Greetings from New Zealand

[Fergalis]

Greetings from New Zealand.

I've only recently learnt about the Stinger. I'm in the market in the next 6 months for a four door D segment vehicle with a bit of performance. Initially I was looking to see what Honda was going to offer with the 10th gen Accord, but switched interest to the 2018 V6 Camry when Honda abandoned their V6 for a turbo-two litre.

I like the look of the Stinger very much, and with the TTV6's grunty torque, it appeals greatly. And the listed price of the Stinger compared to the top spec Camry or Accord here in NZ, I could stretch to as it's not too great a leap. Stingers don't arrive here until Jan 2018, so I look forward to reading the forums and eventually an opportunity for a test drive.

Am I barking up the wrong tree thinking it as a suitable replacement for an Accord or Camry? I've never owned a Kia previously.

 

[Kia Stinger]

Hey, Fergalis! Welcome aboard! And thank you for signing up. I read you loud and clear about the Accord and Camry. The 2016/2017 Accord is really nice. So nice, I had to buy one myself. The V6 Touring is as close to an Acura TLX as you can get. It's virtually the same car. I don't like how they dropped the V6 either. Not at all. It's bad enough that V8s are going away. Now V6s are going away? Ridiculous...

The new Camry with 300hp V6 is very impressive! Everything about it, really. Inside and out. I really do like it. Now that being said, the Stinger is really on another level. My Accord is a 2016 Touring V6 and my wife has a 2015 Genesis Sedan, also V6. The Genesis is a much better car. As much as I like my Accord, it's not AT ALL in the same league as the Genesis.

That's what you're going to find when comparing the Stinger to the Camry. The cars are going to be in two different leagues...

 

[Fergalis]

Hey, Fergalis! Welcome aboard! And thank you for signing up.....

...That's what you're going to find when comparing the Stinger to the Camry. The cars are going to be in two different leagues...

Thank you for your kind welcome and helpful comments re the Accord, Camry & Stinger. I agree, and they all appear to represent good value for money for the price segments they represent, but what I hear you saying is that the Stinger is head and shoulders above the other two for interior quality for not a lot more money.

I'll certainly be taking a good, hard look at both the Camry & Stinger, especially for test drives.

I saw yesterday for the first time a 2017 Optima and recognized some of the design cues inherent in the Stinger. It was a distinctive and attractive car to my eyes, and I expect the Stinger will be even more eye catching. Kia appears to have invested great design talent across it's recent vehicles and I'm predicting they will over time become a marque that takes increasing market share away from the traditional down-under mainstays, including here in NZ as in Australia where V8's sedans (GM Holden & Ford) have traditionally been a distinctive market segment. It looks like the Stinger launch in Australia may have been deliberately timed to coincide with the closure of Holden's factory, and on paper at least, the Stinger 2-liter turbo models look to be well competitive with Holden and Ford V8's, and the GT TTV6 model with the soon to be finished Holden HSV range.

 

[Kia Stinger]

One of the reasons Kias have been looking so greatly lately (ESPECIALLY the Optima) is they now have Audi's design guy on board. And obviously he's VERY good! I agree on the similarities between the Stinger and Optima but the Stinger will definitely be more eye-catching. The Optima will be the sedan for people who don't want to stick out TOO much. The Stinger is LOUD (visually)...

In regards to interior quality - I'm not sure how much the Stinger will differentiate from the Accord and Camry because Honda and Toyota have put a lot of time, money and effort into bringing these two cars up a notch with every generation. Where you will CERTAINLY feel a major difference is things like the way the car rides and feels, the way the doors shut with authority, the hushed volume of interior noise (NVH - noise, vibration, harshness).

These are a few of the things that set luxury cars apart from everything else. And while Kia doesn't have a luxury badge, the Stinger is good enough to be on it's own.

 

[Jenny Wang]

Welcome Fergalis!

 

[Fergalis]

Welcome Fergalis!

Thank you Jenny