From Audi to Kia...

Q

Quez54

Newish Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2019
Messages
5
Reaction score
8
Points
3
Good afternoon, all. Long time lurker. I've been biding my time to trade in my A4Q get my Stinger GT1 or 2.

Have any of you come from the German brands to the Stinger GT? If so, how has your experience been so far? I know dealer experience probably won't be the same but how about the car itself? After your term of ownership, would you say the switch was worth it?

Again, I've been thinking of switching for a while now and I think I may pull the trigger this weekend. I have some last minute trepidations about leaving a brand I've liked to one I don't know much about and just want to hear your opinions of the Stinger GT. I'm a driving enthusiast and love to take my car to East Tennessee and hit up the mountains quite often. I think the Stinger GT will deliver well in this department but I want to know if I should go go RWD or AWD. Does AWD mess with the good driving dynamics? I've heard going to an aftermarket sway bar in the rear mitigates some of the chassis complaints. Anyone have experience with that?

I know I've asked a lot of questions but now that I'm about to pull the trigger, I just want to make sure I cover the bases.

Thanks in advance.
 
Quez54 said:
Good afternoon, all. Long time lurker. I've been biding my time to trade in my A4Q get my Stinger GT1 or 2.

Have any of you come from the German brands to the Stinger GT? If so, how has your experience been so far? I know dealer experience probably won't be the same but how about the car itself? After your term of ownership, would you say the switch was worth it?

Again, I've been thinking of switching for a while now and I think I may pull the trigger this weekend. I have some last minute trepidations about leaving a brand I've liked to one I don't know much about and just want to hear your opinions of the Stinger GT. I'm a driving enthusiast and love to take my car to East Tennessee and hit up the mountains quite often. I think the Stinger GT will deliver well in this department but I want to know if I should go go RWD or AWD. Does AWD mess with the good driving dynamics? I've heard going to an aftermarket sway bar in the rear mitigates some of the chassis complaints. Anyone have experience with that?

I know I've asked a lot of questions but now that I'm about to pull the trigger, I just want to make sure I cover the bases.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Welcome aboard! And thank you for signing up. I'm glad you found us! :)
 
Welcome!
I’ve never had anything so luxurious in my car driving life. I’ve loved every minute of this car. I went with RWD and have never regretted it. I upgraded the front and rear sway and it’s perfectly balanced for me now. I just didn’t like how the inside rear would lift in hard corners. Overall though, if I had to live without sway bars I’d be fine without it.
Oil catch can is always suggested as the first mod, but sways are a close second.
I haven’t had any troubles with the car so far and I’m in two years and 45k miles.
 
______________________________
Quite a few of us transferred from the usual German brands, more than you'd initially expect. Personally I have zero chassis complaints, it really does feel Audi / BMW in design without some of the quirks (not a surprise with Albert Biermann at the helm). I remember saying how similar the suspension feels to an F30 340i on M-Sport but it never got squirrely over surfaces or crashed through pot holes.

Due to weight I initially thought it would roll through corners but I was again pleasantly surprised. My own bias here but having owned a few X-Drives I'd always go RWD given the option on a performance sedan. Not that I don't appreciate the benefits of an AWD system, I just like my cars a little wild.

Welcome aboard, the Stinger is a fun car and after a test drive resulting in a huge grin hence I bought one the next day.... Obviously or I wouldn't be here :D.!
 
Quez54 said:
Good afternoon, all. Long time lurker. I've been biding my time to trade in my A4Q get my Stinger GT1 or 2.

Have any of you come from the German brands to the Stinger GT? If so, how has your experience been so far? I know dealer experience probably won't be the same but how about the car itself? After your term of ownership, would you say the switch was worth it?

Again, I've been thinking of switching for a while now and I think I may pull the trigger this weekend. I have some last minute trepidations about leaving a brand I've liked to one I don't know much about and just want to hear your opinions of the Stinger GT. I'm a driving enthusiast and love to take my car to East Tennessee and hit up the mountains quite often. I think the Stinger GT will deliver well in this department but I want to know if I should go go RWD or AWD. Does AWD mess with the good driving dynamics? I've heard going to an aftermarket sway bar in the rear mitigates some of the chassis complaints. Anyone have experience with that?

I know I've asked a lot of questions but now that I'm about to pull the trigger, I just want to make sure I cover the bases.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I recently drove through Knoxville onto Asheville then further east. The temps at the peaks of the Smokies were easily 10-15 degrees cooler than they were once I got out of the mountains. I'm assuming that's the mountains you're talking about--if so, go with the AWD or you'll be grounded during the winter months.
 
All the mods and upgrades for your Stinger you could ever ask for. CLICK HERE!
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
We've so far had good experience at kia of murfreesboro if you are in the mid tn area.

We came from 20 year old bmw's so can't say how it would have been coming from newer german cars, but i can say that it is pretty much better in every way over our e39 540i, other than the lovely v8 soundtrack. the suspension does feel a bit softer than our e39 with factory sport springs did however it is still very well balanced.

Awd vs rwd, I really wanted only rwd for the lsd, slight weight advantage etc, but got the indigo edition that has the d-awd and lsd and not regretted it once. Even just in sport mode, with the 80:20 split, you can feel the lsd working in tighter corners under throttle. Feels like a good rwd car but obviously with more stability since the fronts are helping. Turn off the stability completely and put it the transmission in manual mode for "drift" mode and it pretty much is rwd. Just recently tested it out on some wet parking lots and i did not notice any "help" from the front tires as i slid around. ;)
 
my wife had a 2014 Audi S4 that was getting close to 100K in miles. Extended warranty expired and wasn't interested in rolling the dice with a German car that was out of warranty. She loved the car. We looked for 4 months trying to find a car that would work for her. It was really tough. We drove a Stinger GT2 and bought one two days later. I've had the Kia in the dealership twice -- one for the rotor issue and an oil change. 2nd time was for a headliner issue. My dealer has been great to work with and other than not getting a loaner car (have not asked for one) its been a very similar experience. From what I read, I think I've been lucky in that regard.

As far as their AWD system -- I bought the car in Chicago and drove it back to Utah. Drove through a pretty bad snowstorm coming out of Denver. AWD system worked great.

Brand stigma -- saying you went from an Audi to a Kia could cause you problems. When people look at me like I'm crazy, I just smile and say "yep! That's what I did and I have no regrets." I've had more conversations about my Stinger at gas stations in 5 months of ownership than I ever did about my S4 in 6 years.
 
I live in East TN and love the roads we have here for the driving experience. I assume you have driven the Cherohala Skyway? My opinion its a better drive than the Tail of the Dragon as it has much fewer cars.

As to your question, I sold two cars when I bought my Stinger GT1 AWD two months ago. I had a Ford Mustang Boss 302 which was a really fun car to drive but I ended up driving it less and less because it got harder to take along my wife and son.

The other car I sold was a 2017 Mercedes C300 4matic. The Stinger gives me a combination of most of the engine performance of the Boss 302 with the 4 doors and AWD of the Mercedes. While I am really enjoying the Stinger, honestly, the implementation of the Mercedes 4matic is better than the Stingers AWD. I know you own an Audi, I cant compare it to that as I have never driven one for a long time, but if you have ever driven a late model 4matic over varying conditions, it is just more surefooted, for lack of better term, than the Stingers AWD. Having said that, I prefer the driving dynamics of an AWD vehicle regardless of brand. My Boss 302 was "fun" to drive but required at least partial traction control to mitigate wheel spin under hard throttle. It was easy to get the rear end out going around a tight curve without careful throttle control. I can feel the Stinger really pulling around corners with the AWD and that is the feeling that I prefer. There is a incredibly twisty and steep road up to the top of the Cumberland Plateau near my house and its such a pleasure to have AWD and the twin turbo 6 climbing up to the top.
 
I have a GT2 AWD. I had a charger rt awd before the kia and also ran into the "you bought a kia?" But I have no one to impress. I was also looking at a BMW 540i xdrive or an S5. This forum made me look at the stinger and I bought one after my second test drive. The adaptive suspension is great. Comfort setting when on a long cruise, sport mode when i want to have fun. The AWD grip is great even in wet weather. The surround view camera system on the gt2 is nice to have for parking lot maneuvers or pulling up to curbs. The stinger front seats are great for long drives and I have done many 4 to 4.5 hour non stop drives. I cannot think of an option that it is missing. The only downside is the factory remote start does not have a takeover feature. There are several after market ones that have that feature. Dealer service departments can be hit or miss. Where I bought the car they have Kia, Honda and Mazda in one location. You are definitely just a number there. Rows of chairs and tons of people waiting (precovid). The dealer near my house has a waiting area set up like a living room and their staff is great and remembers your name.
 
I'm a fan of AWD since that's what I've had from the getgo. I wasn't looking for it; it just came with everything else I was looking for. In Utah, AWD is a definite plus.

I had the Eibach rear bar for over a year and a half before recently installing the front bar. And I have to say that I was only enjoying half of the improvement in cornering stability feel without the front bar. But I didn't know and was satisfied with the rear bar-only improvement for a long time; until I began to notice incipient oversteer, because I was pushing curves harder than before. I knew that stiffening the front would reduce incipient oversteer. And now I'm as happy with the improvement as I was initially with just the rear bar.
 
______________________________
All the mods and upgrades for your Stinger you could ever ask for. CLICK HERE!
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
Quez54 said:
Good afternoon, all. Long time lurker. I've been biding my time to trade in my A4Q get my Stinger GT1 or 2.

Have any of you come from the German brands to the Stinger GT? If so, how has your experience been so far? I know dealer experience probably won't be the same but how about the car itself? After your term of ownership, would you say the switch was worth it?

Again, I've been thinking of switching for a while now and I think I may pull the trigger this weekend. I have some last minute trepidations about leaving a brand I've liked to one I don't know much about and just want to hear your opinions of the Stinger GT. I'm a driving enthusiast and love to take my car to East Tennessee and hit up the mountains quite often. I think the Stinger GT will deliver well in this department but I want to know if I should go go RWD or AWD. Does AWD mess with the good driving dynamics? I've heard going to an aftermarket sway bar in the rear mitigates some of the chassis complaints. Anyone have experience with that?

I know I've asked a lot of questions but now that I'm about to pull the trigger, I just want to make sure I cover the bases.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

have you ever owned a RWD? They are fun but you might be more accustomed to the AWD setup. The Stinger's AWD is intelligent and makes for a great compromise between sporty and grippy.
 
So you are moving from an A4 to a Stinger GT2 which will eat alive any A4 in many ways? What trepidation? I never hesitated when I moved from R8 to the Stinger GT2 so why the trepidation?
 
Last edited:
Went from an 2012 A4 Avant Quattro to a Stinger GT2 AWD, absolutely 0 regrets.

A4 Pros:

Better sound system (B&O vs. Harmon Kardon) which is subjective
More predictable AWD system (Torsen center differential vs. electronic wizardry).

GT2 Pros:

Much more interesting interior (dare I say better quality).
Decent handling (sway bar will fix that)
S4 or A6 power for A4 money
Excellent build quality.

I live in MI so AWD was a must have for me.
If you can get away with RWD I'd highly recommend that you do that.

Finally, I don't miss the Audi.
 
All the mods and upgrades for your Stinger you could ever ask for. CLICK HERE!
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
Welcome Quez! Glad you are thinking of joining the forum.

The Kia Stinger has its roots with two German automobile giants at BMW and Audi. So, yes, you can see the influence. The Stinger GT is a touring vehicle with great performance, good looks, and a strong reliability record. The main trepidation that German automobile owners have is the badging, which you pay significantly more for with Audi.
 
All the mods and upgrades for your Stinger you could ever ask for. CLICK HERE!
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
You must log in or register to reply here.

Cars Connected in the Apple App Store Cars Connected in the Android App Store
Great resources:
- VIN Check
- Clean your leather!
- Safe Emergency Charging
- Windshield Repair Kit
- Chemical Guys HydroSpeed Ceramic Quick Detailer
- Chemical Guys HydroCharge High-Gloss Hydrophobic SI02 Ceramic Spray Coating
- Get a dash cam!
- Auto Buyers Market
Protect your Stinger from code scanners
Back
Top