dlucke17
New Member
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- Sep 17, 2021
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Hello all, new guy here. Long time listener, first time caller lol. Coming to you from Jacksonville FL, cars, shadetree mechanic, and some spirited driving have been a LONG time passion. I'm a Nissan guy at heart and have owned many Z's and 240sx's over the years. My baby is a 98 240sx Kouki and have owned her for about 15 years now. I usually do all of our mechanical services for our vehicles, from brake jobs to clutches (may NOT do that one again, lol) and really just enjoy getting dirty or learning something new. Plus, it's a great way to get my boys around a wrench at a young age (9y, 3y, 3mths) which is something I recall as a boy with my uncle.
That 'KIA' tho.....
Was in the market last week when our SUV lease was up, drove a couple 4-doors, including the Stinger GT, and was BLOWN away - literally. Walking into the day, we had narrowed it down to 3 cars; 2018 Dodge Charger Daytona (with some bolt-ons), 2018 Audi SQ5, & the Stinger, and we drove them in that order.
I couldn't get the SMILE off my face after driving the Charger (it was my first Charger). It was literally like sitting in a race car again. The 6.4L and aftermarket exhaust shook the entire car with a purpose and grumbled as if starving for its next meal. The bells and whistles inside, including plush leather and roomy interior screamed family car, seating for 5 - YES please.... The drive was much more pleasant then expected, and the road and any imperfections were absorbed delicately with very little body roll around a corner. BUT - conversation inside the car was almost impossible (I'm married and maybe would have been okay with this....) with the drivetrain sounds and growls as we even sit at a red light. AND, the car screamed mid-life crisis (thank my wife for pointing this out) because of the hyper-orange paint, Superbee decals, loud exhaust, and race ready spoiler. It was fast, it was fun but wasn't going to be practical to take the boys to school day in, day out......
The QS5 was surprising fun to drive as well. 3.0tt v6, AWD, 0-60 in about 5 secs, it was quick, loaded with tech and wrapped in a matte anthracite (which I LOVE), which really set it up perfectly with the wheels, brakes and styling. There were buttons on top of buttons, a freaking mouse pad of some sorts, you know, incase you want to doodle on your touchscreen while driving... Panoramic sunroof, heated/cooled leather all around (cuz you know we need our heated seats here in Florida) and everything else you would expect in an Audi. The drive was amazing as well, not quite as quick (close), but handled much better than anticipated. A nice purrrrr under the hood until acceleration - when you knew it was "Game On!!!" Even a little 'pop' between gear shifts, or backfire, that was super sexy. BUT - you ever have that feeling that something wasn't.... right? Or like a girl (or guy - your call) from 50 ft away that looks amazing, only to get closer and you're like "DAMN", a train punched her in the face.... That was the vibe we were getting from the Audi. Every brushed aluminum piece in the doors (all 4) were scratched up. You could just tell the previous owner didn't care, which then caused concerns like, "what's the paint look like under the wrap?" "how's the engine been serviced?" It was just outside of the Audi powertrain warranty, so we decided to drive the Stinger and look at a BMW that just popped up.
THEN.... IT HAPPENED....
We pull up to the dealership and the car is in the back as the GM had been using it. We took a test drive and the guys dry cleaning was in the trunk haha. Seems the car had just hit the lot the day earlier when the previous driver traded in on a new Frontier (really a freaking Toyota Tacoma - another story). Being a car guy, I had started following the Stinger in 2018 when released and was impressed with the styling and performance numbers. But to see it up close created a slight tingle I wasn't expecting (Frontal Cortex people - get your heads right!). The GM was a mess and the car looked the same as they just pulled his kids car seats out so we could test drive, but you could still tell through that, that the car was in really good shape. The test drive was invigorating and surprising to say the least. The engine and exhaust were more like choir boys then rock stars even during full throttle. Acceleration was aggressive but soft and smooth, refined. The handling over the traverse and at speeds I never expected to achieve in such a short distance, was unexpectedly amazing. The ride was soooo quite, lacking rumble or notes of "get the F out of the way", that I had ZERO clue I was doing 110mph. Oh, and all of this while driving without a working sound system, so we cannot blame loud music or poor life choices (well, maybe that one). I was truly amazed at what this car was capable of and what KIA had created. The exterior styling, the interior and tech, the performance.... I was a loss for words....
So, we own a Stinger - Got a problem with that????
HAHAHA - Hope you liked my story. As you can tell, I'm not much for words. Please don't hesitate to reach out!
That 'KIA' tho.....
Was in the market last week when our SUV lease was up, drove a couple 4-doors, including the Stinger GT, and was BLOWN away - literally. Walking into the day, we had narrowed it down to 3 cars; 2018 Dodge Charger Daytona (with some bolt-ons), 2018 Audi SQ5, & the Stinger, and we drove them in that order.
I couldn't get the SMILE off my face after driving the Charger (it was my first Charger). It was literally like sitting in a race car again. The 6.4L and aftermarket exhaust shook the entire car with a purpose and grumbled as if starving for its next meal. The bells and whistles inside, including plush leather and roomy interior screamed family car, seating for 5 - YES please.... The drive was much more pleasant then expected, and the road and any imperfections were absorbed delicately with very little body roll around a corner. BUT - conversation inside the car was almost impossible (I'm married and maybe would have been okay with this....) with the drivetrain sounds and growls as we even sit at a red light. AND, the car screamed mid-life crisis (thank my wife for pointing this out) because of the hyper-orange paint, Superbee decals, loud exhaust, and race ready spoiler. It was fast, it was fun but wasn't going to be practical to take the boys to school day in, day out......
The QS5 was surprising fun to drive as well. 3.0tt v6, AWD, 0-60 in about 5 secs, it was quick, loaded with tech and wrapped in a matte anthracite (which I LOVE), which really set it up perfectly with the wheels, brakes and styling. There were buttons on top of buttons, a freaking mouse pad of some sorts, you know, incase you want to doodle on your touchscreen while driving... Panoramic sunroof, heated/cooled leather all around (cuz you know we need our heated seats here in Florida) and everything else you would expect in an Audi. The drive was amazing as well, not quite as quick (close), but handled much better than anticipated. A nice purrrrr under the hood until acceleration - when you knew it was "Game On!!!" Even a little 'pop' between gear shifts, or backfire, that was super sexy. BUT - you ever have that feeling that something wasn't.... right? Or like a girl (or guy - your call) from 50 ft away that looks amazing, only to get closer and you're like "DAMN", a train punched her in the face.... That was the vibe we were getting from the Audi. Every brushed aluminum piece in the doors (all 4) were scratched up. You could just tell the previous owner didn't care, which then caused concerns like, "what's the paint look like under the wrap?" "how's the engine been serviced?" It was just outside of the Audi powertrain warranty, so we decided to drive the Stinger and look at a BMW that just popped up.
THEN.... IT HAPPENED....
We pull up to the dealership and the car is in the back as the GM had been using it. We took a test drive and the guys dry cleaning was in the trunk haha. Seems the car had just hit the lot the day earlier when the previous driver traded in on a new Frontier (really a freaking Toyota Tacoma - another story). Being a car guy, I had started following the Stinger in 2018 when released and was impressed with the styling and performance numbers. But to see it up close created a slight tingle I wasn't expecting (Frontal Cortex people - get your heads right!). The GM was a mess and the car looked the same as they just pulled his kids car seats out so we could test drive, but you could still tell through that, that the car was in really good shape. The test drive was invigorating and surprising to say the least. The engine and exhaust were more like choir boys then rock stars even during full throttle. Acceleration was aggressive but soft and smooth, refined. The handling over the traverse and at speeds I never expected to achieve in such a short distance, was unexpectedly amazing. The ride was soooo quite, lacking rumble or notes of "get the F out of the way", that I had ZERO clue I was doing 110mph. Oh, and all of this while driving without a working sound system, so we cannot blame loud music or poor life choices (well, maybe that one). I was truly amazed at what this car was capable of and what KIA had created. The exterior styling, the interior and tech, the performance.... I was a loss for words....
So, we own a Stinger - Got a problem with that????
HAHAHA - Hope you liked my story. As you can tell, I'm not much for words. Please don't hesitate to reach out!
. Enjoyed your journey. Would have been a superb article with some pics of each car you benchmarked (can you add them?)
