GT 2 AWD NOT REALLY A STINGER!?!?

[StingerChick]

Alright. I understand emotions are high in this thread but let’s try to stay on track. Myself and others here did not know about the reduced speed with the all season wheel+tire package. They small sample size from the poll shows the majority of didn’t. What we should do is have all of us who want to reach out to Kia and voice our concern. Does anyone have contact information to the appropriate person or department at Kia? Get us all on the same page. A fix for this will not come from the dealership, Kia’s corporate office would have to be the ones to either appprove or deny a resolution. I’m not optimistic this will actually get resolved in a satisfactory manner but having a single point of contact will help us present our case more effectively. I feel we should push for the more realistic option of a onboard computer flash to the advertised 167mph limit and shift mapping since that would be a much lower cost to Kia. If wheel and tire size are an issue then I think we should be provided the 19” staggered rims in addition but I highly doubt we’d get that due to the cost point of said wheels.
Personally, I know I probably would have waited to purchase mine with the standard wheels and tires had I known. Will I use the extra speed? Probably not, but I’m damn sure I don’t like the idea of paying the same amount of money as another person and getting less from the product. And if anyone from Kia is reading this, I love my Stinger GT2 so far but it’s things like this that I’ll remember when it’s time to decide to be a repeat buyer down the road. I hope making things right and being a company who stands by their products and customer is as important to you as it is to you consumers.

Also, anyone who wants to go the extra mile could reach out to some auto press about this. It’s a high profile car getting lots of attention. If there was some actual articles written on this Kia may be more inclined to find a solution given this is supposed to the car to redefine the brand and would most likely want to avoid negative press. Misleading buyers, intentional or not, on the capabilities of an expensive performance vehicle is not a good look for any car manufacturer.

TLDR: who can we all reach out to at Kia USA to voice our concerns over not getting the car’s advertised capabilities aside from some small print many of us and the dealers we bought from were unaware of?

Here is the information for one of the guys I have talked to. I also have been passed around from one person to the next. At one point this guy told me the dealer changed the settings. Only to find out it came from the factory this way.

KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE
Billy Wells
Billywells@kiacustomerservice.com

 

[StingerChick]

I appreciate it i have 29 pages of notes and repair orders some pretty serious and in pretty upset I or anyone should never have to go thru this with a new car that kia claims to be there new pride and joy that has been tested and beat pretty well. Please watch for a few common issues it will most likely come up.

Are you willing to give some non specific information? For example:
I have 3 engine tickets
2 transmission
1 Door handle
2 Missing items
1 Headlight problem
1 Radio
1 tiers and limiter?
I would find it helpful to at least be informed of which system has an open ticket.

I was not aware that KIA had a service campaign which does not advise customer's of potential problems bc they feel they can just do the repair during a service. A service campaign is different then a recall were the customer is notified. So, if you live hours away from a dealer and do not have your oil changed their you may miss these campaigns. I faced this with my Sportage and cam plug. They was aware it could be a potential problem. They had set a service campaign however it did not reach me bc I do not use dealer for oil change. I will be calling in periodically with this car to ensure their is no campaigns.

I did request KIA to do a recall on the 2017 Sportage sx so others did not have to endure a hardship. However, I do not believe they listened to my suggestion.

 

[StingerChick]

Apart from the speed limiter issue, are you completely happy with your Stinger, or have you experienced or found any other issues with it.

I have enjoyed it so far! Love the power in the mountains. While I have not driven it a lot yet the times I have I would call it a fun car. One thing I will say is for a shorter person like myself the seats are not as comfortable as I would like. After analyzing many times what was diffrent compared to my sportage; I have concluded that the part of the seat where your butt rides, is longer front to back. So, if your short and in the passanger seat you can not bend at the knee easy. (The joys of life at 5 foot). My husband on the other hand finds this design quite comfortable. Do to the additional adjustments on drivers side I can over come this minor dislike.

Another thing I find annoying is here in cold country; in order to run the defrost you have to allow the car to pull outside air in. I would love the system to run on recycled air. When driving in heavy traffic or coming off a pass where some crazy truck driver has burned his breaks. (I hate the smell of breaks on fire).

Next to last, I do not know if I dislike the headlights or just need to get use to the fact that they move. At times I am expecting light in an area that has a shadow. I also do not find them as illuminating as what was on the Sportage.

Last, I find were they put the charge port an inconvenience. (Which wireless charging would have prevented).

Sorry, a long two cents

 

[StingerChick]

In Australia we have three 2.0ltr turbo models: 200S , 200Si and GT-Line, the 3.3ltr V6TT we also have three models: 330S , 330Si and GT. I like how it is easier to know which model is which, im not to sure about having three models in the US like GT , GT1 and GT2 and all have the same badge, only the top V6TT model here has just the GT badge.

No AWD models in Australia.

Interesting, I was unaware that KIA used different labeling in different countries. Some of our areas in America; it would be impractical not to have AWD.

 

[Aquadog]

I've been keeping an eye on the stinger or you might say the GT when it was just a small two door sports car a few years ago, when It finally came out with what they were going to put out to Cell which is now the stinger ,the YouTube videos started coming through .

In about August September most of them were from Australia Korea UK which seem to all have 360 cameras wireless charging stations , more color choice etc. And all the cars they brought in to put on the showroom floor were from Korea that's why the E was on the car instead of Kia in Korea the E stands for excellence.

Anyway the US definitely doesn't get the 360 the charging station yada yada . You really have to do your homework , actually the brochures from the dealer don't have the 360 cameras or the charging station and up to a week or two ago they didn't say that 18 inch wheels were limited to 130 which they do now , Because they been reading these forums obviously .

For the way I like a car to handle I ended up with ordering an AWD just seem to handle better then again I'm not in to drifting the RWD would be definitely a handful for me when ever I would want to play around. The sound system sounds very good. Going to pick mine up on Wednesday in Portland and driving back to California signed the papers and just drive the damn thing because it definitely puts a smile on my face .

I don't plan on doing any modifications because it's least, but there sure have been some good videos on the exhaust system and boosting up the horsepower with aftermarket parts . It's going to be interesting when you gearheads start tinkering around I think the motor the 3.3 has a lot of potential . Be well keep up the good work and remember the greasy wheel gets the oil .

 

[StingerChick]

I've been keeping an eye on the stinger or you might say the GT when it was just a small two door sports car a few years ago, when It finally came out with what they were going to put out to Cell which is now the stinger ,the YouTube videos started coming through .

In about August September most of them were from Australia Korea UK which seem to all have 360 cameras wireless charging stations , more color choice etc. And all the cars they brought in to put on the showroom floor were from Korea that's why the E was on the car instead of Kia in Korea the E stands for excellence.

Anyway the US definitely doesn't get the 360 the charging station yada yada . You really have to do your homework , actually the brochures from the dealer don't have the 360 cameras or the charging station and up to a week or two ago they didn't say that 18 inch wheels were limited to 130 which they do now , Because they been reading these forums obviously .

For the way I like a car to handle I ended up with ordering an AWD just seem to handle better then again I'm not in to drifting the RWD would be definitely a handful for me when ever I would want to play around. The sound system sounds very good. Going to pick mine up on Wednesday in Portland and driving back to California signed the papers and just drive the damn thing because it definitely puts a smile on my face .

I don't plan on doing any modifications because it's least, but there sure have been some good videos on the exhaust system and boosting up the horsepower with aftermarket parts . It's going to be interesting when you gearheads start tinkering around I think the motor the 3.3 has a lot of potential . Be well keep up the good work and remember the greasy wheel gets the oil .

Congratulations on your new ride! Enjoy it. It is a fun car to drive and you made your choice in the light of day. Did you go with the 18s or 19s?

 

[Charly]

Cool! Something in common.

My wife was an RN until she became an NP.



Consumer Recommended
Tire Rack Tested

DUNLOP
SIGNATURE HPUltra High Performance All-Season

• Size: 225/45R18 95W XL
• Load Range: XLMax. Load= 1,521 lbs
  Max psi= 50 psi
  
• Serv. Desc 95W
• Load Index 95= 1521 lbs (690kg) per tire
  Speed Rating = 168 mph (270kph)
• UTQG: 500 AA A500
  Traction: AA
  Temperature: A
• Per Tire: $144.30
• Availability: In Stock
• Can be delivered Tue, 01/30 to 95682 for $10.78 per tire.

Set of 4: $577.20


This was courtesy of Tire Rack. Seems to me that if Kia spent less than $600 on a set of tires and installed them at one of their dealerships along with a re-flashed ECU then this whole problem would go away. I believe that Kia should make it right for the people who weren't informed about the reduced performance before purchasing and this would be a fairly inexpensive way to do it.

 

[Aquadog]

I went with the 19s thanks to you and all the others , that posted the problem with the 18s and the speed limiter set at 130 . Before I came to this forum I did not give it a whole lot of thought weather It came with 18th or 19th, 18s may have cut the performance down a little but they would be good in the rain . As far as the speed limit or goes I learned about those back in 1984 when I bought a new Camaro, that was set at 106 total bummer . Had forgotten about it all together until I was reminded about four months ago, trying to catch the Mercedes 250 and lo and behold 2015 genesis stopped at 106 bummer once again. So that being said at the top of my list before I sign anything I noted , Ask what the speed limitor is set at . I don't know if I'm going to get the answer but I'm definitely going to get to find out before signing the papers if it does well over 106, with the short little test drive of 600 miles from Portland Oregon back into California . Actually I think I could forgo the extra 27 miles an hour in the rain and on the snow and ice . So be safe God bless thank you all for the info.

 

[Aquadog]

I appreciate it i have 29 pages of notes and repair orders some pretty serious and in pretty upset I or anyone should never have to go thru this with a new car that kia claims to be there new pride and joy that has been tested and beat pretty well. Please watch for a few common issues it will most likely come up.

Well if you have a lemon law in your state just take the damn thing back .

 

[Charly]

As far as the speed limit or goes I learned about those back in 1984 when I bought a new Camaro, that was set at 106 total bummer .

You think that's bad? My moho is limited to 78!!!

 

[davebo]

Incidentally has anyone tested the 0-60 time for the AWD model with 18's instead of 19's. I believe someone said the awd with 19 gets the same 4.7 seconds the rwd does, although I know Car & Driver managed a 4.4 with RWD and don't know if anyone has gotten the same with an AWD with either tire.

 

[mldavis2]

One of the advantages to ordering from the factory instead of the emotional grab off the showfloor is that you have time to research all this stuff. I went with the GT1 because I liked the manual shift gate better and it got me away from the headlight turning issue and the softer but perhaps less durable leather seating. I just didn't see the $5,000 difference for a fancier seat. And my GT1 will never see over 130mph, but when I trade it in, I can verify that it has the 167mph limiter to some kid who wants to rod it. Patience is a virtue, and it also gives early buyers a chance to beta test the car before I get mine.

 

[StingerChick]

One of the advantages to ordering from the factory instead of the emotional grab off the showfloor is that you have time to research all this stuff. I went with the GT1 because I liked the manual shift gate better and it got me away from the headlight turning issue and the softer but perhaps less durable leather seating. I just didn't see the $5,000 difference for a fancier seat. And my GT1 will never see over 130mph, but when I trade it in, I can verify that it has the 167mph limiter to some kid who wants to rod it. Patience is a virtue, and it also gives early buyers a chance to beta test the car before I get mine.

I would have waited a year or more but was afraid my Sportage was going to kill me or my family. After they replaced the engine my husband was driving it twice when it just shut off. Now you may go so you just loose power and come to a stop right? Not quite, bc you can not steer the vehicle bc it locks. Luckily, the two times it happen, the car rebooted in seconds and you could steer. I had my reservations about buying a first year car but the issues with the Sportage were greater. The dealer did help make the Stinger price right. However, like many people pointed out they were not trained on the car they sold. I am on the fence with KIA; time will tell with my Stinger. I was happy with the Sportage until the plastic cam plug backed out. I am glad I paid the extra money for the Napa leather bc the regular leather does not hold up well. We ended up on a KIA lot looking for a car for my daughter. My husband did not even get out of truck untill I kept bugging him. He was going off the past reputation of KIA. He knowes his way around an engine because he had worked on them his whole life. I went with the Stinger bc he believes in KIA's product after he lerned more. Do the end up with some lemons yes. Now stop and be logical; does any brand not have problems? Trust me my Ford 6.0 has been a diamond in the ruff. In capable hands the thing runs like a spotted ape. However, when some young guy at work have eyed my green monster and thought about buying one I have simple gave this advice. If you find a 6.0 for a reduced price you need to have the skills to work on it. So, Jerry keep on them remain steadfast KIA did work with my lemon.

 

[Aquadog]

Yes I hear what you're saying I'm not crazy about the shift by wire I do like the GT and the GT one shifter better I'll just have to get used to the paddle shifters. The packaging is all over the place the GT can get the limited slip rear end as an ad on the GT one can't get it all if I remember right And it comes with the GT 2 , let's not even get in the color combinations .

 

[Aquadog]

No one should pay market price hold on to what it says on the website. From what I've heard in the US , They're only going to give the US 100 yellow stingers all the dealers supposedly are on a lottery to see who gets the yellow ones , so if this is the case you could guarantee those will be marked up have a good day .

 

[StingerChick]

Working on a advanced degree now.

 

[Bamm1]

Incidentally has anyone tested the 0-60 time for the AWD model with 18's instead of 19's. I believe someone said the awd with 19 gets the same 4.7 seconds the rwd does, although I know Car & Driver managed a 4.4 with RWD and don't know if anyone has gotten the same with an AWD with either tire.

C&D went 0-60 in 4.6s with the 19's and AWD. In looking at videos of the RWD model launching there is little to no tire slippage. So I think the added weight of the AWD system may add a tenth or two to the times.

When I first saw the complaints about the speed limiter my first thought was well, with the all season tires, you will see reduced performance all around. The set up is square and not staggered. With the 80/20 split in Sport mode you may see a good bit more slip during launch. Not to mention the AS tires are not as "sticky". That could also impact traction off the line. I also don't know how much the 18" wheels weigh vs. the 19". The 19" wheels may actually weigh less than the 18". I do know that the Bridgestone AS tires weigh 2 pounds more than the stock 19" tires on the front of the GT and 1 pound more than the tires in the rear. So moving to the 18" wheels/tires is also adding unsprung weight. Which again, impacts performance.

Braking distances will increase in length (I have seen distances increase by 20 feet or more when moving from summer to AS tires). Slalom times, skidpad g force, etc. will all be impacted for the worse from a performance perspective.

So the Kia ad with top speed, 0-60 time, etc is likely ALL not applicable to the AS tire equipped model.

 

[mldavis2]

On the other hand, since traction control (torque vectoring) is computer controlled, it's possible that you get a better launch with AWD because of less slippage and hence less computer power reduction until the car gets out of wheel-slip. I think some of the tests at 4.6 and 4.5 were with AWD cars. I'll have to check that.

 

[Bamm1]

On the other hand, since traction control (torque vectoring) is computer controlled, it's possible that you get a better launch with AWD because of less slippage and hence less computer power reduction until the car gets out of wheel-slip. I think some of the tests at 4.6 and 4.5 were with AWD cars. I'll have to check that.

The problem is that sending power to front wheels is reactionary. The rear slips, the computer cuts power to the rear and sends it to the front wheels. Traction returns and off ya go. With wider rear tires (like on the staggered 19" wheel setup) that doesn't need to happen. 100% of the power going to the rear wheels doesn't even seem to cause much slippage. So no slip, with less weight = faster times. If the RWD model had a lot of slippage then AWD would make a big difference during launch. I suspect "tuned" GT's with AWD will be faster than those with RWD once there is enough power to break the rear tires lose.

 

[antne]

No one should pay market price hold on to what it says on the website. From what I've heard in the US , They're only going to give the US 100 yellow stingers all the dealers supposedly are on a lottery to see who gets the yellow ones , so if this is the case you could guarantee those will be marked up have a good day .

My local dealer says they're getting gone FWIW