OP:
I don't know why people are haranguing you about price; if you feel satisfied about the deal you made, that's all that matters.
As to the original post, people are simply uninformed about the car or holding on to past and pervasive critical thoughts of the brand. I'm in my mid-30's and remember when KIA first came to this country -- they ran Sephia ads showing college-age kids driving their cars through crop fields and otherwise beating on them with the statement at the end of the commercial: "with a car this cheap, why not buy two?" Sometimes it's hard to get past these memories and over brand image.
I'll be honest, KIA was never at the top of my list in my car shopping experience until the Stinger. My wife and I looked briefly at a
Sportage years ago because I found the looks appealing, but we went way on the other side of the spectrum and ended up with a Volvo XC60 T6 -- she was not willing to entertain the KIA brand.
With this car, the professional reviews piqued my interest and caused me to test drive the car. I was cross shopping with Chevrolet SS, Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti, and Infiniti Q50. My wife felt the Chevrolet was too bland style-wise (truth be told, I wanted the SS because it *was* my Camaro with four doors), and the Giulia threw a confidence-deflating indicator light during the test drive. So between the Stinger and the Infiniti, I chose the Stinger. At the same price point, the Stinger is faster, roomier, and laden with more options. It does not have the brand cachet but, honestly, who cares? What matters is how the car makes you feel, and the Stinger has so far made me feel happy with the purchase.
Haters gonna hate.
