Kelly Blue Book (KBB) Kia Stinger Review

[Kia Stinger]

The new Accord is an enigma for me. I think it looks fine, the touring trim is attractive IMO. But inside, I wasn’t blown away like everyone who reviewed it was. Their new infotainment is excellent. The head up display is great, and that car feels significantly more powerful than 252HP.

With that said, they did this stupid thing with the driver legroom that kills me, because my knee hits the dumb center stack and it’s hard plastic, so it’s super uncomfortable. The sound system doesn’t sound good at all, and you feel like you’re sitting in a 30k car. An Optima Limited feels WAY more luxurious than the new Accord, for a very similar sticker price.

The Camry is even worse. I drove one of those last night and couldn’t believe anyone would pay 37k for it. The Stinger GT 2 or Genesis G80 sport on the other hand...Swoon. 15-20k more though, and it shows haha.

I have the Touring and the sound system is horrible compared to everything else I've had over the past 10 or 15 years. It feels cheap on the road - not safe at all. If I need to make a fast maneuver to get our of an accident situation - it's not going to be easy in the Accord. I have the V6 Touring with the tightest suspension and largest wheels. It's not good. It's the most unsafe car I've owned in a long, long, LONG time. I like the interior and exterior - and that's it.

'nout accounting for people's tastes eh chuck? Imagine if everyone liked the Stinger and had to have one. I'd probably go buy a Fiat Multipla just to be different...

I know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I just really don't like that new front fascia.

 

[Bobr]

Everyone else thinks the new Accord looks better than the Lamborghini Aventador.

That's why most of modern car designs so bad these days ( You seen Audi A7 2018? They just f*cking ruined all the beauty... but looks as most people on Youtube like it... Darth Vader appreciate

 

[Kia Stinger]

That's why most of modern car designs so bad these days ( You seen Audi A7 2018? They just f*cking ruined all the beauty... but looks as most people on Youtube like it... Darth Vader appreciate

The new A7 certainly did lose it's edginess. It's very smooth now. I still like it but I preferred the more aggressive style of the previous generation.

 

[voon]

Not my kind of design, but at least it's something new with the (Retro? Reminds me of our old Saab 9000CSE) connected Taillights. Audi can't do the ever same crap with their nonstop same Grill again .. same for BMW, those cars look the same since like 20 years.

 

[Kia Stinger]

Not my kind of design, but at least it's something new with the (Retro? Reminds me of our old Saab 9000CSE) connected Taillights. Audi can't do the ever same crap with their nonstop same Grill again .. same for BMW, those cars look the same since like 20 years.

It seems like BMW dashes never change. Ever.

 

[Fergalis]

...I just really don't like that new front fascia.

I remember when Honda first unveiled it - for me it was 'WTF???'. The fascia was so incoherent with the rest of the design that I imagined it wasn't part of the original design team's intention, but someone higher had ordered the last minute change to mimic some imagined prestige seen in another brand's design language. And to me the car as a whole looks like it was conceived out of too many borrowed ideas that don't form together well - the Stinger, by contrast, is an extraordinary example of a design executed with a master's pen, not a committee.

 

[Kia Stinger]

I remember when Honda first unveiled it - for me it was 'WTF???'. The fascia was so incoherent with the rest of the design that I imagined it wasn't part of the original design team's intention, but someone higher had ordered the last minute change to mimic some imagined prestige seen in another brand's design language. And to me the car as a whole looks like it was conceived out of too many borrowed ideas that don't form together well - the Stinger, by contrast, is an extraordinary example of a design executed with a master's pen, not a committee.

At least we're in the same boat here. I find the 2016 Accord to be very nice looking. I was so disappointed when I saw the 2018. I thought it would look more along the lines of something like this - though less concepty...

 

[Fergalis]

I find the 2016 Accord to be very nice looking.

Agree - it had classical proportions for a sedan, and pleasantly easy on the eye. And in markets outside those that had Acura, the top models were finished off internally with higher grade materials and appointed with a lot of kit as standard that was only available in Acuras in North America.

In NZ we also had access to the European Accord, which I think were the nicer looking again, but smaller than the North American version (almost Civic size in reality).