believe it. I’ve had VW, Audi, BMW, all nice cars but after the warranty the issues crop up and they get expensive to maintain. My last BMW was a 2010 535i M-Sport, got the last of that body style figuring they got the kinks worked out. As it was coming to the end of the warranty, it started having engine issues and was in the shop so many times during the last 6 months I had it, I ended up trading it for the KIA Optima. In my mind, if the KIA broke after 8 years (based on my driving) based on their warranty, it would cost less to repair than the BMW.

I’ve had 3 Optima hybrids since trading the BMW, each has been progressively better in refinements. I’ve test driven BMWs, Audis, Volvo, Mazda, Genesis during my quest to get a luxury vehicle back in my garage. The Genesis felt more luxurious, Audi was a good balance of comfort and luxury, the Mazda felt the sportiest and most fun to drive (which surprised me), the BMW was also entertaining and pricey but the interior material didn’t feel like the Genesis and the Volvo just felt the most comfortable to sit in although it’s interior was the oldest of the batch. Audi was topping the list but got a killer deal on the Volvo and living with it has been great. To me the Stinger has a luxurious interior that is different than anything else out there and the exterior looks better than anything else on the road today, plus the ride and handling is way better than the majority of it competitors.

I’ve been waiting for KIA to put out a sporty higher quality vehicle that would bring driving pleasure to their great designs, the Stinger is that car for me. I feel more people that have owned the German brands for a number of years understand the annoyances and will appreciate this car enough to make the switch. Now that I have driven the Stinger, I will be driving the competition’s latest models to see how they compare. As a KIA owner I’ve experienced the changes over the last 5 years, I think it only fair to also see what the other brands are doing. That said, while helping a friend purchase a Subaru, I’ve noticed their quality have gone up as well as their prices. Their top mid-size models are pushing $35-40K. A 2018 540 M-Sport is $74K, that puts it at $12K+ over my last 2010 535 M-Sport, I’m going to drive one as well.

 

[Kia Stinger]

If you have the coin to have had those cars you wouldn’t be in a Stinger. So either A - you are telling fibs about having a stinger or B - you are telling some big porkies about your previous cars. I pick B. Just sayin.........

Different strokes for different folks. I don't think you're CRAZY for feeling the way you do because I bet in many cases you'd have caught somebody in a lie. However, not everyone is typical. I currently drive a 2016 Honda Accord Touring V6. When I first laid my eyes on it, I knew I had to have it. I saw a dark grey "sport" parked at my gym. A week later, I had what is basically the same car fully loaded with a 3.5 liter engine. My previous car? 800+ horsepower E63 AMG. My wife currently drives a 2015 Hyundai Genesis Sedan. She felt the same way I did about the Accord. When the new generation Genesis launched, she had to have it. Her prior vehicle? 2014 BMW X5... Sometimes it's not all about the badge. And when you realize what you can actually have for your money - it's hard to walk away.

Her Genesis is a really, really nice car and if the Stinger never came to be, I'd be in a Genesis for my next vehicle. The Accord - I'll never do again. It's not a bad car - but not the kind of car I want to drive. It's the FEELING of the car that's just not in the same league as true luxury cars like the Genesis or Stinger. You're probably thinking I'm crazy going from an E63 to an Accord - even crazier is on a vacation to California I had a Toyota Camry for a loaner. I fell in love with it. I feel silly just saying it - but I loved the way the car drove. No better than the Accord other than being really soft - which was nice. I was all set to buy a new Toyota Camry V6 loaded before I saw the Accord...

I may be a rare breed but I'm an automobile enthusiast. I love all automobiles. I can find something I like about any car. At a car meet a few years ago I told one of the people there the same thing. He saw a Kia Sedona drive by and asked what I like about it. I immediate said, "suicide doors". He laughed and realized I was being honest. I love suicide doors because I've always been a fan of the 60's Lincoln Continental. And, as somebody who prefers sport over luxury, I also love the Rolls Royce Phantom.

Now the Kia Sedona didn't actually have suicide doors - but it played the part well...

 

[iclicku]

I definitely have the same sentiment as you. I like all types of cars.

 

[Dark_Knight GT]

If you have the coin to have had those cars you wouldn’t be in a Stinger. So either A - you are telling fibs about having a stinger or B - you are telling some big porkies about your previous cars. I pick B. Just sayin.........

I also respectfully disagree with this comment. Part of what makes the Stinger so attractive to many is the cost relative to the performance and styling. I can only speak to BMW (never owned a MB or Audi), but am very satisfied with having spent less for what I got. Plenty pay less than they can afford for cars. Particularly if brand/status is not the primary motivation. Cheers.

 

[ralzod]

Just got a GT1 RWD after the wife picked up a GT2 AWD.

And congratulations on having not one but TWO Stinger GTs in your family! Wow! I think that's a first for our group!

The dealership wants us for a photo shoot. They speculated we were the first couple with a pair.

...I know because we have both!

We seriously need more pictures than just the single garage shot!

 

[Dark_Knight GT]

Lol. Weather permitting i plan to detail both this weekend. Followed by a more appropriate photo shoot.