Fuel efficiency in your V6, how is it in traffic and aftermarket exhausts.

[benanderson89]

Hey all!
I've been jumping back and forth between the Kia Stinger GTS and 2018 Mustang GT (UK Spec with MagneRide, the equivalent of GT Perf+Prem in the USA) for the last month. I still cannot decide between the two.

I had previously owned a 2015 Mustang and, whilst it was a bit of a lemon, was still a bloody good car once the problems were fixed (the problem with all early run cars). Right now I'm weighing up a list of pros and cons between the new 2018 Pony and the GTS, and one thing that is sticking in my mind is fuel efficiency. I'm often stuck in a lot of traffic when driving to work, and the Mustang I know gets around 17mpg (14 USA, 16L/KM) across the span of one working week if my old one is anything to go by.

What is daily driving like in the Stinger? Does Eco mode actually make a difference? When I test drove a GTS I could feel the engine's power drop like a stone when in Eco.

Finally, there's the noise the Stinger makes. Its not that loud a car and yes, I am one of those obnoxious people that likes to make a racket in their car (I regret nothing) - Does anyone know if the exhaust system is easily modifiable? What does it look like underneath? Getting a more AMG43-like tone out of it will be priority one.

Thanks in advance!
-Ben

 

[Chris]

The gas mileage will be better in the stinger than the v8 Stang, maybe 4 or 5 US MPG. This really depends on how much you keep your foot out of the turbos in the stinger.

You will never get the stinger to sound like a V8 no matter what you do to it.

I've test driven both. The Stang does sound so much nicer. It also handles way better. That magne-ride is amazing. It's also faster, especially if you get the 10 speed.

The stinger is quite a bit more roomy, if you need people to be in the back seat, the stinger is far better.

Couple other things I worry about with the Stang are that the last few model years did have a lot of problems, and the crash ratings we're pretty horrible.. (which makes insurance higher)

 

[benanderson89]

The gas mileage will be better in the stinger than the v8 Stang, maybe 4 or 5 US MPG. This really depends on how much you keep your foot out of the turbos in the stinger.

You will never get the stinger to sound like a V8 no matter what you do to it.

I've test driven both. The Stang does sound so much nicer. It also handles way better. That magne-ride is amazing. It's also faster, especially if you get the 10 speed.

The stinger is quite a bit more roomy, if you need people to be in the back seat, the stinger is far better.

Couple other things I worry about with the Stang are that the last few model years did have a lot of problems, and the crash ratings we're pretty horrible.. (which makes insurance higher)

Oh I wasn't hoping to make a turbo 6 sound like an NA V8, but I'd like it to sound nicer and not what we have now (so muted it may as well be Electric). I like my sporty cars to be loud, because I'm secretly 7 years old.

The reliability of the Mustang is an issue. I had a 2015, (pre-order 226 for export models) so I had ALL the known issues affect me and about three recalls. I even broke down 14 months into ownership. Though, I know all of those issues were for early run cars and that they've been fixed, so I'm more hopeful about the new MY18 models. No issues reported thus far.

4/5 US MPG (about 4.8 to 6 here) would be noticeable with the size of fuel tank we're talking about. If that's economy for bumper-to-bumper traffic (we're talking 30 to 45 mins to travel 15 miles) then that would be a decent fuel saving. I used to get 200 miles out of my old Pony, necessitating a weekly refill. Both cars have 60 litre tanks, so an extra 55 miles out of the Kia if I can legitimately get 21mpg (UK Gal).

Safety ratings (I assume you mean the Euro NCAP score of two stars) is a bit misleading. Euro NCAP use the lowest rating from a set of four as the overall score regardless of how well a certain vehicle scored in other categories, hence lack of electronic nannies like Lane Keep = low star rating in the electronic nanny category. Adult occupant protection was the same as the Audi TT (and that was four stars). The Stinger is still better, obviously (full five stars), but its worth mentioning why its not a concern.

Thanks for your input!

 

[Frubin76]

Depending on how you drive, you can get somewhere between 17 to 20 mpg in heavy traffic driving, here ECO mode does make a difference. At highway speeds, both ECO and Comfort give the same. The main problem is when you have such power, you want to use it, so you might get less than that, I have a V8 Mustang 2005, and I can tell you the difference is not big, but performance on the stinger is much better, also the ride is way better. Frankly MPG is the only disappointing feature so far on my GT.

 

[benanderson89]

Depending on how you drive, you can get somewhere between 17 to 20 mpg in heavy traffic driving, here ECO mode does make a difference. At highway speeds, both ECO and Comfort give the same. The main problem is when you have such power, you want to use it, so you might get less than that, I have a V8 Mustang 2005, and I can tell you the difference is not big, but performance on the stinger is much better, also the ride is way better. Frankly MPG is the only disappointing feature so far on my GT.

This is the Dilemma I have with the Stinger and MY18 Mustang. If both get about the same MPG, then there is actually no or very little cost saving between the two.

The Mustang is £770 per year to insure in the UK, the Stinger is £430, but the Mustang needs one service a year or every 12k miles, the Stinger needs it every six months or 6k miles. So, financially, everything ends up balancing out. Thus all logic is out the window and it is purely based on emotion now.

 

[westcoastGT]

This is the Dilemma I have with the Stinger and MY18 Mustang. If both get about the same MPG, then there is actually no or very little cost saving between the two.

The Mustang is £770 per year to insure in the UK, the Stinger is £430, but the Mustang needs one service a year or every 12k miles, the Stinger needs it every six months or 6k miles. So, financially, everything ends up balancing out. Thus all logic is out the window and it is purely based on emotion now.

Kinda like school yard bully vs captain of the track team ................ 2 door would be a nix for me for sure , but that v8 sound is intoxicating ..................

 

[Never thought]

I get about 21-22 US MPG in heavy traffic (25 miles in 50 minutes)

 

[PA_RN]

I actually traded in my 2016 Mustang GT for my Kia Stinger GT2. I'm getting mildly better MPG but a much more comfortable ride. It all depends what you're looking for.

I miss my Mustang because it was fun to drive with a nice aggressive exhaust (had FRPP Sport Catbacks), and the Sync3 infotainment system was way better than the Kia UVO. However, I moved north and work a job that doesn't allow for snow days so I ended up doing some pretty unpleasant commutes. Having more than two adults in the car was not comfortable no matter how far I brought the front seats forward, and with the wife and I trying for a kid car seats would've been doable but difficult. It's just not practical car depending on the region, your driving needs, and how many people you need to move. Just you and SO with no plans for kids in a good weather area or don't need to drive on bad roads go for it!

The Stinger GT2 is a great car. I do not like the infotainment system but that's the only major gripe I have so far. The ride is a much smoother, more relaxed experience. It's a much quieter, luxurious ride. I do notice some difference in the dynamic suspension but can't compare it to the mange-ride, but overall it's softer as to be expected. The power is there when you want it, a nice smooth and steady delivery. The Mustang has that throw you back into the seat feeling with the engine roaring away, completely different feeling to it. The Stinger is a much more practical car with it's seating, liftback trunk, with the ability to have AWD as option should you need it. I find the Stinger to be the perfect balance of power, comfort, and practicality that I was looking for. Plus now the I don't worry about the exhaust waking up the neighbors as I come through the neighborhood when my shift ends at 3AM.

 

[benanderson89]

I live in Northern England so bad weather is expected daily! Even so, both the Stinger and Pony would be RWD. No option there, though. Right Hand Drive steering column is where the AWD transfer box would be.

The "base" Mustang here has the premium and performance pack and the trick exhaust as standard equipment. The only V6 Stinger available to us is like a fully loaded GT2 (here it's called the GTS). Equal spec on both, and both cost £40k-ish.

In bumper to bumper traffic I was getting 14 US out of the 2015 Mustang. If people are managing as high as 22 US in the Stinger, then that is quite the saving I'd make. But again, Stinger needs serving twice a year so that's double the service costs or more which is not nice.

Day to day fuel economy inches the Stinger ahead in my estimates but I'll have to see what the finance deals are like on both of them now.

Cheers!

 

[MBro]

I’ve had 32 mpg in Eco on a hundred or so mile motorway run. But that was a rainy M4 in cruise control and no excitement. GTS btw.

 

[benanderson89]

I think I've come to a decision.

Insurance on a Mustang is £770 with £440 tax per year. The Stinger is £430 and £140.
Ford are also charging 5.9% APR on the new 2018 Mustang (it was 3.9% before) and Kia is 4.9%
Ford also demand £8000 in hard cash before they're even consider me for finance. Kia will happily take back my Optima and call it a day.
If people are genuinely getting that kind of economy out of the Stinger, then its no contest with Ford's fiveOh.

Plus, after being stuck in traffic due to the bad weather brought back flashbacks to when my ankle went bad in a manual mustang. The mustang I was about to order was Manual. As much as I love to row my own and heel-toe, the daily drive makes a manual a no-go. I'm talking with Coast to Coast Cars now about a discount on a Stinger GTS.

Update: Coast 2 Coast no longer have any Stingers to sell.