mldavis2
1000 Posts Club!
I'm a long distance driver, not a track junkie. So my GT2 is bone-stock. I just returned from a road trip from SW Missouri to Michigan and back, mostly on interstate highways running 77mph in 70mph zones. Here are some impressions on the Stinger after a couple of months.
Running in Comfort mode, the car is very comfortable, the suspension is adequately firm yet not harsh. Interior noise levels are very good which allows the HK sound system to do its thing. I'm running on the 19" tires which are probably more quiet than the all-weather tires. A better sound system would be a waste of money, as this one is better than the road noise with which it competes. And this car does not like me sitting in the car running the radio when the engine is off, presumably due to the 750W current draw from the battery. The system is, effectively, only of use while driving. So two votes here, one for the quality of the system, the other against not being able to use it without the engine running while waiting for the wife at the airport.
One thing I have not heard from other owners is switch positions. The trunk and gas cap cover release switches are obscured by the steering wheel in my favored seating position. No big deal, just a bit annoying when trying to press them while seated in the car. The mirror switches are also not my favorite locations. My wife somehow always manages to press one of them without realizing it, then because she refuses to RTFM, she complains that the mirrors are "not working." I have mine set to retract when locked, and to tilt down when backing. I'm still trying to teach her how the switch positions relate to those features.
The HUD in the GT2 is nice, but I wish they had incorporated turn signals into the display. In my seating position, the green blinker lights on the dash are hidden behind the top of the steering wheel. Yeah, I know that's my body position problem, but I would like to be able to see the lights if the steering wheel fails to cancel the turn signal on a gradual turn and I show my inattention to the world by driving down the road with my blinker on, like the old geezer I am. I can be rather paranoid about things like that.
As mentioned above, I ran in Comfort mode on the trip. I considered Eco mode, but I think that probably just alters transmission shift points to maintain lower RPM shifts, and I don't like lugging a turbocharged engine. I'll experiment a bit with that mode later. Suffice to say that my digital mileage readout on the dash varied between 27.3 and 29.3 with an estimated average of close to 28 mpg running 77mph most of the time with the air conditioner on and a loaded car with two or three adults and luggage compartment full. I find that rather amazing with an engine just barely broken in. Why Kia is only showing 25mpg highway mileage is very strange, and this car will push 30 easily at lower speeds. The aerodynamics do seem to help mileage, however, as speeds over 65 or so really kill mileage on my '05 GTO (6.0L LS2) while the Stinger seems almost not to notice.
Build quality continues to please me. No squeaks or rattles. There is some tire thump over expansion joints, but this year was a terrible year for Michigan roads and there was a lot of damage to avoid. I managed to get back home without cracking a wheel. So far everything continues to work as intended and I have had no repairs or complaints with the body or electrical systems. The front wheel vents do get filled with little rocks on roads still littered with winter debris or if you wander off pavement onto dirt or gravel roads. But nothing showed up in the vents after the Michigan trip, so this is not much of a factor. I wash my car at home with a hose and cleaning the vents is simple. No visible wear on the nappa leather seats (black, and I do use the seat retraction setting for getting in and out.) I did buy a set of Stinger all-weather mats to replace the carpet mats and they are perfect with a surrounding lip to keep mud and water contained, and they fit the floor hooks to keep them in place. I can't imagine WeatherTech being any better if and when they decide to make some for the Stinger. If you consider OEM mats, note that the RWD and AWD mats are different, presumably because of drive shaft tunnel shape differences.
I have also had no problems with rock chips and paint (HiChroma Red.) I cleaned a mass of insects from the front after the trip. Hopefully the aerodynamics in front combined with the rake-angle of the windshield will help prevent a chip or crack. My wife reported a rock on the windshield but a very close inspection showed no damage. The windshield on the GT2 with HUD is around $2,000, I've heard. So I have armed myself with two windshield repair kits which I keep in the back, and I've altered my driving a bit to try and avoid rocks. There is no way to avoid a stone from a passing truck in the opposing lane, but I now stay well back of semi's and always move to the right or left side of the lane if they stray onto the shoulder ahead of me where they might pick up a rock. I also watch my distance behind pickups which often have coarse tire tread and no mudflaps, especially the 3/4 and 1-tons. All you can do is play the percentages and hope you aren't next.
Checking the engine oil level at 6K (I changed oil at 2K) shows no oil use and no significant discoloration, so the Mobil 1 I'm using is holding up nicely based on a visual inspection and the rings are seated after a careful break-in.
This is one beautiful car.
Running in Comfort mode, the car is very comfortable, the suspension is adequately firm yet not harsh. Interior noise levels are very good which allows the HK sound system to do its thing. I'm running on the 19" tires which are probably more quiet than the all-weather tires. A better sound system would be a waste of money, as this one is better than the road noise with which it competes. And this car does not like me sitting in the car running the radio when the engine is off, presumably due to the 750W current draw from the battery. The system is, effectively, only of use while driving. So two votes here, one for the quality of the system, the other against not being able to use it without the engine running while waiting for the wife at the airport.
One thing I have not heard from other owners is switch positions. The trunk and gas cap cover release switches are obscured by the steering wheel in my favored seating position. No big deal, just a bit annoying when trying to press them while seated in the car. The mirror switches are also not my favorite locations. My wife somehow always manages to press one of them without realizing it, then because she refuses to RTFM, she complains that the mirrors are "not working." I have mine set to retract when locked, and to tilt down when backing. I'm still trying to teach her how the switch positions relate to those features.
The HUD in the GT2 is nice, but I wish they had incorporated turn signals into the display. In my seating position, the green blinker lights on the dash are hidden behind the top of the steering wheel. Yeah, I know that's my body position problem, but I would like to be able to see the lights if the steering wheel fails to cancel the turn signal on a gradual turn and I show my inattention to the world by driving down the road with my blinker on, like the old geezer I am. I can be rather paranoid about things like that.
As mentioned above, I ran in Comfort mode on the trip. I considered Eco mode, but I think that probably just alters transmission shift points to maintain lower RPM shifts, and I don't like lugging a turbocharged engine. I'll experiment a bit with that mode later. Suffice to say that my digital mileage readout on the dash varied between 27.3 and 29.3 with an estimated average of close to 28 mpg running 77mph most of the time with the air conditioner on and a loaded car with two or three adults and luggage compartment full. I find that rather amazing with an engine just barely broken in. Why Kia is only showing 25mpg highway mileage is very strange, and this car will push 30 easily at lower speeds. The aerodynamics do seem to help mileage, however, as speeds over 65 or so really kill mileage on my '05 GTO (6.0L LS2) while the Stinger seems almost not to notice.
Build quality continues to please me. No squeaks or rattles. There is some tire thump over expansion joints, but this year was a terrible year for Michigan roads and there was a lot of damage to avoid. I managed to get back home without cracking a wheel. So far everything continues to work as intended and I have had no repairs or complaints with the body or electrical systems. The front wheel vents do get filled with little rocks on roads still littered with winter debris or if you wander off pavement onto dirt or gravel roads. But nothing showed up in the vents after the Michigan trip, so this is not much of a factor. I wash my car at home with a hose and cleaning the vents is simple. No visible wear on the nappa leather seats (black, and I do use the seat retraction setting for getting in and out.) I did buy a set of Stinger all-weather mats to replace the carpet mats and they are perfect with a surrounding lip to keep mud and water contained, and they fit the floor hooks to keep them in place. I can't imagine WeatherTech being any better if and when they decide to make some for the Stinger. If you consider OEM mats, note that the RWD and AWD mats are different, presumably because of drive shaft tunnel shape differences.
I have also had no problems with rock chips and paint (HiChroma Red.) I cleaned a mass of insects from the front after the trip. Hopefully the aerodynamics in front combined with the rake-angle of the windshield will help prevent a chip or crack. My wife reported a rock on the windshield but a very close inspection showed no damage. The windshield on the GT2 with HUD is around $2,000, I've heard. So I have armed myself with two windshield repair kits which I keep in the back, and I've altered my driving a bit to try and avoid rocks. There is no way to avoid a stone from a passing truck in the opposing lane, but I now stay well back of semi's and always move to the right or left side of the lane if they stray onto the shoulder ahead of me where they might pick up a rock. I also watch my distance behind pickups which often have coarse tire tread and no mudflaps, especially the 3/4 and 1-tons. All you can do is play the percentages and hope you aren't next.
Checking the engine oil level at 6K (I changed oil at 2K) shows no oil use and no significant discoloration, so the Mobil 1 I'm using is holding up nicely based on a visual inspection and the rings are seated after a careful break-in.
This is one beautiful car.
I'll just have to drive around the block a few times if an amazing piece of music or a fascinating NPR story comes on just as I'm about to arrive home, where my engine running bothers the neighbors. 
