in need of help for a daily driver in desert conditions

[new2stinger]

new to the Kia Stinger, driven a dodge for 15 years (charger & challenger) and if I have to look at that same interior again I will give up! lol In my research for my 'graduation present', the stinger went to the top of the list after test driving the GT Line in Snow White pearl. However, being new to these cars I have a lot of questions. At 6'4" The room isn't bad, I know its a sports car so I'm good with that. My question is performance over the long term. Am I really giving up enough between the 4 cyl over the 6? I've test driven both and the mark ups are ridiculous. Whats it like to maintain and upkeep the the stinger, its going to be in a desert area for a while. Any constructive help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[JustROLLIN]

I have that exact car, 2022 White GT-Line. I would not say the car is a sports car. Its more of a gran touring type of sedan. I think the 300hp is adequate, but could use a little more power if I am honest. I came from a Infinti G37x and this car does not feel as powerful as that, even with nearly the same HP numbers and weight.

That said, I am very happy with the car overall. I hit the freeway quite a bit for work and its an excellent cruiser with a comfortable cab. The car gets a fair amount of looks as well, which is fun. I bought the car cause it was a sporty sedan that was unique, not just another Accord or Camry.

 

[G-317874]

I have that exact car, 2022 White GT-Line. I would not say the car is a sports car. Its more of a gran touring type of sedan. I think the 300hp is adequate, but could use a little more power if I am honest. I came from a Infinti G37x and this car does not feel as powerful as that, even with nearly the same HP numbers and weight.

That said, I am very happy with the car overall. I hit the freeway quite a bit for work and its an excellent cruiser with a comfortable cab. The car gets a fair amount of looks as well, which is fun. I bought the car cause it was a sporty sedan that was unique, not just another Accord or Camry.

So it’s not underpowered with a 4 banger? Sorry I’m coming from dodge so it’s a slow process of realizing not everything is a scat pack or v8. lol a great cruiser and cabin sounds like exactly what I need

 

[boosted1g]

Welcome, I live in AZ desert so have some experience in the matter.

White is far better at hiding imperfections, but I would still suggest getting a proper ceramic coating.
Remote Start is a must, ideally via cell connection because it takes a good 5+ minutes to actually start to cool a car when ambient is 110+.

In regards to giving up a lot between the 4cyl and 6cyl: that is mostly user preference.
The original 2.0L 4cyl was such a large difference that for most of us it was too big of a step. With the new 2.5L that gap has shrunk to where I would say the other features have just as much weight as the performance. Keep in mind the 2.5L JB4 (engine piggyback tuner) will be out soon enough, and between that and some supporting mods it should be easy enough to get another 50-70hp out of the 2.5L.
When I got my car they still had the old 2.0L engine; however, if Kia sold a 2.5L with the (at least the 2020-2021 GT1 level of features) then I likely would have gone that direction.

I will say that vented seats in desert is a very nice luxury (which unfortunately is now only offered on the top GT2 trim) Just the fact that they have breath holes makes it cooler to get in the car, let alone when you turn them on.
For tall people, if you start sharing a car with a spouse/partner, then memory seats are practically a necessity (I am 6'3" and my wife is 5'6").

 

[stoopid]

Nothing special regarding living in the desert. Long braking in the heat might put some extra stress on the brakes, but the consensus is the stock rotors are fine but the stock pads are not. Pad replacement would be one recommendation. Tint is nice to have as well.

While tuning could bring the 2.5T fairly close to the stock 3.3TT performance, I'm glad to have the 3.3TT . Gas prices could be a factor if the higher prices hang on for much longer, but typically these spikes are just that - a transient increase. Eventually they'll drop, just maybe never back to where they were early in covid lockdowns. Getting 26-27MPG highway is good, stock the 2.5T gets 30MPG (some claim higher). Modding the 2.5T will obviously bite into that.

 

[AdrianG]

I am a bit of a snob, admittedly, but I would not go for the 2.5 over the 3.3 mostly because of the fact that I want the best I can get (within reason), and I simply do not want to deal with the possibility of later thinking "woulda, shoulda, coulda" (taken the 3.3 over the 2.5, in this example). Why not go for the best, provided you can afford it?

 

[nhcowboy28]

Best daily driver in desert conditions…

 

[new2stinger]

Good

Welcome, I live in AZ desert so have some experience in the matter.

White is far better at hiding imperfections, but I would still suggest getting a proper ceramic coating.
Remote Start is a must, ideally via cell connection because it takes a good 5+ minutes to actually start to cool a car when ambient is 110+.

In regards to giving up a lot between the 4cyl and 6cyl: that is mostly user preference.
The original 2.0L 4cyl was such a large difference that for most of us it was too big of a step. With the new 2.5L that gap has shrunk to where I would say the other features have just as much weight as the performance. Keep in mind the 2.5L JB4 (engine piggyback tuner) will be out soon enough, and between that and some supporting mods it should be easy enough to get another 50-70hp out of the 2.5L.
When I got my car they still had the old 2.0L engine; however, if Kia sold a 2.5L with the (at least the 2020-2021 GT1 level of features) then I likely would have gone that direction.

I will say that vented seats in desert is a very nice luxury (which unfortunately is now only offered on the top GT2 trim) Just the fact that they have breath holes makes it cooler to get in the car, let alone when you turn them on.
For tall people, if you start sharing a car with a spouse/partner, then memory seats are practically a necessity (I am 6'3" and my wife is 5'6").

Good point about the JB4 piggyback. I’ve never engine modded much nor needed too, will that void the warranty?

 

[new2stinger]

Not a

I am a bit of a snob, admittedly, but I would not go for the 2.5 over the 3.3 mostly because of the fact that I want the best I can get (within reason), and I simply do not want to deal with the possibility of later thinking "woulda, shoulda, coulda" (taken the 3.3 over the 2.5, in this example). Why not go for the best, provided you can afford it?

Not an issue of affording it, just finding it! Seems like GTlines are more plentiful over the GT1’s

 

[AdrianG]

Not an issue of affording it, just finding it! Seems like GTlines are more plentiful over the GT1’s

The market is nuts right now, for sure. I would go for a newer year GT2, if you can afford it. Realistically, I would just order one and wait. These things are basically an investment for the time being, price has only been going up. When I bought mine in September I was willing to scour the US to find the right one, luckily they had one here in Colorado Springs that showed up the week after I put my deposit down. They had a couple of the 3.3 GT variety when I was in there just a couple weeks ago.

 

[JustROLLIN]

So it’s not underpowered with a 4 banger? Sorry I’m coming from dodge so it’s a slow process of realizing not everything is a scat pack or v8. lol a great cruiser and cabin sounds like exactly what I need

I think it could use 30hp more. Just never feels quite as snappy as my previous car.

 

[5tinger]

The delivery of power on a 6 cylinder significantly smoother than 4-cyl and better suited to the GT demeanour of the Stinger.

 

[stoopid]

The delivery of power on a 6 cylinder significantly smoother than 4-cyl and better suited to the GT demeanour of the Stinger.

Agree, it feels like it's always there and with the couple 4 cylinder turbos I've driven regularly, there's definitely more lag waiting for boost/power to build. But with modern turbo setups (typically twin scroll for 'always on' low end torque), this is less of an issue. Still there, just not deal breaking territory IMO. If I wasn't looking for the best Stinger drivetrain, I'd be fine with the 2.5T. The launch and passing power on the 3.3TT is solid, probably the best aspect of the car's performance and the always on tap power is perfect for zipping around the city [although a bulk of my driving is commuting on the highway at the moment]. If that power was gone it would take away from the overall experience. So a tune would be necessary to maximize that fun factor, and warranty coverage once tuned is a gamble and/or requires a lot of reversing things before bringing the vehicle in.