Quality of materials

[Kia Stinger]

I take serious issue with this review, the review comes off as a total badge snob. The Alfa is know to have a substandard interior and the 3 series is no longer the handling standard it once was. Personally I think most people romanticize the 3 series interior into something better, i dont think its appealing or high quality at all. Too many different textures, cutlines, and the seats look cheap and flat to me. My brother in law leases them because they're subsidized like crazy and I get to drive his cars every so often.
Remember, in Europe, the 3 series is the equivalent of your Chevy Cruze.

I've owned a 3-Series and there's nothing luxurious at all about it. It's nice and well put together - but it's "a car". Performance-wise it's special in various ways but it's not a "luxury" car in my opinion.

 

[westcoastGT]

there are a few haters out there , and even on this Forum , given the incredible accolades this car has been given by serious industry peeps I think the haters are starting to look foolish...............Ive been driving my Stinger for a week now and can happily say quality of the interior materals is excellent , even the lower door covering , sure it can get marked with shoe scuffs BUT because they have used a plastic that can be easily wiped with a micro fiber cloth to remove them , NO issue . I've had more lower door scuff issues on our BMWs and even tried that peel and stick door cover and its WORSE , dont buy it .
The car is excellent and people should not dwell on this issue .

 

[Bamm1]

there are a few haters out there , and even on this Forum , given the incredible accolades this car has been given by serious industry peeps I think the haters are starting to look foolish...............Ive been driving my Stinger for a week now and can happily say quality of the interior materals is excellent , even the lower door covering , sure it can get marked with shoe scuffs BUT because they have used a plastic that can be easily wiped with a micro fiber cloth to remove them , NO issue . I've had more lower door scuff issues on our BMWs and even tried that peel and stick door cover and its WORSE , dont buy it .
The car is excellent and people should not dwell on this issue .

I don't think anyone looks foolish. I also wouldn't take it as a personal affront to your choices. Just different perspectives.

You are in Canada correct? So these criticisms are being applied to a car that costs less than 39k USD. For a car in the high 30 grand range, the items being discussed here really do seem like picking nits.

Now, in the US, the car is over 52k USD. At that price point, expectations are simply higher. It becomes much tougher for some to just "overlook" things when they are expected to spend that much cash.

Challenging the same issues on the 60K USD BMW, etc. is also fair game.


PS Congratulations on the new ride BTW.

 

[westcoastGT]

I don't think anyone looks foolish. I also wouldn't take it as a personal affront to your choices. Just different perspectives.

You are in Canada correct? So these criticisms are being applied to a car that costs less than 39k USD. For a car in the high 30 grand range, the items being discussed here really do seem like picking nits.

Now, in the US, the car is over 52k USD. At that price point, expectations are simply higher. It becomes much tougher for some to just "overlook" things when they are expected to spend that much cash.

Challenging the same issues on the 60K USD BMW, etc. is also fair game.


PS Congratulations on the new ride BTW.

Thanks , I agree Canada got a smoking deal on these cars , but conversely we usually get spanked hard vs the USA on most other cars especially German. I was prepared for a 60 K CAD retail here so my shopping comparisons were pretty much like yours and thats what I've referenced in comparing the Stinger . I think it's still excellent value and excellent quality at 60 K. I would need to spend 75K to get the comparative 4 Series . I had a 2015 650 Cabriolet and honestly think the Stinger drives better and has equal fit and finish .We didnt recieve any of the great lease incentives or purchase rates like US got so that helps neutralize the price gap . Its also fun driving something that isnt another German , all my BMW buds are getting tired of them and are really giving the Stinger srious consideration ( some just cant get past the badge ! ) its all good ........................

 

[Bamm1]

Thanks , I agree Canada got a smoking deal on these cars , but conversely we usually get spanked hard vs the USA on most other cars especially German.

Really?

Similarly equipped, all prices listed are without destination cost

Audi S5 Sportback
USA Price: $67,150
CAN Price: $74,550.00
CAN Price in USD: $59,766.74
USA "Markup": 12.3%

Camry XSE V6
USA Price: $36,395
CAN Price: $39,945
CAN Price in USD: $32,023.91
USA "Markup": 13.6%

Accord Touring 1.5T (2.0 not available on US website yet)
USA Price: $33,800
CAN Price: $36,090
CAN Price in USD: $28,933.35
USA "Markup": 14.2%

Optima SX/SXL
USA Price: $36,090
CAN Price: $38,945
CAN Price in USD: $31,210.52
USA "Markup": 15.6%

Genisis G80 Sport
USA Price: $57,750
CAN Price: $61,000
CAN Price in USD: $48,903.70
USA "Markup": 18%

Stinger GT2/GT
USA Price: $51,700
CAN Price: $50,000
CAN Price in USD: $40,085.00
USA "Markup": 28.9%
Theoretical USA Price With 15% "Markup": $46,097.75

I was prepared for a 60 K CAD retail here so my shopping comparisons were pretty much like yours and thats what I've referenced in comparing the Stinger . I think it's still excellent value and excellent quality at 60 K. I would need to spend 75K to get the comparative 4 Series . I had a 2015 650 Cabriolet and honestly think the Stinger drives better and has equal fit and finish .

I agree, ~46k USD would be a great price and likely not warrant the critique either. But we are well into the 50's here in the US and again that garners additional scrutiny at that price point. As it should for the 4 series as well.

We didnt recieve any of the great lease incentives or purchase rates like US got so that helps neutralize the price gap .

That is because they are not even remotely close to being needed. Even with the US lease deal, the Stinger is still ~$6500 USD less in Canada and has 4 more options not even offered here. The fact that right from the jump they offered a big discount on the lease should speak volumes about where they set the purchase price.

I will add that none of this means the Stinger is a bad car. It just means you have to accept the street corner each person is coming from when they list their pros and cons. And it certainly doesn't make them foolish.

 

[hej]

so hej , what do you drive now..............and are you really serious about buying a Stinger ?

Not really sure what it is you're getting at with the question. I have an Audi A6 now, and if you were to go back to the earliest depths of these forums you'd see that I was one of the most active and enthusiastic members singing high praise for how promising this car looked and how eager I was for it's arrival. It's fair to say I was seriously considering replacing my Audi with a Stinger at one time, but I'm less set on it now between my complaints in this thread and the whole fiasco with Kia removing features for the US market.

 

[hej]

I take serious issue with this review, the review comes off as a total badge snob. The Alfa is know to have a substandard interior and the 3 series is no longer the handling standard it once was. Personally I think most people romanticize the 3 series interior into something better, i dont think its appealing or high quality at all. Too many different textures, cutlines, and the seats look cheap and flat to me. My brother in law leases them because they're subsidized like crazy and I get to drive his cars every so often.
Remember, in Europe, the 3 series is the equivalent of your Chevy Cruze.

Gotta say I had the opposite impression from the review. His entire focus was "what are you getting for the money?" and didn't seem to disparage Kia as a brand at all.

 

[Euljiro1ga]

Here is my take on the stinger, its quality, and its competitors.

I don't compare the Stinger to the 3 series or the A4s simply because the stinger is bigger, size-wise it's more towards the 5 series. Price-wise, the Stinger is closer to the 3 series, yes - but I was in the market for a medium family car (stinger's size) - so naturally, I didn't consider the 3 series.

Considering the size and other functionality - my choices were down to Hyundai Azera, or Kia Cadenza (i'm talking about the Korean market here) - in that sense, I paid extra for the rear-wheel drive feature of the Stinger for the added 'joy' or driving. Quality-wise, for me, it's on par with higher trims Azera or Cadenza (also Camry and Accord in the US, I presume).

But if the price is the primary driving force behind your purchase, as in "for this amount of money what kind of cars can you buy", then sure you can compare to the 3 series and all that. Then, if this is the case, I feel comparing the quality of the Stinger to the 3 series is not a fair one since you are sacrificing the size for the supposed 'higher' quality to start off with anyway.

Also, quality is super subjective and multi-dimensional in nature - is the quality of the materials equate to quality? or the reliability equates to quality? or both? The subject of this thread is the quality of materials, then, my question is whether leather is better than plastic? Again, that goes down to what you perceive as 'quality' - looks, feel, durability, ease of maintenance, costs of replacement, etc.?

I know that marketing can influence how we perceive its competitors - what I perceived the general perception of the Stinger in Korea is that it's an upgrade over the Azera and Cadenza, I never really hear any of the Korean reviewers compared it to the Germans - largely due to the huge difference in costs of ownership (servicing, insurance, etc.). At the same time, I am aware that at the Stinger's launch in the US, they brought in BMWs and Audis as comparisons. This may contribute to people feeling the Stinger is a 'value' prospect to BMWs and the like.

That's my view, love to hear comments from you guys though.

 

[Tylor Pike]

While id like to see a higher quality material for the steering wheel insert..The bottoms of the doors can he hard touch plastic all day imo. The buttons also look fine to me. The steering wheel is eye level and is noticeable, whereas the lower parts of the doors couldnt possibly bother me. Youd be surprised how much auto manufacturers can save even by reducing a couple bolts or irrelevant parts. The hard touch plastics on all door panels does save them costs. Just think if doing this on all 4 door panels saves them 300-500 dollars. Thats alot when put into perspective how many they will manufacture. But it might be taken into account for future models..maybe next year the top tier trims will have the materials some fussier people desire. Me on the other hand..I can live with it.

 

[Kia Stinger]

While id like to see a higher quality material for the steering wheel insert..The bottoms of the doors can he hard touch plastic all day imo. The buttons also look fine to me. The steering wheel is eye level and is noticeable, whereas the lower parts of the doors couldnt possibly bother me. Youd be surprised how much auto manufacturers can save even by reducing a couple bolts or irrelevant parts. The hard touch plastics on all door panels does save them costs. Just think if doing this on all 4 door panels saves them 300-500 dollars. Thats alot when put into perspective how many they will manufacture. But it might be taken into account for future models..maybe next year the top tier trims will have the materials some fussier people desire. Me on the other hand..I can live with it.

I'm with you, I don't really need some of these parts to be of high quality. Some parts I just never come in contact with - or really see - so I don't care. I gather most people feel this way. On the other hand, even if it would cost a few hundred more for each car - you could say that with a purchase of $35k to $50k, a few hundred more wouldn't be a straw that can break the camel's back, sort of speak. So that's another way of thinking about it.

And the way the media would probably hype it up, "Even the INSIDE of the muffler is GOLD!" - it would probably pay off...

 

[tofu]

I'm actually glad the bottom of the doors are just hard plastic since they're easier to wipe. They've been getting pretty dirty with all the snow and salt on the roads here...

 

[Waynerm002]

All the upper touch points feel good to me, not worried about the lower areas of the doors as I’m not to touching those areas on my daily use of the vehicle. This is KIA improving their vehicles and as a first effort it is quite good to serve as their breakout GT car. Keep in mind you’ll end up paying more to get a higher quality vehicle, for what it is in its current form it is quite good.

 

[Kia Stinger]

All the upper touch points feel good to me, not worried about the lower areas of the doors as I’m not to touching those areas on my daily use of the vehicle. This is KIA improving their vehicles and as a first effort it is quite good to serve as their breakout GT car. Keep in mind you’ll end up paying more to get a higher quality vehicle, for what it is in its current form it is quite good.

It's not a Mercedes-Benz - but it's a car that all but the most picky will be very proud of. And that being said, I've heard plenty of "quality of materials" complaints about Mercedes cars - like the CLA for example...

 

[westcoastGT]

It's not a Mercedes-Benz - but it's a car that all but the most picky will be very proud of. And that being said, I've heard plenty of "quality of materials" complaints about Mercedes cars - like the CLA for example...

The Kia Sorento SX has stainless steel skid plates front and back ...............BMW X5 and X6 , cheap plastic ..............

 

[Kia Stinger]

The Kia Sorento SX has stainless steel skid plates front and back ...............BMW X5 and X6 , cheap plastic ..............

Well that's certainly interesting. It seems all the brands are guilty of using cheap materials somewhere or another...

 

[Waynerm002]

They all are doing this, it’s not a new thing. I have to say though, KIA should have upped the quality on this car even more. I still don’t understand why we can’t get the covered cup holder in our cars, the ones in the rest of the world gets it. I know this car is sold as a higher spec car in other countries, it’s nice to get the 2.0T but the GT versions should really compete at a higher level. As I mentioned before, maybe the rumors that they did this to leave room for the G70. Most people don’t pay attention or are aware that Hyundai/KIA and Genesis are related, enthusiasts and folks who are interested in researching it knows but most are buying on looks and emotion.

I’m hoping the 2019 version bumps up the luxury a bit while keeping the price to silence the naysayers. KIA may not have a favorable view in the US but they should make this close to the Genesis in luxury for the price they are asking for the GTs.

 

[Kia Stinger]

They all are doing this, it’s not a new thing. I have to say though, KIA should have upped the quality on this car even more. I still don’t understand why we can’t get the covered cup holder in our cars, the ones in the rest of the world gets it. I know this car is sold as a higher spec car in other countries, it’s nice to get the 2.0T but the GT versions should really compete at a higher level. As I mentioned before, maybe the rumors that they did this to leave room for the G70. Most people don’t pay attention or are aware that Hyundai/KIA and Genesis are related, enthusiasts and folks who are interested in researching it knows but most are buying on looks and emotion.

I’m hoping the 2019 version bumps up the luxury a bit while keeping the price to silence the naysayers. KIA may not have a favorable view in the US but they should make this close to the Genesis in luxury for the price they are asking for the GTs.

I think we're only going to see the Stinger get better as it evolves. Perhaps Kia wants to give people more reason to buy it as time goes on - as they know the initial launch will probably have the most sales success...

 

[Waynerm002]

Based on videos I have seen and how KIA is viewed in the US as compared to other markets, we always get less content in our vehicles. Granted what we get still beats out the others and it's considered a best value based on cost but the badge on the car rates higher in some folks mind compared to the content and cost even though KIA's quality has come up a lot and their cars offer more. That being said, I also see Camry and Corollas or a similar model in other markets that are specced out with top equipment and are rated higher than in the US. As an example, the compact vehicle class in Thailand seems to be the highest level cars, I have only seen a handful of larger vehicles but a check of the manufacturers website, most don't carry a mid-sized option (Camry, Mazda 6, Sonata, Optima, etc.).

KIA execs seem to be planning to make all their cars better, starting with the Stinger. I hope they will give us better options next year on the Stinger as well as anything new they produce/launch after it. That Novo concept they revealer a few years back looked awesome, they need to build that.

 

[Kia Stinger]

KIA execs seem to be planning to make all their cars better, starting with the Stinger.

That's the thing. They don't want to be an economy/VALUE brand anymore. They want to sell based on their product - not the fact that you get "a whole lot for your money". It had to start somewhere - and that start is with the Stinger. Kia clearly understands it's going to aggravate people and they're going to lose sales and customers. However, from this point forward, their products are going to be taken more seriously and won't be considered "great for what you get" - but just "great" - period.

 

[westcoastGT]

That's the thing. They don't want to be an economy/VALUE brand anymore. They want to sell based on their product - not the fact that you get "a whole lot for your money". It had to start somewhere - and that start is with the Stinger. Kia clearly understands it's going to aggravate people and they're going to lose sales and customers. However, from this point forward, their products are going to be taken more seriously and won't be considered "great for what you get" - but just "great" - period.

Value doesnt have to mean discounts , high quality ,more features and fair pricing relative to competition is where they are going I think