Ride Comfort: GT vs GT1/GT2

[terrylharris]

Boy I can think of about a dozen ways you could have NOT been a dick about that.

Do you think that it has a harsh ride for a performance car? The man needed to be told the truth.

 

[Ty Davis]

Do you think that it has a harsh ride for a performance car? The man needed to be told the truth.

I don’t find the Stinger ride harsh at all.
It does transmit small surface irregularities and texture a bit too clearly, but the ride is indeed fairly soft.
Body control is too soft, allowing the front and rear suspensions to bounce too freely.

I think owners are all over the map in regards to Stinger ride quality because it has so many conflicting traits.
Antidive - Firm
Antisquat - Firm
Body Roll Resistance - Medium to Firm
Large Bumps - Fairly smooth
Road Texture/pebbles/small irregularities - (too?) Firm
Dips/elevation changes - Too Soft
Vertical Body Control - Too Soft

Your view of the Stingers ride will depend on which of these ride modes you are most sensitive to or place the most importance on. For a performance car, the Stinger is fairly soft riding. Where it fails, in my eyes is the excessive bounce allowed over varying road surfaces.

 

[Audible Silence]

Wondering for those that have a gt1/gt2 what setting are you driving with and are you happy with the daily drive comfort from the adaptive suspension? I have a Panthera Metal GT w/ the safety tech package. Drove the car for roughly 2 weeks and just recently found out that the suspension in the GT is not adjustable. Was told by the sales rep that the base GT does have different modes to select and I assumed that includes the suspension. Only found out after I noticed that switching from comfort to sport I did not feel much difference with the suspension and when I went to the custom setting I realized there is no setting for the suspension. After living with the car for about 2 weeks, I found the ride quality to be a bit harsh. I had several cars previously - Golf GTI Mk 6, S4 B8.5, Lexus GS base and the Stinger GT feels the most harsh. Reminds me alittle of the GTI, but I think the GTI is more forgiving, or maybe I was just younger then. Now with 2 kids and family, I think I prefer a better dampened car for daily commute. I live in Los Angeles with pretty poor road condition so that may have made things worst. Contemplating of even trading in the GT at some point and getting the GT1 if the comfort mode in the GT1/GT2 is softer than the current GT set up. Will probably have to get a test drive later but I think usually it's hard to get a feel until you have the car for some time. I only test drove the GT during the dealer visit.

Go to the dealer, drive another stinger and compare. If there is a difference, don't ask, TELL the service manager that he needs to ride with you in both cars to experience what you're talking about.

That's what I would do.

 

[turboAWD]

I am NOT speculating here. My car currently sits on KWv3 coilovers that ride AND handle better than the OEM Kia setup. Prior to that, I ran HSD coilovers, they too rode/handled better than stock. Hell, many of the Eibach spring/sway users report the car rides and handles better than stock too.

You have the KWv3 for the Stinger? How do you like it? Sway upgrades too? How much work to get it adjusted nicely?

 

[Ty Davis]

You have the KWv3 for the Stinger? How do you like it? Sway upgrades too? How much work to get it adjusted nicely?

Initially, the KWv3 were excellent. They were firm and very smooth. Body roll was almost totally eliminated and bounce/hop/pogo were completely eliminated. However, after only a month and a half the ride quality has deteriorated dramatically.

They now behave like several shocks are blown. One front clunks and one rear unit clunks, although rarely.
These have a lifetime warranty, so I will be sending them back. I can’t recommend KW’s just yet, as these units I have are defective. I can say that when they were working correctly, they were absolutely brilliant.

I’ll keep you posted when I get the replacements in and installed.

I have the factory sway bars. Cornering was so flat, I felt upgraded bars were unnecessary with the KWs.

 

[Manaz]

It would seem to me that have never driven a true sports car. I have owned a Lotus Esprit, a 427 CU L88 Corvette and even an MGB. If you do not want a harsh ride buy some p*ssy car. This is a performance automobile. Harsher rides go with that moniker.

The Stinger is nothing like any of the three cars you've just mentioned.

The Stinger is not a sports car, I would argue that despite the levels of performance it makes available, it is not even a performance car.

The Stinger is a large four-door grand tourer (or "gran turismo", if you will). A grand tourer should not handle like any of the cars you mentioned - nor, for that matter, should it handle like any Camry.

A GT should offer more refinement and a more relaxed drive than sports cars such as you mentioned, but enough of a sporting ability to be enjoyed.

Did Kia get the ride right? I don't think 100%. For what it's worth, I don't think BMW do either, and their cars of late ride in a similar fashion, where they seem to equate a firm ride with being sporty.

Comments about KWv3s are well made - I've ridden in KWv2 equipped cars that are well controlled, and the v3s give more adjustability again. The coilovers that have just been installed on our track car (Shockworks - the guy who runs them is a former ProDrive suspension tuner) ride smoother yet with more control than the Stinger.

Yes, to handle well, there needs to be a level of firmness (to resist body roll and weight transfer from side to side). But that doesn't mean that initial compliance can't be softer. You'll notice the Eibach springs are progressive for this reason, and the rebound really needs to be tuned to suit the spring in this regard.

What could Kia do to improve? Fixing the issue with the stock rear swaybar causing the rear end to "hop" on rough surfaces would go a long way. Adding some initial compliance (be it via progressive springs, tuning of the active suspension, or both) would help as well. Giving more adjustability on suspension settings (stock with zero front camber and no adjustability is pretty odd, given the positive benefits of even a small amount of front negative camber on cornering stability).

Remember too - we're talking about a v1 car release here. The Stinger is remarkable for a v1 car, but it isn't perfect. As long as they're selling enough to commit to a v2, the v2 may well be absolutely superb if Kia listen to the criticism the car does receive.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I am NOT speculating here. My car currently sits on KWv3 coilovers that ride AND handle better than the OEM Kia setup. Prior to that, I ran HSD coilovers, they too rode/handled better than stock. ...

At what added cost? We were not talking about Kia changing the hardware. At least I wasn't.

 

[Ty Davis]

At what added cost? We were not talking about Kia changing the hardware. At least I wasn't.

At zero added cost...
It would cost Kia nothing to use shocks that have a different damping profile.
This is doubly true in the case of the Electronic dampers, which are already capable of providing
suitable level of firmnesss, but programmed to loosely control body motions.

The actual hardware in the Stinger is fine. It is just the tuning/calibration of that hardware that is lacking.

 

[StungBlueGT2]

Contrary to the advice you have received here, I doubt anything is wrong with your Stinger or its Adaptive suspension system. I have written before about the Stingers poorly calibrated suspension. I believe that is what you are experiencing, made conspicuously worse by the fact that you also have a smooth riding Camry SE in your household to compare it to. The Stingers ride quality is highly dependent on road surface and texture. I too compared the Stinger back to back with a 2018 Camry rental. The Camry had a smooth, silky, luxurious quality to the way it went over the road. The body stayed relatively flat over good and poor surface with a surprising lack of bounce, pitch, or float.

The Stinger in contrast allows a constant stream of road texture and grain feel to be transmitted into the cabin and to a lesser degree, to the steering wheel. Actual bumps are handled decently, but with too much up/down motion of the front and rear suspensions.

It’s just the way the Adaptive suspension is tuned in the Stinger.
The people who feel the Stinger is “super smooth” aren’t lying though. On the right surfaces, the Stinger glides smoothly down the road too. But different cities have different road qualities, explaining why some people don’t experience much of the smooth ride. In addition, everyone has different expectations of ride quality. You, having a new Camry SE, have the fortune of knowing what a well tuned suspension feels like. That Camry’s ride is exceptionally solid, flat, well damped, and isolated from ride harshness and motion.

I have driven numerous Stinger GT2 RWD and all of them feel the same.
They bounce over dips and bumps. They transmit too many small bumps/textures.
They lack coordination between the front and rear suspensions (you feel the front bouncing and rear bouncing independently, rather than the car moving flatly as a whole). On the upside, they all have good resistance to brake dive and squat. They all have relatively quick steering. They all superb levels of grip.
It’s just the nature of the Stinger.

The handling numbers and specs are top notch, but they are achieved with a lack of refinement in relation to vehicles with better sorted suspension systems.

Before you feel like your Stinger is broken, go take a test drive of at least one other at your local dealership. It will likely ride just like yours. Different people judge ride quality by different metrics. The Stinger GT2 ride quality is a mixed bag. The Stinger GT2 is both too firm and too soft. If you didn’t have the Camry to compare it to, it might be less obvious.

In the end, let’s hope Kia refines the suspension tuning further in the next generation of Stinger.

You must be employed by Toyota, are simply trolling, or just don’t know any better because the fact that you are comparing a Nurburgring track tested & built high performance GT, to a basic Toyota Camry family sedan is laughable.

They are a completely different categories of vehicles and each was designed for entirely different purposes.

Feedback and communication with the road surfaces is deliberate on high performance cars. Being disconnected or numb & floaty is how sedate family sedans are designed and what Toyota/Lexus is known for. Apples to oranges and any further comparisons between the two are irrelevant and useless in this conversation.

The Stingers suspension was designed to mimic the top European automakers and is much more similar to a Audi or BMW. Taught and sporty without being harsh. It’s long & wide wheelbase makes it stable and comfortable at autobahn speeds. All of which the Camry doesn’t have or can achieve.

That said, a correctly working GT2’s adaptive suspension is excellent over all road surfaces. It can easily absorb hard terrain like railroad tracks & speed bumps even in Sport mode. Comfort mode almost makes those feel like you’re gliding over them and similar to a full blown luxury car. Not super soft, numb and floaty like a Camry/Lexus, but very smooth for a high performance car with much lower profile tires.

Bottom line, if anyones Stinger isn’t stable, smooth and planted to the ground even at unimaginable speeds for a Camry then likely the tires are over pressurized or the suspension is miscalibrated/faulty.

 

[Ty Davis]

You must be employed by Toyota, are simply trolling, or just don’t know any better because the fact that you are comparing a Nurburgring track tested & built high performance GT, to a basic Toyota Camry family sedan is laughable.

They are a completely different categories of vehicles and each was designed for entirely different purposes.

Feedback and communication with the road surfaces is deliberate on high performance cars. Being disconnected or numb & floaty is how sedate family sedans are designed and what Toyota/Lexus is known for. Apples to oranges and any further comparisons between the two are irrelevant and useless in this conversation.

The Stingers suspension was designed to mimic the top European automakers and is much more similar to a Audi or BMW. Taught and sporty without being harsh. It’s long & wide wheelbase makes it stable and comfortable at autobahn speeds. All of which the Camry doesn’t have or can achieve.

That said, a correctly working GT2’s adaptive suspension is excellent over all road surfaces. It can easily absorb hard terrain like railroad tracks & speed bumps even in Sport mode. Comfort mode almost makes those feel like you’re gliding over them and similar to a full blown luxury car. Not super soft, numb and floaty like a Camry/Lexus, but very smooth for a high performance car with much lower profile tires.

Bottom line, if anyones Stinger isn’t stable, smooth and planted to the ground even at unimaginable speeds for a Camry then likely the tires are over pressurized or the suspension is miscalibrated/faulty.

Not employed by Toyota at all. I am just a car enthusiast who has driven a wide range of cars, including the Stinger GT2 I own, the F10 BMW 535i M-Sport I traded in for the Stinger, and a couple of 2018/19 Camry SE rentals, I’ve driven. So I have experienced all of the vehicles you mentioned in your post. Recently.
Contrary to what you wrote, the Stinger lacks body control on less than smooth surfaces.
This is true at high speeds and low speeds. The shocks simply allow too much vertical bounce in the front, and especially at the rear. I am not trolling when I say the Camry SE has both tighter ride motions and smoother ride quality than the Stinger.

Of course the Camry does not grip as well as the Stinger during hard driving, but it is much more composed than the Stinger during regular driving. The Stingers suspension tuning is not all that stellar. The Stinger does benefit from its RWD/AWD layout and High Performance summer tires.

In fact, cars like the FWD Accord Sport post better handling numbers than the base Stingers that have all season tires. Again, doing so with noticeably more refinement than the Stinger can manage. A set of appropriately sized PS4’s would likely see them near the outright capability of the GT Stingers (within The limitations of FWD).

I love the Stinger. But it is not perfect. It is an amazing 1st effort. But Hyundai/Kia does come and see/use the commentary on these forums from time to time.
They need to hear that the Stinger suspension calibration needs more work.
If you think it’s perfect as is, I respect that. However, those who have experienced better tuned suspensions (in greater and lessercars) will definitely have insight on how the Stinger can be improved...

Before I go, I will leave you with a couple of threads that include others who have noticed the float/bounce/hop/instability built into this chassis, so you don’t think I’m just trolling.
Suspension Performance and How to Improve it!
Plan to Improve Handling

 

[MerlintheMad]

The "trolling" accusation is unwarranted, imho.

But I have to say that @Ty Davis says things I can't relate to, while @StungBlueGT2 is like my private echo chamber! Fans do love to nod together.

Look, we've already admitted that "ride quality" is one of the more subjective judgments that drivers make. Nobody is going to convince another if they disagree: their feelings are involved, literally.

My personal experience is both late and limited. But I can repeat that the faster the Stinger goes the better it handles and feels. At normal speeds I have not noticed anything like what Ty complains about. My car doesn't "float" or bounce or sway around. It was a solid, smooth, comfortable ride away from the dealership. And it got even better with the Eibach rear sway bar in. The up and down rear from road irregularities was never extreme to me and the upgraded sway bar made it even better.