3.3TT Kia Stinger Aftermarket Exhaust Information and Discussion

[thomas5986]

I think that pretty much all aftermarket Cat-backs, on the Stinger, won't produce drone or very little of it. It's pairing a given CB with a given secondary DP that doesn't always mixes really well...It seems that the ARK secDP + MF Cat-Back is drone free or as close as. I'd like more input from owners with different setups

I am very curious to hear this statement. After spending about 6 hours yesterday and reading 620 comments on this thread I have heard this for the first time. Am I understanding you correctly that if I don't mess with my midpipe or secondary pipe and install a Borla I will have more or less the non-existent drone of my OEM setup?

 

[thomas5986]

Should get borla CB and ark secDP pretty soon ill be sure to post video probly in 2 weeks depending on my schedule maybe meet up in trois-riviere

I couldn't find your update after the Borla and DP. Did you post your opinion after it was installed?

 

[thomas5986]

Jun bl evc, caberu evc, Ajun evc, x force evc, tubistyle evc, baq evc And more.

There are a ton of threads with dead horse carcasses.

Thank you nhcowboy28. "There are a ton of threads with dead horse carcasses." that made me lol. I feel like I sometimes am that poor bastard you said that to. Too funny none the less.

 

[StingertimeNC]

the Borla will drone some, it's definitely going to be louder than stock. I added the aftermarket tips and it made all the difference in the world. I don't think it drones now. Without clamped on tips, that take the sound beyond the bumper, it will be loud. I also did the sound deadening in the hatch area, and it's great now. A bit louder than stock in most situations, and very aggressive when hammering it, but in normal driving it is totally fine IMO. As long as you definitely want more aggressive sound, the tips with the borla is a great choice.

 

[Not Here Anymore]

So as many have said on here that the Borla has terrible drone sound, you are saying it does not? Do you think it is bc you have an aftermarket mid pipe? Also, since you removed the secondary cat I'm assuming you didn't have to modify the ECU?

Just a update with my exhaust system as it was thought that my limp mode problems was from the to much exhaust flow , but this was found out not to be the cause , and for the last 8 months no troubles what so ever after changing gas brands , I still stand by what I have said in my case with little if any drone with my Borla type S catback exhaust, now to say going up a long grade there will be a slight drone but nothing interfere with a light conversation!

 

[RogueIV]

Got my exhaust installed yesterday. Like the sound. Just the right amount of aggressiveness. Haven't noticed any drone others complain about.

Any update on the drone?

 

[hbstinger]

I am very curious to hear this statement. After spending about 6 hours yesterday and reading 620 comments on this thread I have heard this for the first time. Am I understanding you correctly that if I don't mess with my midpipe or secondary pipe and install a Borla I will have more or less the non-existent drone of my OEM setup?

hi friend. i installed borla exhaust back in june and there is drone. you cannot avoid drone with just exhaust.

what is important is your tolerance. if you have sensitive hearing, then the drone will bother you. if you tend to ignore background noise then it won't be an issue.

for me it wasn't a big deal, but i still wanted it to be quieter in cabin. putting the tips to clamp down on exhaust eliminated the drone. now you just get exhaust noise instead of droning.

 

[thomas5986]

hi friend. i installed borla exhaust back in june and there is drone. you cannot avoid drone with just exhaust.

what is important is your tolerance. if you have sensitive hearing, then the drone will bother you. if you tend to ignore background noise then it won't be an issue.

for me it wasn't a big deal, but i still wanted it to be quieter in cabin. putting the tips to clamp down on exhaust eliminated the drone. now you just get exhaust noise instead of droning.

I appreciate your response. My main goals are to free up the system and let the gases out as quickly as possible, but not to have it sound like a pissed off bumble bee in the process. I can't stand the imports with the obnoxiously loud sounding mufflers. At times the wife and kids will ride with me so that won't fly anyways. I want a nice throaty sound but not all the time, if that makes sense. Thats why the valvetronic systems caught my attention. Drone is annoying with or without sensitive hearing IMO. Its interesting that tips make such a difference.

 

[hbstinger]

I appreciate your response. My main goals are to free up the system and let the gases out as quickly as possible, but not to have it sound like a pissed off bumble bee in the process. I can't stand the imports with the obnoxiously loud sounding mufflers. At times the wife and kids will ride with me so that won't fly anyways. I want a nice throaty sound but not all the time, if that makes sense. Thats why the valvetronic systems caught my attention. Drone is annoying with or without sensitive hearing IMO. Its interesting that tips make such a difference.

they make a big difference. without the tips, if you drive a lot uphill areas or in eco/comfort mode around 100-110 km per hour range ( i guess thats about 62-70 miles per hour ) you will hear drone. above that you are fine. in sports mode you are fine in higher rpms. and this was just me in front seat and drone didn't bother me. my passengers def heard the drone, but didn't complain. not sure out of politeness or not caring. i had to ask them if they heard it before they confirmed it. you can still have normal convo in car in your normal voice tone, and listen to music. you will hear the drone regardless. exhaust itself is fairly quiet in low speed and low rpm. think cruising to your home or leaving a parking lot you won't annoy your neighbours, but they will know it's been modified. source: my GF knows when i am parked outside her house despite me not revving car or speeding in her street. she knows the unique sound of the car, and her neighbor has modified bmws in his garage.



i understand where you are coming from with a valve off and on system. my main reason for borla was that borla sounded the best out of all exhausts i heard. it's def the loudest as according to 2 other stinger owners when we do meets. one who has an MBRP system with ark downpipe (which sounded great too imo) and one with resonator delete.

for me i didn't want to buy something that ends up being too quite then regretting not going louder. at least with borla i thought if i hate it, i can switch to quieter system. and also out of all the ones i heard online, borla and bastuck sounded the best, but bastuck seems only available in europe.

i wish i took a before video so you can hear drone. i am happy to do an after video so you can hear how it sounds in cabin. remind me in 8 days as i am in quarantine right now lol. and i have decent mics to use since i use them for youtube lol. so hopefully it will sound clear to you

 

[thomas5986]

they make a big difference. without the tips, if you drive a lot uphill areas or in eco/comfort mode around 100-110 km per hour range ( i guess thats about 62-70 miles per hour ) you will hear drone. above that you are fine. in sports mode you are fine in higher rpms. and this was just me in front seat and drone didn't bother me. my passengers def heard the drone, but didn't complain. not sure out of politeness or not caring. i had to ask them if they heard it before they confirmed it. you can still have normal convo in car in your normal voice tone, and listen to music. you will hear the drone regardless. exhaust itself is fairly quiet in low speed and low rpm. think cruising to your home or leaving a parking lot you won't annoy your neighbours, but they will know it's been modified. source: my GF knows when i am parked outside her house despite me not revving car or speeding in her street. she knows the unique sound of the car, and her neighbor has modified bmws in his garage.



i understand where you are coming from with a valve off and on system. my main reason for borla was that borla sounded the best out of all exhausts i heard. it's def the loudest as according to 2 other stinger owners when we do meets. one who has an MBRP system with ark downpipe (which sounded great too imo) and one with resonator delete.

for me i didn't want to buy something that ends up being too quite then regretting not going louder. at least with borla i thought if i hate it, i can switch to quieter system. and also out of all the ones i heard online, borla and bastuck sounded the best, but bastuck seems only available in europe.

i wish i took a before video so you can hear drone. i am happy to do an after video so you can hear how it sounds in cabin. remind me in 8 days as i am in quarantine right now lol. and i have decent mics to use since i use them for youtube lol. so hopefully it will sound clear to you

Wow, that was a much appreciated reply. Thank you for all the good info. I was lead in the direction of Ark before I even bought the Stinger but the more I read the more I may want to avoid it, that was the way I was feeling toward Borla too seeing how loud they were without the option of be able to settle them down like with a valvetronic. With that said I was planning on a MBRP. I have a full MBRP on my Duramax pickup and I really like the sound. How important is namebrand when it comes to tips? There also so many options with these. Some are like 20 bucks and others are way higher. How can they be so different?

 

[hbstinger]

Wow, that was a much appreciated reply. Thank you for all the good info. I was lead in the direction of Ark before I even bought the Stinger but the more I read the more I may want to avoid it, that was the way I was feeling toward Borla too seeing how loud they were without the option of be able to settle them down like with a valvetronic. With that said I was planning on a MBRP. I have a full MBRP on my Duramax pickup and I really like the sound. How important is namebrand when it comes to tips? There also so many options with these. Some are like 20 bucks and others are way higher. How can they be so different?

tips will be dependent on quality and fit. i got mine from aliexpress and they fit perfect. they have that fake carbon fiber look and looks nice on car imo. much better for our cars than the chrome looking ones. price i paid i think around $300ish canadian. which is about 200ish i guess in US? there are links this thread to tips you can use.

the mbrp exhaust note sounded really nice on my friend's stinger but he also has the downpipes so that made make it louder. even then he told me my car was louder than his and i agree with him. the price is really good for what it offers so you might want to consider it depending on your budget.

one other thing: the car burbles nicely in lower rpms in eco mode just cruising under 37ish miles in 3rd gear. especially if you go around 20-22ish miles it will burble continously around 2500 rpm and it's very addicting just cruising in that speed to hear the borla burble. it's not obnoxious at all. just a subtle burble. it probably burbles in higher speeds and in sports too, but harder to hear due to exhaust noise and road noise.

only bad thing, is that the exhaust will pop once when you rev it in sports mode while parked, or when you floor hard in sports mode from a dig. why this is bad is because you will then want to hear the exhaust do more pops but it won't. damn ecu tuning is a bit disappointing if you likes pops and bangs. even subtle ones you won't get here.

edit: the other thing to consider is your SO sensitivity to noise. when i drive my mom around i have to go under speed limit or gradually increase speed. and overtaking cars i have to do with steady speed instead of instant throttle due to the noise. consider that if your wife gets scared from thinking you are speeding due to noise when you are not. i know you have truck, but sensation of speed is always different in a low to ground car vs pickup.

 

[thomas5986]

tips will be dependent on quality and fit. i got mine from aliexpress and they fit perfect. they have that fake carbon fiber look and looks nice on car imo. much better for our cars than the chrome looking ones. price i paid i think around $300ish canadian. which is about 200ish i guess in US? there are links this thread to tips you can use.

the mbrp exhaust note sounded really nice on my friend's stinger but he also has the downpipes so that made make it louder. even then he told me my car was louder than his and i agree with him. the price is really good for what it offers so you might want to consider it depending on your budget.

one other thing: the car burbles nicely in lower rpms in eco mode just cruising under 37ish miles in 3rd gear. especially if you go around 20-22ish miles it will burble continously around 2500 rpm and it's very addicting just cruising in that speed to hear the borla burble. it's not obnoxious at all. just a subtle burble. it probably burbles in higher speeds and in sports too, but harder to hear due to exhaust noise and road noise.

only bad thing, is that the exhaust will pop once when you rev it in sports mode while parked, or when you floor hard in sports mode from a dig. why this is bad is because you will then want to hear the exhaust do more pops but it won't. damn ecu tuning is a bit disappointing if you likes pops and bangs. even subtle ones you won't get here.

edit: the other thing to consider is your SO sensitivity to noise. when i drive my mom around i have to go under speed limit or gradually increase speed. and overtaking cars i have to do with steady speed instead of instant throttle due to the noise. consider that if your wife gets scared from thinking you are speeding due to noise when you are not. i know you have truck, but sensation of speed is always different in a low to ground car vs pickup.

Gosh now your making me think about Borla again! Cost really isn't an issue for the exhaust I guess my main objective after all is the least amount of drone and with that I dont want something that sounds like straight headers. As far as the tips, there's a popular name brand that always comes up. Akrapovic. For me they have been hard to find for sale. I'll click on a link for them and then a cheaper name brand always follows. Whats the deal with these?

 

[hbstinger]

Gosh now your making me think about Borla again! Cost really isn't an issue for the exhaust I guess my main objective after all is the least amount of drone and with that I dont want something that sounds like straight headers. As far as the tips, there's a popular name brand that always comes up. Akrapovic. For me they have been hard to find for sale. I'll click on a link for them and then a cheaper name brand always follows. Whats the deal with these?

can't tell you much about cheaper ones. these are the fake ones i bought and they were a perfect fit:

26.24US $ 20% OFF|Oval Slanted Carbon black Exhaust Tips Glossy muffler Exhaust tip For Universal Akrapovic Carbon muffler pipes Tailpipe trims| | - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

size IN 51 OUT SIZE A. it's also seller other people bought from as well for their cars.

if cost isn't an issue, i would always go for borla. my logic is that if you get anything else, you will always have the creeping doubt in back of your mind if you should have gone louder. possibly making you regret your purchase.

but the opposite is true. if you go borla and decide you don't like the sound or its loud, then you have peace of mind knowing you tried the loudest and it wasn't for you.

if i were you, i would check your facebook group for your area. see if someone actually has borla or MBRP or other exhaust installed and if they will let you listen in person.

 

[thomas5986]

can't tell you much about cheaper ones. these are the fake ones i bought and they were a perfect fit:

26.24US $ 20% OFF|Oval Slanted Carbon black Exhaust Tips Glossy muffler Exhaust tip For Universal Akrapovic Carbon muffler pipes Tailpipe trims| | - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

size IN 51 OUT SIZE A. it's also seller other people bought from as well for their cars.

if cost isn't an issue, i would always go for borla. my logic is that if you get anything else, you will always have the creeping doubt in back of your mind if you should have gone louder. possibly making you regret your purchase.

but the opposite is true. if you go borla and decide you don't like the sound or its loud, then you have peace of mind knowing you tried the loudest and it wasn't for you.

if i were you, i would check your facebook group for your area. see if someone actually has borla or MBRP or other exhaust installed and if they will let you listen in person.

Thats a good idea about some local guys I could hear it in person. I thank you for all the good information. You've brought up some valid points.

 

[Kdmkate]

Hey guys, apologies, this has probably already been talked about but I can’t read 600+ comments atm. Looking for a catback exhaust that’s noise level is around a 7/10 (10 being Borla?). Was looking at the MBRP, thoughts? Anything helps!

 

[General_Vodka]

Hey guys, apologies, this has probably already been talked about but I can’t read 600+ comments atm. Looking for a catback exhaust that’s noise level is around a 7/10 (10 being Borla?). Was looking at the MBRP, thoughts? Anything helps!

ARK is quieter than MBRP, which is quieter than borla. Quicksilver is louder than ark but quieter than Borla. My Borla is absolutely not droning now, and its actually probably quieter than MBRP at this point. Still want to meet up with someone with just a borla to compare.

 

[Kdmkate]

ARK is quieter than MBRP, which is quieter than borla. Quicksilver is louder than ark but quieter than Borla. My Borla is absolutely not droning now, and its actually probably quieter than MBRP at this point. Still want to meet up with someone with just a borla to compare.

Thanks, Does the drone seem to stop after awhile then? Does it do it at a specific RPM?

 

[General_Vodka]

Thanks, Does the drone seem to stop after awhile then? Does it do it at a specific RPM?

Well it did happen in high gear around 1-2k rpm. Rear passengers complained. Now with my quicksilver silenced mids, lining the trunk and roof with sound insulation, and installing the clamp on exhaust tips, it's barely noticeable. People can even fall asleep in the back now. Thankfully cold starts are still loud, but not as loud as they were. At wot you can barely hear anything from the inside.

 

[thomas5986]

ARK is quieter than MBRP, which is quieter than borla. Quicksilver is louder than ark but quieter than Borla. My Borla is absolutely not droning now, and its actually probably quieter than MBRP at this point. Still want to meet up with someone with just a borla to compare.

I am completely confused now. After I send this I am going to get some paper and see if I can create a graph so I have a visual to look at to make sense of it all.

 

[GT2Goods]

I am completely confused now. After I send this I am going to get some paper and see if I can create a graph so I have a visual to look at to make sense of it all.

Haven't posted in this thread before so here's my two cents' worth:
Purchased borla with ark mid's without tips - obnoxiously loud startups, a lot of drone under low rpm, nice burbles under 30mph in sport and rare pop, rasp when flooring it but sounds good enough. Sounded fine when driving behind in another car.

After putting tips on it helped a lot with drone over the entire rpm range, especially at low rpm (not bothersome anymore). Right level of "loud" now. However "burbles" don't sound as good anymore - less and muffled typically - but good still. Zero rasp. Able to hear the intakes and turbos now. Cold startups are a 8/9 instead of 10, warm startups sound great. I would recommend the borla/ark setup only if you get tips (bought oem looking tips from aliexpress). I'm sure getting dynamat or just the borla with tips and dynamat would sound great and not too loud. Haven't heard any other setups in person.