Kia Stinger vs Dodge Charger - interested in your opinions

[Clearly Canadian]

 

[Rufus]

Oh, my. His sublime dissertation is so in depth and unbiased---NOT. He obviously hasn't test driven a Stinger, and his remark about it just being a Kia--because Dodge is so renowned for its reliability and build quality. I sat in a '14 R/T Charger. Aside from the admittedly glorious Hemi soundtrack, the only thing it had going for it was cabin space. The plastics reminded me of my '92 Civic's plastics. Of course, Slim Shady is entitled to his own opinion, uneducated as it is. He is right about the Stinger's exhaust note, though. It could really use a bit more aggression in the exhaust, for sure!

 

[init3]

I'm sorry but where did you find such a dogshit review? This guy is clearly biased towards the the Charger. I mean the dude clearly looks like the type to buy a Charger in the first place (is that f*cking hickey mark on his neck or a tattoo of one?).

Dude obviously has a one track mind he's just another badge snob that won't get passed the Kia badge.

"It's nice but its a Kia." @ 8:37 just tells you everything you need to know about this guy.

Jesus.

 

[mldavis2]

Clearly these Detroit iron guys (and I was one for many years) have not bothered to drive a Stinger. A Kia it is not, (yet.) On Facebook on the Stinger Users group there are several people who say emphatically that they will never drive one, and then commence expounding on how their 5.0L Mustang is better or the Charger or .... pick one.

I was a new car service manager back in the late '80's for GM-Subaru-BMW. I drove all of the up-scale BMW's, 7's, 6's, 5's and I've been a "car guy" all my life. I've driven some very highly rated cars over the years in addition to my own stable of Pontiacs. Saying a Stinger GT is like a Kia is no different than saying a Cadillac CTS-V is the same as a Chevy Spark because they're both GM. I can't believe this ignorant pseudo-reviewer had the guts to share that video online. I guess Car & Driver, Road & Track, Motor Trend, Edmonds, Kelly, and all the other reviewers, the European car of the year and everyone else doesn't know anything? I ordered one, and I once swore never to buy a "rice-burner." It's amazing what you can learn when you open your eyes and open your mind.

 

[Clearly Canadian]

I do agree that he is clearly biased. I’ve never seen the inside/driven the chargers/challengers so I was curious about the value proposition he pointed out in the video.

 

[Rufus]

I'm not going to hate on other makes moving forward. The Stinger can most definitely stand on its own merits and doesn't require brand bashing just to make it look better by comparison. HOWEVER, where biased fanboys are concerned, I have no issue flaming their ignorance and prejudice!

 

[Clearly Canadian]

WADR I do find there is some fan bias in this forum as well It's human nature I guess.

Particularly in the Stinger vs BMW conversations

 

[westcoastGT]

Can't beat the sound of that V8 though ...............its good to have passion and believe in your position , everyone goes through stages in their lives with cars whether its pure speed , badge , driving performance , reliability / quality .....................etc . The owners here all have their reasons for buying and hopefully we are all having a pleasurable ownership experience . The one thing I think is great about what the Stinger has done is create a very high degree of "emotional involvement" in the car ( good and bad ) some absolutely love this car and everything about it and it extends to the exact opposite end of the spectrum where we have a group that dump on it and take shots , they have their reasons too . All is good .

 

[Clearly Canadian]

Can't beat the sound of that V8 though ...............its good to have passion and believe in your position , everyone goes through stages in their lives with cars whether its pure speed , badge , driving performance , reliability / quality .....................etc . The owners here all have their reasons for buying and hopefully we are all having a pleasurable ownership experience . The one thing I think is great about what the Stinger has done is create a very high degree of "emotional involvement" in the car ( good and bad ) some absolutely love this car and everything about it and it extends to the exact opposite end of the spectrum where we have a group that dump on it and take shots , they have their reasons too . All is good .

Good point. From a business/marketing perspective, how did they achieve that?

 

[Rufus]

WADR I do find there is some fan bias in this forum as well It's human nature I guess.

Particularly in the Stinger vs BMW conversations

Oh, for sure! There's no one more zealous than the newly converted Lol! And obviously a forum named after a car will probably be slanted in that direction. And as early adopters of a new performance car from what was originally regarded as a cheap, value brand, my guess is we early adopters chose this car for personal reasons that probably also involved a slight chip on our shoulders toward other "performance oriented luxury car makers." My 2 pennies

 

[shaggystinger]

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. That being said as soon as I heard "we already winning, we already beatin' em...." it was a wrap for this "review". The main issue here is that his opinion is not backed up by facts. The price range he is throwing around for the GT is wildly inaccurate and it's clear no real research was done. I know it was stated before but it bares repeating, dodge products are hilariously unreliable, poorly built and it's been proven year after year with every automotive publication out there. Sadly, my family have purchased dodge in the past and each one of them didn't make it close to 100k without major issues with all maintenance etc. performed. It's a shame because the styling/power/heritage is what draws most people in only to be disappointed in the long run. I'm off my soap box now, thank you and good night!

 

[westcoastGT]

Good point. From a business/marketing perspective, how did they achieve that?

Beautiful design and true performance always elicit emotion , in broad strokes I think there are sort of 2 camps of buyers that I see emerging . Those within the Kia franchise buying up and another group coming from the Luxo segment . A real mix of aspirational and rational buyers but all very happy with their purchase . In my own personal experience I became disinfranchised with a "German brand " and had already moved on seeking reliability and value but I was unwilling to forfeit design and drivability . JD Power IQ was important in my decision hence I bought a Soul SX for city driving and a Sorento SX for functional needs . Both great cars and both had some sexy appeal bordering on "emotional involvement " ( I was pretty much done with needing badge status )
When the Stinger became slated to move into production I was intriqued because it was beautiful and it had many things important to me , 4 doors , large hatch , AWD , power , driving dynamics and a real performnce pedigree with Albert Bierman ( my rub against my previous German brand had nothing to do with driving dynamics they were fantastic driving vehicles , just unreliable ) The rest is a story in the making . Kia have a solid strategy and really seem committed to it . I'm enjoying supporting the underdog and quite frankly I have never had as many envious stares or compliments from people admiring this car . Looking around Vancouver every 2nd car is German so you are kind of ,"part of the pack" if you have one . So far 2 months in I have never seen another Stinger on the roads here ..................its fun

 

[Rufus]

Good point. From a business/marketing perspective, how did they achieve that?

IMHO, Kia tapped into a demographic most marketers have missed...namely, those who actually DON'T want a crossover Ute as their default and want something engaging to drive that also has a youthful vibe. Oh, and priced for several income tiers. Ford had success with this formula around 1964, and apparently it was successful. Wish I could recall the name of that model Now, I certainly don't claim this will sell like the 1st gen Mustang--completely different market and world than in '64. But I do believe Kia has tapped a hitherto "hidden" market, and right now given the overall execution of this car and it's multiple price points of entry, it really has no direct competition. I will be watching the sales numbers carefully. That will be the true metric that will confirm/refute my assertion. Cheers!

 

[iclicku]

I think maturity has a lot to do with how people analyze info. I'm not necessarily talking about age. I'm talking about the amount of experience and time put into a topic. The reviewer doesn't have the maturity/experience to get the info across cleanly and thus comes off less credible. Even it is an opinion we are talking about there are informed opinions and pure heresay.

 

[Clearly Canadian]

IMHO, Kia tapped into a demographic most marketers have missed...namely, those who actually DON'T want a crossover Ute as their default and want something engaging to drive that also has a youthful vibe. Oh, and priced for several income tiers. Ford had success with this formula around 1964, and apparently it was successful. Wish I could recall the name of that model Now, I certainly don't claim this will sell like the 1st gen Mustang--completely different market and world than in '64. But I do believe Kia has tapped a hitherto "hidden" market, and right now given the overall execution of this car and it's multiple price points of entry, it really has no direct competition. I will be watching the sales numbers carefully. That will be the true metric that will confirm/refute my assertion. Cheers!

I thought the superbowl video was interesting from a marketing perspective. They seemed to be going after gen X with that one (which is my generation, but I was never a fan of that band, lol.)

 

[westcoastGT]

IMHO, Kia tapped into a demographic most marketers have missed...namely, those who actually DON'T want a crossover Ute as their default and want something engaging to drive that also has a youthful vibe. Oh, and priced for several income tiers. Ford had success with this formula around 1964, and apparently it was successful. Wish I could recall the name of that model Now, I certainly don't claim this will sell like the 1st gen Mustang--completely different market and world than in '64. But I do believe Kia has tapped a hitherto "hidden" market, and right now given the overall execution of this car and it's multiple price points of entry, it really has no direct competition. I will be watching the sales numbers carefully. That will be the true metric that will confirm/refute my assertion. Cheers!

I agree , but as for sales numbers , if the Stinger is also succesful in moving the Kia brand closer to "desirable from practical " the broader portfolio will be the sales winner as well , sprinkle a bit more "Bierman dust" around the shop and they will be pulling customers from a lot of other brands .
Fun to watch

 

[Rufus]

I agree , but as for sales numbers , if the Stinger is also succesful in moving the Kia brand closer to "desirable from practical " the broader portfolio will be the sales winner as well , sprinkle a bit more "Bierman dust" around the shop and they will be pulling customers from a lot of other brands .
Fun to watch

I'm sure this is stricty a Pacific Northwest regional context, but I am feeling the same sense of excitement and energy and buzz about Kia in general and the Stinger in particular as many of us around here did when Russell Wilson started showing what he could do, and the Seahawks started gaining momentum. That state of perma-grin when thinking about it. I sound like a 16yr old fanboy lol

 

[Kia Stinger]

Sadly, my family have purchased dodge in the past and each one of them didn't make it close to 100k without major issues with all maintenance etc. performed. It's a shame because the styling/power/heritage is what draws most people in only to be disappointed in the long run.

You have me covered with this statement. I bought a brand new 2007 Chrysler 300C for my wife. Here's a picture (below). Boy do we love the way that car looked. Sorry for the bad resolution but iPhone cameras weren't that good in the days of the horse and carriage...

We couldn't get rid of it fast enough. It had so many problems and the service department was so terrible and disrespectful. It's such a shame because I really like the new Chrysler 300 and several other of their vehicles - but I can never own one again...