Kia Stinger GT Review

[Kia Stinger]

Please take a moment to post a short review and/or your favorite things about of YOUR Kia Stinger GT. I will be updating this first post with verbiage from the best reviews...

Thank you!

 

[MerlintheMad]

I chose the 3.3TT precisely because of a lifetime of getting shut down on the highway by people leaving their cars in cruise control, never varying their speed, pulling out from behind slower traffic (notably semis) and shutting me down! I'd be closing on the slower traffic; I'm making use of the left lane, and watching the traffic behind said-slow poke, getting closer, and I'd be saying: "Don't do it, don't you wait till the last second to pull out in front of me!" And dang! Every time, right in my face, and I'd lose all my momentum until the next downhill stretch; then I'd pass them until the next uphill, and by me they'd go. Year in and year out, road trip after road trip; aced on the inclines, passing back on the downhills, shut down by the cruising mindless. Why, WHY, do people just ignore everybody else and creep past those on their right as if everybody wants to take all day to get around them?

So! I got the 3.3TT to blast past everything. I use my "radar" sense to keep tabs on the situations developing up ahead, and I hit it when I see a cluster "F" forming, and blast on by long before anybody can mosey out from behind a semi and shut me down. I don't care if it takes 100+ MPH to do it; it's what I got the Stinger for. Everything else is secondary. But not by much.

I love the design, the feeling of luxury and the real comfort of this gran turismo! I love everything about the Stinger. And Kia reliability and quality anymore these days is at the top of the game. Driving is pure pleasure. My "superpowers" are waiting whenever I want to use them. Sometimes I find my face getting tired from "grin weariness". I do not exaggerate.

 

[ScottM]

I was looking for a car with that "thing". That "thing" that made me say, I want that and I gotta have that! For years I owned my ford focus with no payments. It was nice to not have a payment and it got the job done relatively speaking, but I wanted something better. I just couldn't find it, until one day I started looking deeper at the Dodge Chargers. I wanted fast, I wanted 4 door, I wanted something that had that "thing". The Charger had that "thing". I did my research and looked at comparisons. Low and behold this Stinger thing came up as a comparison?! I then did some research on the Stinger. I decided to test drive both, figuring I was all about the Charger. Long story short...bye bye charger...hello Stinger!! It has everything I want, without being obnoxious about it. It doesn't have that "thing"...it has "it"! "IT" is way better!! I love to drive now, I love to keep her clean, I love to know that when I'm on the highway I can kick her up to speed very quickly and do what I need to do. Also, I like that they aren't all over the place. I feel special. If I have to pick one thing I love the most about her...it would be that she never lets me down and I feel cool and confident while I'm in her.

 

[TimS]

I bought the Stinger GT2 for a variety of reasons: beauty, comfort, power, and my trust in the Kia brand.

My favorite aspects so far are pretty much all of those things.

The Stinger is a beauty. In my opinion, to get something that looks sharper would cost me far more than the Stinger cost. I know a lot of people care less about the 'appearance' than they do about handling, performance, etc, but for me, I refuse to buy an ugly car - or a car that doesn't aesthetically move me. This car -moves- me. From the time I saw the first images, it's haunted me for months, even worse than I saw the first images of the re-designed Optima.

The comfort level makes me feel like I am driving a luxury sedan - but a luxury sedan that I can actually -afford-. I admit, every time I drive it, I feel like I've 'cheated the system' or something, to have a ride so comfortable. A lot of times I feel like I am in a car 'above my pay grade', but then I smile because I know I'm not. If I had one complaint about my Optima, it was that the seats were a little unforgiving. The Stinger's seats are -superb-.

I've owned pony cars, but the power of this car is just beastly - with two fewer cylinders, two more doors, and a functional backseat. I'm not looking for McLaren-type power, but for the price-range, the power provided by the V6 is just wonderful. The first time I took my wife for a drive in it, she had no idea what it was capable of. I took off at a light, tossing her back into her seat with a squeal. She asked me to make sure my life insurance was up to date because she's fairly certain I am going to fly off a bridge at some point.

I bought a 2011 Optima new from the dealer back after Kia had just started to 'rebrand' itself. I took a gamble, but felt confident with Kia's excellent warranty, and loving the look of the Optima. I've had that car for 7 years (and still have it), and it has been the most rock-solid vehicle I've ever owned. This gives me even more confidence with the Stinger.

Of course we could go on and on about the add-ons: the auto lift and close tailgate, the vented and heated seats, the info/nav system, the excellent brakes, auto-folding side mirrors and so on, as well as the HUD which I am already completely addicted to. But the above points were the most important points for me, and on all of those items Kia has scored an A++ in my eyes.

-Tim

 

[Stinger GT SS]

I’ve now owned this car for 12 months & couldn’t be happier, as I tell most people who ask, “this is the best car I’ve ever owned”.

I thoroughly enjoy driving this car, it puts a smile on my face every time I drive or even look at it & it also goes a long way to make driving in peak hour traffic somewhat enjoyable.

All the tech functionality in this car has purpose & for me works flawlessly, the sound system is outstanding & exceeds all my expectations, the seats are really comfortable & I find I’m less fatigued on longer drives.

Overall I rate this car a 9 out of 10, for a first effort in OZ on a performance based luxury large sedan Kia really knocked this one out of the ballpark.

 

[Alagos]

I make it Short (Ha.. me and Short Texts.. Never). I don’t own one yet, but ordering in the next 2-3 weeks a 2.0T (driving much km, but Diesel is no Option for me - fearing it in Germany for now)
3.3 would be Nice but i can’t pay the Petrol

1. Design / Price
I don’t like SUV's - in Germany all want one .. Right now im driving a hatchback (Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback 2008)
Cars with that Design are unique and mostly hard to configure (if u want that you Need that and that but if you want that you can’t have that...and so on) and the Price for what you get is payable for me, an Audi or VW is no Option since with more equipment the Other cars are unbelievable higher (for example an airbag in the back Costs extra .. wth ?)
2. The car is just unique
I like driving a car that is not visable on Every corner, but im happy if i See one.. for example my Lancer - i think in the whole City i have Seen 4 or 5 of them .. in 9 years!
3. Never have sat that comfortable way. Okay - driving under the carport and getting in and out is hard (even with 360) plus it leaded me to make a diet - but thats good, since i feel to get Problems with my back slowly, it’s Time for Sport - and if that wont help, i will Enjoy the time that i have, with that car before i can’t Enjoy it any more.

Whew.. that is way longer than expected..

 

[GRStinger]

I started researching new cars late last winter. I wanted to move up to at-least an “entry level” luxury mid-size sedan. I was looking-at and driving things like the Q50 and A5/S5 Sportback, A6 etc. Then, I started reading/watching reviews on the Stinger GT. One test drive and I was blown away! I HAD to have it. I purchased my GT2 AWD in early May, and I love the car more every day. My reasons:

1. Fun! I drive a lot. If you’re spending a lot of time behind the wheel, why not enjoy it as much a possible? The power, handling, and overall performance are fantastic. Put it in Sport and give ‘er the beans: it brings a smile to my face all the time. It’s not just me. I’ve let about a dozen people test/drive my car. EVERY one of them had a grin from ear to ear.
2. The “GT-ness”. My wife and I have taken ½ dozen long trips of 1000+ miles with my Stinger. Extremely comfortable – great seats. As a driver or a passenger, it doesn’t wear you out - you can sit for hours and not shift or squirm. It has all the luxury amenities you could want. Fantastic tech and sound system. The utility/cargo-room provided by the hatchback is perfect for these extended jaunts. Best of all, it has very “long legs” for high-speed freeway runs. The car seems to hunker down and can cruise at 90+mph effortlessly. (Not that I would ever exceed posted speed limits! ) Combine all this with the fun-factor (#1), and this is what makes the car so special, IMO.
3. Bang for the buck. Most folks’ initial reaction to the Stinger might be: “Gee, that’s a lot of money for a Kia”. I consider it a steal. Competitive luxury brands, priced with comparable power and options, would start at-least $15-$20k more – and it goes up from there. Top it off with the piece-of-mind of Kia’s warranty, and it was a no-brainer for me.
4. The “It” factor. I’m not a flashy guy, and I don’t look to draw attention to myself. In fact, for the first month or so, the attention that the car drew made me a tad uncomfortable. But the Stinger is a gorgeous car and it’s ‘different’. I’ve been asked about it by dozens of strangers – all of them admire the car. The ‘car guys’ who know about it will come up and express their desire to have one. So, I’ve come to appreciate the attention a little more.

Bottom line: I love my Stinger. After 17,000 miles – no squeaks, rattles, or other issues. Solid. 100% sure that I made the right decision.