Kia Stinger GTS

[davebo]

When I park mine in the front of the building by around 11am the sun bounces off it and turns my boss's office all yellow. I can totally see not having preference for a color (I'm not a huge fan of orange myself) but all I ever get are compliments on it. When I had a black car for over ten years not one person said they sure liked black.

 

[Statistic]

How hard do people think it will be to get a GTS? I really like the orange but if it's going to go for msrp or be a pain to get one a 2018 GT2 seems like it would be a better move.

 

[DaJackson]

With a limited number they will be going for at least MSRP for a couple months.

Only once they sit will dealer start taking money off.

 

[MerlintheMad]

How hard do people think it will be to get a GTS? I really like the orange but if it's going to go for msrp or be a pain to get one a 2018 GT2 seems like it would be a better move.

They may be "gone" before they arrive. Preorders are something to think about. I wonder how many are already spoken for?

And, Welcome to the forum, by the way.

 

[davebo]

Well there were half as many Limited Edition sunset yellows and in my area most went pretty quickly but some hung around dealer lots until well after the paint issue was known, and then they were heavily discounted. So how cheap you can get one depends entirely on whether or not there's on single person in your area willing to pay MSRP for it. If there is, you're out of luck, if not you can maybe find a deal a few months later.

 

[Statistic]

Thanks all for the help, that all makes sense. I guess I will just have to sit down and decide whether I want to save some money and get more features from a used GT2 or if I want a special color and alcantara.

 

[brancky3]

Well there were half as many Limited Edition sunset yellows and in my area most went pretty quickly but some hung around dealer lots until well after the paint issue was known, and then they were heavily discounted. So how cheap you can get one depends entirely on whether or not there's on single person in your area willing to pay MSRP for it. If there is, you're out of luck, if not you can maybe find a deal a few months later.

And now yellow is by far the cheapest color in the used market right now. You can get a yellow GT for less than 30k.

 

[davebo]

And now yellow is by far the cheapest color in the used market right now. You can get a yellow GT for less than 30k.

Who on Earth is selling their new car after only a year of ownership? If they didn't want to keep it after the piant debacle Kia offered to buy it back. I can't wrap my head around why they'd throw their money away like that. Or are you just talking about dealers selling the ones that got bought back?

 

[brancky3]

Who on Earth is selling their new car after only a year of ownership? If they didn't want to keep it after the piant debacle Kia offered to buy it back. I can't wrap my head around why they'd throw their money away like that. Or are you just talking about dealers selling the ones that got bought back?

Looks like buybacks. This dealer alone has 3 yellows for sale: Used Cars Riverdale, GA | Southtowne Hyundai serving Atlanta

 

[davebo]

That's crazy since only half the Kia dealerships even received a yellow Stinger. I'm guessing that dealer is a chain and just sent all their yellow ones to a lot with extra space for them to hang out. I'd have no problem buying a used yellow from the previous owner or a dealer two years from now. But a dealer with three on the lot? That's a dealership that screwed up the repaint so badly that all three customers insisted they buy it back. So even if they then repainted them AGAIN, who would trust them to do a good job? If anyone can't get a hold of the GTS, just wait until they're giving those yellow ones away for $15k then pay a real bodyshop to strip it and paint it orange!

 

[turboAWD]

I actually wish the GTS was available in white/silver/gray. The orange is my least favorite thing about it. I want the D-AWD...

 

[Metalmania82]

I'm looking forward to seeing one in person. All the pictures show different shades of orange, just like the SEMA version.

 

[Doel]

I bet these will be marked up above MSRP, at least initially. Considering I paid 37k for my GT1, this GTS is going to be a good bit more and if I was in the market still, I don't think it would be worth it. If you could get it for 40-42k and it came with a more aggressive exhaust...... there could be a conversation had there.

 

[MerlintheMad]

After thinking about this GTS option for a while now, I realized that the ONLY thing I want is the color. So rather than even consider a trade, I'd simply get a SEMA Orange wrap. That would be a lot less costly anyway.

 

[Metalmania82]

And the D-AWD!

 

[SuperSport]

Wow, no mention of a suspension upgrade in any of the articles I read. Nor do I see much mention of it in this thread. I test drove a GT2 earlier this year and while I like the over-all design and the creature comforts, the suspension was less than stellar. In fact, for a lack of a better term, I'd say it was clumsy. Note: I drive a Chevy SS and was curious to see if the Stinger would be a good replacement, for the SS is no longer in production and obtaining parts will be problematic in the near future. I was hoping that the GT would perform close to the level of the SS, but sadly, it does not. Now I see that a GTS model is coming out, but will Kia be addressing the bouncy feel of the suspension? I walked away from my test drive disappointed and underwhelmed. When I test drove the SS, it touched my soul...I bought it...right then and there. The driving experience is such that I can't wait to drive the car...almost five years later. I was hoping the same could be said for the Stinger. It's got allot going for it, except the very thing that makes the SS such a great car...the way it handles its 4000lb curb weight. I know the Stinger isn't a super sport sedan, but when you put it into "sport" mode, it should be "sporty". Otherwise, what's the point? If Kia were to make the, IMHO, necessary adjustments to the suspension, I'd definitely consider it as a replacement (which is what Kia was trying to do with the Stinger, as evidenced through its marketing campaign).

 

[MerlintheMad]

@SuperSport welcome: Dive right in, that's what I like.

Did you test drive more than one Stinger? Because your description sounds like a totally different car from mine. I don't think that my lack of experience accounts for the difference. I'd recognize "bouncy" long before now. This car corners like a cat. A road "burble" will toss the OE rear end up and out, a little bit. Repeated road imperfections can "play" with the rear end and annoy some/many drivers.

You are apparently a driver who places priority on handling feel. After reading on the forum about Eibach sway bars (especially the rear sway bar), I decided, after ten months, to try one. The buttoned down feel occurred immediately, on the "soft" setting. I haven't felt a need for further handling upgrades. I can pull .8 G on a 270 degree cloverleaf, on summer tires, and the body stays very flat, the rear end doesn't hop and the tires don't howl. I've had the car (on the OE sway bar last summer) up to 155 MPH in a straight line on Hwy 95 heading for NV (check out the road on Google Maps): you can tell if the OE rear end is bouncy by getting up to extra legal speeds: the car actually gets "hunkered down" the faster it goes.

So, I wonder if the individual vehicle you test drove has a loose sensor wire or some other issue.

 

[SuperSport]

I drove both a RWD and an AWD...both were bouncy at slow speeds, especially the AWD car. Also, when I tried out the launch control and floored it, the whole front end went up in the air and the rear squatted almost as if it was going to bottom out!?! The acceleration was good, but the suspension just wasn't confidence inspiring. Like you pointed out, it was relatively flat in the corners, but if you hit any imperfections in the road, it would become unsettled. In addition, it didn't handle speed bumps / dips very well. I think it has to do with the dampening of the struts...may need to beef up the rear sway bar, as you mentioned, as well. With any luck, there may be some news of a suspension upgrade / calibration in October for the GTS / 2020 models.

 

[MerlintheMad]

With any luck, there may be some news of a suspension upgrade / calibration in October for the GTS / 2020 models.

I watched the Tork Eibach rear sway bar install video before buying mine. And his opinion is that this is the rear sway bar that the Stinger should come with as OE. The front sway is fine. The other suspension mods will not produce such a dramatic difference as this single mod. But I don't expect Kia to change anything OE suspension-wise.

I drove both a RWD and an AWD...both were bouncy at slow speeds, especially the AWD car.

Well, go faster, then! (but 155 is not required)

In addition, it didn't handle speed bumps / dips very well.

Lol. Go slower, then! Who cares about speed bumps and, "You have just hit a dip"?

When I hit a dip on the freeway (frequent in the great West with all of its frost heave), the rear end as it currently is (Eibach rear sway bar on "soft") merely goes with the car; it doesn't move after that. Same with a bump: up goes the car, then everything is flat instantly after that, no subsequent "bounce".

 

[davebo]

If you're coming from a Chevy SS then a Stinger isn't going to be the same kind of ride, it isn't intended to be. Fortunately it wouldn't take very expensive mods like Eibach springs and sway bar, plus the LAP3 chip, to get it as fast as you'd like. And since you can find GT2's with $10k off sticker already, that's a very easy goal to achieve. Like you said, it's not like they're making SS's anymore. The only thing you can't really put in the Stinger to match is a manual transmission.