Stinger v. K5 GT

[DaveC]

Did anyone cross shop the Stinger with the new K5 GT? What convinced you to get the Stinger? Was it the sportiness, RWD, handling, power or other?

Thanks.

 

[Pogey1]

For me it was the power and it just looks better. IMO.

 

[ChaneRZ]

RWD and it is faster.

 

[MerlintheMad]

The K5 is essentially a spiffed up Optima (the Stinger design cues played a part in the new design of the K5). So, the actual design of the K5 is nice enough to satisfy me, even though it lacks the striking "stance" of the Stinger. I do not want a transverse engine, or FWD bias; and without a cavernous hatch, the utility/practicality of the Stinger is lacking in the K5. Had I been reading about the K5 during the winter of '18, instead of the Stinger promo book, I'd never have bought a brand new car, or even gone on a test drive in the first place: not enough features in the K5 to make it a unicorn among GT-style cars, let alone sedans. The K5 is just Kia's sedan for the next while. The Stinger is going to remain an icon of how Kia can Dream On.

 

[Chark]

The 2.5T engine in the K5 is too powerful for FWD only, according to reviews. You cannot get it with AWD, although it's available on the lower trims except the EX.

The Stinger, being RWD or AWD is a better match for the 2.5T engine, although I wish the dual-clutch automatic was available. The Stinger's hatchback gives it a lot more cargo capacity. The 3.3TT engine takes the power to a whole new level, but at the demise of fuel efficiency.

I'm waiting for more of the 2.5T engined models to make it to my area. I'd like to directly compare them myself. I've had a 2012 Optima EX for the past 9 years, but it's not good in the few snow events that we've had. Before that I had a Subaru WRX which was fantastic in the snow. Realistically, I don't need AWD, but it does feel more planted in all conditions.

A few other vehicles I might consider testing out more thoroughly:
Kona N (AWD not available)
Veloster N (lacking in luxury features and high-end stereo)
Santa Cruz N (need to see it first)
K5 GT (wish it had AWD)

 

[Snatchell]

Look into the 2.5L and you'll see all the cool features. For starters it's GDI & MPI so no more dirty intake valves. Also a water cooled intercooler. I can't wait to get my 2022 Stinger GT-Line. I had the GT2 AWD and the speed was nice - but I want a sexy car, just a little more frugal. Plus the 2.5L Turbo Stinger is only 1/2 a second slower than the GT versions.

 

[Snatchell]

The K5 apparently has so much power for the front wheels it's just a smoke machine. Send that to the rear wheels - and now were talkin.

 

[powermatt]

I didn't, mainly because I have no interest in sedans. Same reason I never seriously looked at a G70. They're both good cars, but sedans just do nothing for me. Now if the K5 came in a hatch/wagon variant, that would be a different story, though I'd still have some issues with the weird way they have the trims arranged (no AWD on the top tier EX with the 1.6, but it is on the lower GT tier? wut?).

 

[MerlintheMad]

I didn't, mainly because I have no interest in sedans. Same reason I never seriously looked at a G70. They're both good cars, but sedans just do nothing for me. Now if the K5 came in a hatch/wagon variant, that would be a different story, though I'd still have some issues with the weird way they have the trims arranged (no AWD on the top tier EX with the 1.6, but it is on the lower GT tier? wut?).

Yeah, I'm completely flummoxed by the K5 trims: that 2.5T should be AWD. It makes no sense to make the most powerful trim FWD only. I bet the hatch was ruled out because of the added expense of stiffening the chassis; they've already done that with the Stinger, so why make competition for their own model, and bring the prices closer to a parity? Not sensible to compete with yourself.

 

[Ohiocruiser]

You make k5 awd with with 2.5 engine, and hatch design, and you kill stinger market completely. I am sure kia didn't want to shoot themselves. That is exactly the reason 2.5 is only available in fwd, imho.

 

[powermatt]

Yeah, I'm completely flummoxed by the K5 trims: that 2.5T should be AWD. It makes no sense to make the most powerful trim FWD only. I bet the hatch was ruled out because of the added expense of stiffening the chassis; they've already done that with the Stinger, so why make competition for their own model, and bring the prices closer to a parity? Not sensible to compete with yourself.

A car I did cross-shop with the Stinger was a Mazda3 hatchback with their 2.5T. Less power than Kia's 2.5T, sure, but just as much torque. With a traditional torque converted auto and AWD. And Mazda made that car being a fraction the size of Hyundai/Kia. So what's Kia's excuse?

I ultimately wrote the Mazda3 off because a) it's considerably smaller, and b) it lacked a few things I wanted, like ventilated seats. It would have been considerably cheaper, but my budget allowed for the Stinger, so here I am.

 

[powermatt]

You make k5 awd with with 2.5 engine, and hatch design, and you kill stinger market completely. I am sure kia didn't want to shoot themselves. That is exactly the reason 2.5 is only available in fwd, imho.

Eh, maybe. The Stinger is a larger vehicle on a RWD platform, but I guess maybe that still could have been slicing the segments a bit too thin.

 

[Snatchell]

IMHO - I'd never think to compare a Stinger to a Mazda 3. A WRX to a Mazda 3 maybe. The Stinger is a sexy beast. The Mazda 3 is just a lil' hatchback. Mazda 3 wont turn any heads - The Stinger turns heads everywhere. Especially the Hi-Chroma Red!

 

[powermatt]

IMHO - I'd never think to compare a Stinger to a Mazda 3. A WRX to a Mazda 3 maybe. The Stinger is a sexy beast. The Mazda 3 is just a lil' hatchback. Mazda 3 wont turn any heads - The Stinger turns heads everywhere. Especially the Hi-Chroma Red!

You need to see one in Mazda's Soul Red Metallic... I do a reflexive double take every time I see one in that color when the sun is out.

Looks aren't very high on my list of car buying priorities, personally. It's a nice bonus if the car does look good (and the Stinger certainly does), but I don't mind an ugly car if it has a good driving experience. Bad interior? That's a different story. That's the thing you have to look at the most.

 

[stoopid]

You need to see one in Mazda's Soul Red Metallic... I do a reflexive double take every time I see one in that color when the sun is out.

Looks aren't very high on my list of car buying priorities, personally. It's a nice bonus if the car does look good (and the Stinger certainly does), but I don't mind an ugly car if it has a good driving experience. Bad interior? That's a different story. That's the thing you have to look at the most.

We have that color CX-5 2.5T, it really does look great especially when the sun is hitting it just right. While it looks good, being a small SUV it has no street cred and no one ever moves over for it. In the (boring blue) Stinger, people seem to move over almost any time I come up behind them. So I'm agreeing that the Mazda lineup, as good as it looks, doesn't have "the look".

 

[Transmetal]

and without a cavernous hatch, the utility/practicality of the Stinger is lacking in the K5.

This is one statement I don't understand? Before I bought my Stinger, people were all gushing over about how much space the Stinger has because it's a hatch. I may be the one person who feels the opposite. I don't find the trunk space in the Stinger to be all that great actually.

My previous car, 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix was vastly superior I feel. The seats folded down all the way, just like the Stinger. The front passenger seat also folded down all the way. The rear doors also opened a full 90 degrees. The trunk floor space was also much better. We moved 2 years ago, while I had my truck to help, I used my Grand Prix a ton. If I woulda had my Stinger instead, it would've been much harder. The hatch wasn't even a selling point imo. Especially when I 1st opened it, I thought, this is it?

 

[powermatt]

This is one statement I don't understand? Before I bought my Stinger, people were all gushing over about how much space the Stinger has because it's a hatch. I may be the one person who feels the opposite. I don't find the trunk space in the Stinger to be all that great actually.

My previous car, 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix was vastly superior I feel. The seats folded down all the way, just like the Stinger. The front passenger seat also folded down all the way. The rear doors also opened a full 90 degrees. The trunk floor space was also much better. We moved 2 years ago, while I had my truck to help, I used my Grand Prix a ton. If I woulda had my Stinger instead, it would've been much harder. The hatch wasn't even a selling point imo. Especially when I 1st opened it, I thought, this is it?

I wish we still had fast wagons that didn't cost $120k, but this is the world we live in.

Modern trunks suck, thanks to modern crash structures. Take a look at trunks from basically any car made in the last five years, they're almost all tiny. The openings are smaller, the side walls intrude further in, and a lot have more intrusive borders around the interior passthrough (if they have one at all). The K5 seems to have a pretty good rear opening, but the interior passthrough is pretty small (though it does play a neat visual trick where it looks like the glass goes further back than it actually does). None of it compares to the 90's stuff I owned, of course. A lot of this is also why you can't see out the back of modern cars.

 

[stoopid]

This is one statement I don't understand? Before I bought my Stinger, people were all gushing over about how much space the Stinger has because it's a hatch. I may be the one person who feels the opposite. I don't find the trunk space in the Stinger to be all that great actually.

My previous car, 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix was vastly superior I feel. The seats folded down all the way, just like the Stinger. The front passenger seat also folded down all the way. The rear doors also opened a full 90 degrees. The trunk floor space was also much better. We moved 2 years ago, while I had my truck to help, I used my Grand Prix a ton. If I woulda had my Stinger instead, it would've been much harder. The hatch wasn't even a selling point imo. Especially when I 1st opened it, I thought, this is it?

It's the size of the hole when you're packing shit into the back end.

Wait, that doesn't sound ri...

 

[MerlintheMad]

This is one statement I don't understand? Before I bought my Stinger, people were all gushing over about how much space the Stinger has because it's a hatch. I may be the one person who feels the opposite. I don't find the trunk space in the Stinger to be all that great actually.

My previous car, 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix was vastly superior I feel. The seats folded down all the way, just like the Stinger. The front passenger seat also folded down all the way. The rear doors also opened a full 90 degrees. The trunk floor space was also much better. We moved 2 years ago, while I had my truck to help, I used my Grand Prix a ton. If I woulda had my Stinger instead, it would've been much harder. The hatch wasn't even a selling point imo. Especially when I 1st opened it, I thought, this is it?

When you remove the hatch cover, there is 23.3 cubic feet of space (the K5 has 16 cf). It doesn't matter if the K5 has rear seats that fold, since the opening remains low and therefore very limited. Any trunk will have a low access: the hatch is a cave by comparison. Push the rear seats down in the Stinger and you expand cargo space to 40.9 cf: that's like two normal-sized refrigerators. I don't think you've thought this through, or actually used the Stinger's carrying capacity. Could you fit four full-sized upholstered chairs into a K5? Even two?

I can't speak for your Grand Prix, but that's an odd comparison: I could bring up any number of other vehicles, older ones especially, and ace the Stinger's cargo carrying capacity; but it's the combination: sporty (to the max) and functional, practical at the same time.

 

[Transmetal]

When you remove the hatch cover, there is 23.3 cubic feet of space (the K5 has 16 cf). It doesn't matter if the K5 has rear seats that fold, since the opening remains low and therefore very limited. Any trunk will have a low access: the hatch is a cave by comparison. Push the rear seats down in the Stinger and you expand cargo space to 40.9 cf: that's like two normal-sized refrigerators. I don't think you've thought this through, or actually used the Stinger's carrying capacity. Could you fit four full-sized upholstered chairs into a K5? Even two?
View attachment 57865View attachment 57866
I can't speak for your Grand Prix, but that's an odd comparison: I could bring up any number of other vehicles, older ones especially, and ace the Stinger's cargo carrying capacity; but it's the combination: sporty (to the max) and functional, practical at the same time.

I just personally don't see the hatch being that big a selling point. The entire package, sure I get that. In my case, that was not a selling point at all, since I know how much crap I could fit into my last car. For as wide of a car the Stinger is, the trunk space is limited imo. I can't speak to other modern trunks besides maybe the Nissan Maxima. Those, the Stinger easily beats in space. Had a 2018 maxima as a rental, trunk was really small. I just know if I have to carry a lot of stuff, I won't be able to use the Stinger to do it, unlike my last car, just an observation. I do also have a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Ford pickup as well so I'll be ok.