Has anyone seen any Stingers in the wild?

[Here4now]

So, give it 2 to 3 years.
When I bought my 2011 opitma EX Luxury. I didn't see many for about 2 years.
So once everyone get over the price, there will be too many just like civics lol
Just as long as KIA doesn't go the same path with the Horsepower change as they did in the Opitma.

 

[Crccobra]

So, give it 2 to 3 years.
When I bought my 2011 opitma EX Luxury. I didn't see many for about 2 years.
So once everyone get over the price, there will be too many just like civics lol
Just as long as KIA doesn't go the same path with the Horsepower change as they did in the Opitma.

Wow that's a really bad analogy, nobody has ever looked at an Optima except maybe to find it in a parking lot with a million others!

 

[davebo]

Wow that's a really bad analogy, nobody has ever looked at an Optima except maybe to find it in a parking lot with a million others!

You couldn't be more wrong. In 2012 I got almost as many compliments on the color and look of my Optima SX as I now get about the Stinger. It was just a different time back then. With the KIA badge missing people asked if it was a new BMW or Lexus. Of course it didn't take long for them to become super common, which is great for Kia. But Kia snatched up Peter Schreyer in what, 2007? and the first thing he did was the Optima redesign, so he had a lot riding on that and it really turned things around for Kia.

 

[Crccobra]

Nothing personal my friend but the looks, performance and style of the Optima don't come close to the Stinger, especially the looks/style! It is like comparing a Taurus to a GT Mustang. Sure both are cars by Ford but of different stripes. Before the Stinger came out I couldn't name a car they made but the Stinger changed that, not the XL or whateveror Optima.

 

[Manaz]

You couldn't be more wrong. In 2012 I got almost as many compliments on the color and look of my Optima SX as I now get about the Stinger. It was just a different time back then. With the KIA badge missing people asked if it was a new BMW or Lexus. Of course it didn't take long for them to become super common, which is great for Kia. But Kia snatched up Peter Schreyer in what, 2007? and the first thing he did was the Optima redesign, so he had a lot riding on that and it really turned things around for Kia.

Nothing personal my friend but the looks, performance and style of the Optima don't come close to the Stinger, especially the looks/style! It is like comparing a Taurus to a GT Mustang. Sure both are cars by Ford but of different stripes. Before the Stinger came out I couldn't name a car they made but the Stinger changed that, not the XL or whateveror Optima.

This is the joy of a subjective topic. You're both right from your own perspective, and both wrong from the other side.

 

[Flameangel]

At 2:40 pm in my Stinger heading along the Princes Freeway, passed by a Ceramic Grey, a young female driver who gave me a huge smile as she passed, I smiled back..AI....
Female driver in the Ceramic grey is also on the GT facebook group I'm a member of and she asked if it was me, we had a chat and a laugh. She said she was excited seeing me on the road because I was her first " Spotto ", I had a smile afterwards, I'm finally someone's " Spotto "

 

[Flameangel]

nobody has ever looked at an Optima except maybe to find it in a parking lot with a million others!

When I had my Optima, especially when it was new, it did turn some heads and I did have people complimenting it every so often, the common comment was " ooww, this is a bit flashy isn't it ? " lol

 

[davebo]

This is the joy of a subjective topic. You're both right from your own perspective, and both wrong from the other side.

Well the looks are certainly subjective, but his claim that "no one" cares about the Optima's looks was an objective statement factually contradicted by Flameangel and my observed real-world experiences
At the end of the day it's just another front wheel drive mid-size four-door whose power and looks were both downtuned after the first refresh, but go back to 2011 and compare it to the aging Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry and it stands out a fair amount. Schreyer had to start somewhere though, and as he said himself "Every new model influences the next ones."

 

[Jacques]

^^^Agreed! People forget that it was the 2011-15 Optimas that had a dramatic design change (there's even a video by Kia I believe about it) thanks to Peter Schreyer, and to me, the brand has gone this direction ever since. I would've never had considered the Stinger if I hadn't gotten the 2013 Optima SX prior, and when I had that car, even as recent as this year, people would ask me about it from time to time. It changed my perspective about Kia as a brand.

 

[eljay]

Pleeeeeze say this was one of you: northbound 605 between 2:30 and 3, followed mine off when I had to exit, but then turned a different way. White, black roof and spoiler, 8GUM***. Enjoyed our little do-si-do across the lanes.

 

[TwistedOrca]

Unfortunately, I was in the Sorento.

 

[MerlintheMad]

View attachment 27732 Unfortunately, I was in the Sorento.

You captured it. That's what counts.

 

[Ozstung]

Ok to please Merlin and call my quota.
White Gt Opposite Nepean hospital, Penrith. DVH--- passenger had a red turban on. I was stationary when they came up to the side street. We got a good luck at each other. My mind went bank I could only manage a head wobble.

 

[James5623]

I think there’s more of us out there:

^^^Agreed! People forget that it was the 2011-15 Optimas that had a dramatic design change (there's even a video by Kia I believe about it) thanks to Peter Schreyer, and to me, the brand has gone this direction ever since. I would've never had considered the Stinger if I hadn't gotten the 2013 Optima SX prior, and when I had that car, even as recent as this year, people would ask me about it from time to time. It changed my perspective about Kia as a brand.
View attachment 27702

 

[Luminary]

People forget that it was the 2011-15 Optimas that had a dramatic design change (there's even a video by Kia I believe about it)

The video is on Youtube, and is good watch:

There is even a concept of the Stinger sitting behind Peter during one of his interviews in the video.

 

[AV8R]

Ok to please Merlin and call my quota.
White Gt Opposite Nepean hospital, Penrith. DVH--- passenger had a red turban on. I was stationary when they came up to the side street. We got a good luck at each other. My mind went bank I could only manage a head wobble.

Ooh deery deery me!
I saw two today, one white one red in my local area.

 

[ElChanclo]

View attachment 27732 Unfortunately, I was in the Sorento.

You need a bumper sticker "My other car is a Stinger"

 

[Manaz]

I spotted a white Stinger at about 10:30am yesterday, Old Windsor Rd in Sydney, at the Norbrick Ave lights (near the Norwest Private Hospital).

It pulled up in the far left lane and I was turning right, so I didn't see the plates.

 

[Kamauxx]

^^^Agreed! People forget that it was the 2011-15 Optimas that had a dramatic design change (there's even a video by Kia I believe about it) thanks to Peter Schreyer, and to me, the brand has gone this direction ever since. I would've never had considered the Stinger if I hadn't gotten the 2013 Optima SX prior, and when I had that car, even as recent as this year, people would ask me about it from time to time. It changed my perspective about Kia as a brand.
View attachment 27702

Same here. A 2012 EX and then a 2017 SXL are two main factors that contributed to me sticking with Kia and getting a Stinger.

 

[Jacques]

The video is on Youtube, and is good watch:

There is even a concept of the Stinger sitting behind Peter during one of his interviews in the video.

Yup, it was this video! I couldn't think of the name of it, but I sort of credit that video for me getting the Optima in the first place.