Optima SX owner
- Thread starter Digband
- Start date
Kia Stinger
Staff member
Welcome aboard, Mike! And thank you for signing up. I wish everyone would take a moment to introduce themselves to the group. So, you've already got a pretty nice car. I love the 2012 SX. What color is yours? The way I see it is the Stinger is the high performance version of the Optima. I know that probably sounds a little weird to some people - but they're so similar in some ways. None the less, the Stinger is the natural progression up the scale for a mid-size car buyer who wants something more powerful. I was going to say more luxurious but the Optima is pretty darn luxurious!
Anyway, I'm glad you found us! Have fun searching through the seventy-million discussions we have going on here.
Anyway, I'm glad you found us! Have fun searching through the seventy-million discussions we have going on here.
Taimaishoo
Active Member
Greetings and welcome, Mike! What parts do you roam, if you don't mind sharing that information? I'm from the semi-semi-semi-(x47)-great state of Louisiana. 
You know, the Optima turbo is a nice looking car in it's own right. I have seen some around with Brembo brakes while inquiring about the Stinger and I have to do a double take.
I always say that about the next generation of cars. You know, this Hyundai Veloster is cool but the turbo! You know, the Veloster Turbo is awesome but let me do a few mods and a tune. You know, this car totally different with the tune, AWESOME! but the rear hops, a few mods later, it still hops a little bit. And now they are testing a Veloster N with a 2.0T,
I'm sure you have seen the pictures and videos on the Internet of the Stinger, but If you get a chance to see one in person, do so! Keep an ear out, some of us are actively spying, I mean monitoring dealerships, LOL, and there may be one that pops up in your neck of the woods. Pictures of this thing are beauties but to see one in person... you will then realize pictures only cover half of what you see. After a 3 hr drive, I was able to get about a 10 minute look at one thanks to the kind salesman in Carrollton, TX. I showed up just as they were locking the doors and he saw me peeking in and was kind enough to open the doors and let me look at the car while they were finishing up their closing procedures. I wish it was a 'running' showroom car but there was limited functionality (its a showroom-only car after all) but I got to sit in it, work the driver seat and the completely powered tilting and extending steering column and the hatch... I'm 90% sold on the car. I'm just waiting on the package/trim options, colors and a vehicle I can test drive. Oh, and a dotted line to sign.
You know, the Optima turbo is a nice looking car in it's own right. I have seen some around with Brembo brakes while inquiring about the Stinger and I have to do a double take.
I always say that about the next generation of cars. You know, this Hyundai Veloster is cool but the turbo! You know, the Veloster Turbo is awesome but let me do a few mods and a tune. You know, this car totally different with the tune, AWESOME! but the rear hops, a few mods later, it still hops a little bit. And now they are testing a Veloster N with a 2.0T,
I'm sure you have seen the pictures and videos on the Internet of the Stinger, but If you get a chance to see one in person, do so! Keep an ear out, some of us are actively spying, I mean monitoring dealerships, LOL, and there may be one that pops up in your neck of the woods. Pictures of this thing are beauties but to see one in person... you will then realize pictures only cover half of what you see. After a 3 hr drive, I was able to get about a 10 minute look at one thanks to the kind salesman in Carrollton, TX. I showed up just as they were locking the doors and he saw me peeking in and was kind enough to open the doors and let me look at the car while they were finishing up their closing procedures. I wish it was a 'running' showroom car but there was limited functionality (its a showroom-only car after all) but I got to sit in it, work the driver seat and the completely powered tilting and extending steering column and the hatch... I'm 90% sold on the car. I'm just waiting on the package/trim options, colors and a vehicle I can test drive. Oh, and a dotted line to sign.
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Jumpy
Active Member
I was just looking at the 2018 Optima SX with Limited Package in the brochure and website build tool, and it's damn nice! It looks better than the Sonata Limited 2.0T, which I previously considered. They have the same engine, but different transmissions and features. If the Stinger didn't exist, the Optima would be the coolest Kia.
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Kia Stinger
Staff member
Oh, absolutely! The new Sonata is pretty nice and I haven't really looked much into it yet - but I'm curious. But the Optima is a level up and has options unavailable on any Sonata when you choose the EX-L or SX-L package...
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
Jumpy
Active Member
Here's a question for you and other forum members with high-level car knowledge. I've noticed that most new sedans have 8 to 10-speed transmissions, but some are still using 6-speeds. Is more gears always better, or is fewer preferred sometimes?
For example, the 2018 Sonata and Stinger have 8-speed automatics, while the Optima SX and Fusion Sport have 6-speed automatics. (The Optima one is called "Sportmatic," but I assume that just means you can use paddle shifting.) Then, strangely, the lower trim Optima and Sonata have 7-speed dual clutch transmissions. I thought DCTs were preferred over conventional automatic (at least in performance-oriented cars), but that seems to not always be the case. What are the pros and cons of each of these?
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davebo
Stinger Enthusiast
Hey 2012 Optima SX crew. Best daily driver I've owned, but like you when I bought it I thought the only things wrong with it were it wasn't RWD and it wasn't a wagon. Then they went and actually made it a wagon but wouldn't sell it here in America. No real upgrades on mine aside from air filter. Got some Enkei wheels after a nasty pothole in D.C. wrecked one of the OEM's. I'm sure I can get it repaired so I might do that, put them back on and give it to my wife when I get a Stinger, then use these wheels for winter tires.
Kia Stinger
Staff member
8 speed and 10 speed transmissions are mainly used to get better gas mileage. DCTs are good for faster shifts but Ford's version gave a lot of people major headaches. I've had 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 speeds. Between 6, 8, and 10 I don't image you're going to notice much other than maybe saving a little gas. I've only had one DCT (2012 Ford Focus) and I didn't like it. I'm sure I'd feel differently if I had a BMW that used a dual clutch transmission...
Jenny Wang
Founding Member
Welcome Digband!
