How many plan on keeping their Stinger once their lease/financing term ends?

[Rufus]

Howdy, Hive!
Just curious how many owners/lessees are planning on holding on to their Stinger...or not. No "right" or "wrong" connotation to a given answer should be inferred, just plain old curiosity . Also, if you want to leave a reason why you answered as you did, that would be awesome!!!

I for one plan on keeping until I either have enough coin a few generations down to get a CPO gt+ trim, or until it's needing to be put out to pasture. I definitely plan on keeping her as nice as possible while still getting copious amounts of seat time.

 

[mldavis2]

I always plan to keep my cars. I pay for them, not lease them, because if you keep the car, it's far cheaper. You take a huge hit on depreciation on any car when you drive it off the lot. In order to amortize that depreciation you need to keep it as long as possible unless or until it's maintenance overcomes its value on the used market.

 

[Klem]

My plan was lease a Stinger GT2 AWD instead of buying because of its being so new to the scene. I figured if it turns out to be a lemon, I'd just return it in 3 years and be done with Kia altogether. If on the other hand it turned out a good car then I'd want a new improved version, similar to the ones they sell in Canada I hope. I have had only one serious problem so far (less than 500 miles on it). Went out to get into it and found the rear hatchback window shattered and totally cracked like a spiders web. It wasn't vandalism. It was 31 and sunny outside so it was a big surprise.

Its in the dealer shop now and I've received 2 calls from the factory and 2 from the dealer updating me on its status. I should have the car back in a day or two. This happened exactly a week ago today. They seem genuinely concerned about me being happy with their service under warranty and of course, this is covered.

Personal note......I'm not too upset because #1 - it happened in front of my house and not on the road or away from home and #2 - its brand new type of car and bugs can be expected. Once repaired and replaced and it never happens again, I'm ok with that but....if it happens again, then we're in a whole new ballpark.

 

[eljay]

I plan to keep mine at least until the power train warranty runs out since I don't put many miles on a car. I planned to keep my Grand Prix for 10 years, but ended up keeping it for over 20 because it was low mileage and fun to drive and didn't cost me much until the last year or so. I've never kept a car less than 11 years.

As a retiree, although my savings and pension seem way more than adequate right now, I always fear the economy will turn on me at some point when I can't go out and earn more money, so I plan for major purchases to last as long as possible. And besides, now that I have a reliable car, my pied-a-tear-down needs repairs and remodeling, and becomes the priority.

That being said, I love this car so much that if they come out with some great new features (without losing what I love about it now) in let's say 6 years, I may be unable to resist upgrading.

 

[StungBlueGT2]

Howdy, Hive!
Just curious how many owners/lessees are planning on holding on to their Stinger...or not. No "right" or "wrong" connotation to a given answer should be inferred, just plain old curiosity . Also, if you want to leave a reason why you answered as you did, that would be awesome!!!

I for one plan on keeping until I either have enough coin a few generations down to get a CPO gt+ trim, or until it's needing to be put out to pasture. I definitely plan on keeping her as nice as possible while still getting copious amounts of seat time.

This is a great question and I will be debating it over the next 4yrs.

I used to try to buy all my cars, but have completely changed my opinion over the last 15+ years... I do agree 100% with mldavis2. If you can pay off a car quick enough to own it before maintenance costs begin to build up then you're golden!

However I've actually tried to own 3 cars since 2003, but ended up wasting my money each time...
1)My '99 Saab was 3yrs into a 5yr finance, but then she was totaled due to A-hole that hit & ran.
2)Next, I only had 5 payments left until a beautiful '02 Saab was mine, but the tranny died and my warranty already expired. At that point it would have cost more to fix it than it was worth so the best situation was to roll the negative equity into a short 2yr lease on a Subaru. Not as nice as my Saabs, but a brand new car with ZERO issues was a spoiling experience.
3)Lastly, I gave car ownership one more shot and financed a '09 Saab Aero. I only had it about a year, but unfortunately my fiance totaled it when someone cut in front of her at 50mph....

That was the last straw and after thousands of wasted $ I finally gave up trying to own a vehicle. Now, I know I must have the worst luck, and officially have the worst "Saab" story in history, but I'd rather have a new car with ZERO issues every 4yrs than have to deal with any of that BS ever again!

Just my $0.02 and hope everyone has better luck than me! Lol.

 

[mldavis2]

No. @StungBlueGT2, I think Saab died because of similar problems. I had a '75 EMS and replaced (let me think ...water pump, head gasket, fuel pump, clutch and slave cylinders, timing chain, brake pads about every other oil change, etc. It was a fantastically engineered car but a parts nightmare until some kind driver totaled it for me and put me out of my misery.

 

[Rufus]

No. @StungBlueGT2, I think Saab died because of similar problems. I had a '75 EMS and replaced (let me think ...water pump, head gasket, fuel pump, clutch and slave cylinders, timing chain, brake pads about every other oil change, etc. It was a fantastically engineered car but a parts nightmare until some kind driver totaled it for me and put me out of my misery.

I'm genuinely curious--- what is the distintion between "well-engineered" and reliable? Wouldn't something that was well engineered be reliable as well? I've asked myself this question before but never really had the forum (pun intended?) to ask someone who actually knows an answer to this...

 

[Weareblondi]

Hey Rufus, if I am not mistaken, which according to the Mrs is always, Saab was owned by gm at that time, so basically, it was a bastardized Frankenstein monster mishmash of gm America, gm Europe and Saab parts. I had a 900 years ago and full on magnusson mods, car was a beast. That and Volvo's, couldn't kill em. But, I have always kept my cars as long as possible so I could enjoy them. They were and are objects of art and speed. In NY, I rode the subway to get from point a-point b. Drove my cars and bikes for the sheer joy. That's was my .02 cents worth.

 

[mldavis2]

I only know the '75 Saab I had. It had a strange, rounded shape, fold-down rear seats that gave a nice cargo space if needed (like the Stinger), a 2.0L 4cyl. engine (said to be of Triumph design) 120HP, with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection (same as used by the BMW's in '75). But the engine was inline and "backwards." The "front" of the engine (pulleys, etc.) were against the firewall. The engine was stacked on top of the 4-speed manual transmission with the top of the transmission case holding the engine oil. The clutch was in the front of the car (back of the engine) behind the radiator. Ignition key was in the center console and other weird stuff too numerous to mention. I should mention that I put 160,000 on it before it was totaled which is likely more than the engineers intended.

 

[bugaboo90]

I'm thinking of buying. Within 1 month I have 3000 miles and i don't think I'll slow down. Which is why I might just buy the car now so take advantage of the lease rebate.

 

[bugaboo90]

Btw, great post! Thx

 

[TXGT2]

I will stay with my lease then look at buying a new Stinger.

I think there are a couple of things I would like Kia to address before I buying:

• Transmission - Allow for full manual mode. Programming can be intrusive and limits confidence when taking corners.
• Sport+ Drive Mode - Further stiffen the chassis, and tighten transmission. I believe the UK has this feature.
• Wireless Charging - This feature should not have been offered in certain countries, should be available for everyone buying a $50k vehicle.
• Center Console Ports - Add more USB ports to keep the dash free and allow other ports to connect to the audio system.
• Exhaust Adjustment - Kia should include real exhaust modes. Certain Mustangs have this capability. Why should I have to purchase the new exhaust system they are working on for $2,500 (USD)?
• Heated Rear Seats - See wireless charging comment. Less expensive Kia models have heated rear seats.
• Proper Badging - More Stinger badges and fewer Kia badges. Some of their lower end models have door seal plates with he models name on it, why doesn’t the Stinger have this?
• Lane Keep Assist - Often wonders and is primarily for highway use. More tweaks should resolve this when I want to use it.
• EQ Adjustments - Lots of discussion on this site about the equalizer. Allow for more customization.

I believe what makes Kia special to me is their willingness to engage customers to meet their needs. In three-years time I will be excited to see how they have advanced the Stinger. They already started with the 500 limited edition Atlantica.

 

[StungBlueGT2]

No. @StungBlueGT2, I think Saab died because of similar problems. I had a '75 EMS and replaced (let me think ...water pump, head gasket, fuel pump, clutch and slave cylinders, timing chain, brake pads about every other oil change, etc. It was a fantastically engineered car but a parts nightmare until some kind driver totaled it for me and put me out of my misery.

Sorry mldavis2 I think you misunderstood my points and I wasn’t talking about Saab’s reliability... That’s off topic and a discussion for another forum. However 2 of my 3 Saab’s had no problems(all GM backed), but unfortunately those were the 2 that were totaled.

I’m not disagreeing Saab died due to reliability and other issues, I’m simply stating that buying sometimes doesnt work out how you plan. Unexpected accidents ruined car ownership for me, so now I’m happy driving a new car with upgraded technology every 3-4yrs!

 

[mldavis2]

No problem, @StungBlueGT2. Our cars came from different eras, mine before GM bought them out.

 

[gilthanis1]

I'm keeping it till its paid for and then some. Once the warranty is out, I will look into doing more than exhaust/intake/window tint and most likely look at bigger turbos/tuning to hit 600WHP. The motor in this car is so over-engineered and de-tuned it's not funny. I wouldn't be surprised if the bottom end could handle close to 600WHP before it ever needs to be upgraded.

 

[KikoTheAkita]

I plan to keep my Stinger as long as it is in good condition and as long as nothing significantly more enticing comes along.

 

[Berzerker]

I will stay with my lease then look at buying a new Stinger.

I think there are a couple of things I would like Kia to address before I buying:

• Transmission - Allow for full manual mode. Programming can be intrusive and limits confidence when taking corners.
• Sport+ Drive Mode - Further stiffen the chassis, and tighten transmission. I believe the UK has this feature.
• Wireless Charging - This feature should not have been offered in certain countries, should be available for everyone buying a $50k vehicle.
• Center Console Ports - Add more USB ports to keep the dash free and allow other ports to connect to the audio system.
• Exhaust Adjustment - Kia should include real exhaust modes. Certain Mustangs have this capability. Why should I have to purchase the new exhaust system they are working on for $2,500 (USD)?
• Heated Rear Seats - See wireless charging comment. Less expensive Kia models have heated rear seats.
• Proper Badging - More Stinger badges and fewer Kia badges. Some of their lower end models have door seal plates with he models name on it, why doesn’t the Stinger have this?
• Lane Keep Assist - Often wonders and is primarily for highway use. More tweaks should resolve this when I want to use it.
• EQ Adjustments - Lots of discussion on this site about the equalizer. Allow for more customization.

I believe what makes Kia special to me is their willingness to engage customers to meet their needs. In three-years time I will be excited to see how they have advanced the Stinger. They already started with the 500 limited edition Atlantica.

Disagree with some of these:

Center Console Ports - Most cars only give you one, so an extra with dedicated power seems more than adequate.

Proper Badging - Really disagree here. This is the car that's designed to lift the brand out of monotony and into recognition as a real contender to the German sports-luxury cars. You can't do that if you debadge it. I encourage Kia to keep the Kia badging where it is now, and just add some Stinger decals to the interior, maybe one on the side, but definitely don't remove the Kia badge.

 

[mldavis2]

I completely agree with the charging. I don't think I'd like a cell phone sliding around on the charging pad when it could be mounted in a holder or just in the console area. What is the advantage to having it lying flat on the console when there are two charging ports available? I don't get it.

Badging is important. If you are ashamed to be driving a Kia, go dust off some 'Stangs and Camaros and BMW's and earn some respect. On the other hand, I think the large Stinger across the center of the rear deck looks much better than the round KIA badge. You still have Kia hubs, steering wheel and front badge. I don't want to hide the fact that Kia is no longer a whimpy grocery hauler, and they deserve respect for how they want to badge the car after having the insight and courage to build this machine. Agree except for the rear.

 

[TXGT2]

I completely agree with the charging. I don't think I'd like a cell phone sliding around on the charging pad when it could be mounted in a holder or just in the console area. What is the advantage to having it lying flat on the console when there are two charging ports available? I don't get it.

Badging is important. If you are ashamed to be driving a Kia, go dust off some 'Stangs and Camaros and BMW's and earn some respect. On the other hand, I think the large Stinger across the center of the rear deck looks much better than the round KIA badge. You still have Kia hubs, steering wheel and front badge. I don't want to hide the fact that Kia is no longer a whimpy grocery hauler, and they deserve respect for how they want to badge the car after having the insight and courage to build this machine. Agree except for the rear.

@mldavis2 I hear you regarding the badging. I will not change Kia badges on my current Stinger as I am supportive of advocating for the brand. Kia took a risk in creating this vehicle, and I respect that. However, after 3-years though (when my lease ends) Kia badging will have minimal impact. They can then shift to introducing more Stinger badging. Oh, and I want surround-view cameras on my next Stinger as well.