Sunset Yellow's Out, and the Dealers will KILL the Stinger.....

[gilthanis1]

I've been to 3 different Kia dealerships in Upstate South Carolina..... Spartanburg, Greer, and Greenville. If Kia does not force these dealers to change and make them quit charging $3-6k or more over MSRP, the Stinger will suffer the same fate as the likes of the GTO, and Chevy SS. You cannot treat a customer like an idiot and flat out lie when you are trying to sell a $50,000+ car. That just doesn't work.....

Greenville got a Sunset Yellow GT2 RWD in today and called me to come see it as I was the first person to ask so they gave me the call when it came in on the truck, and thats where the nice for this stealership ends..... I go, test drive the car, and then they hit me with a $55,000 price tag..... For a car with an MSRP of $50,100.

$4900 OVER MSRP.... I want some of what they are smoking. They flat out lied and told me they 'have to charge a certain price b/c Kia told them to'.... What a load of bullshit when they have the factory sticker sitting there on the desk with the $50,100 MSRP on it. They are trying some really shady shit like $1200 for 'mudflaps' and $1500 for 'Nitrogen in the tires' and they would NOT budge on the price.

The best part is they now have the car listed on their website at $50,100 MSRP with a $47,xxx Invoice price...... I have tried 3 separate times to get a Stinger and the dam stealerships have killed it every time because I refuse to pay over MSRP for anything. I had very high hopes for this car and wanted one for the past 3 years.

Until Kia changes their dam stealerships and treats customers with respect, especially when you are asking $50k for a car I will find a different brand. Anyone want a good used Optima? I am finished with this brand, but I truly wish anyone who got a Stinger the best and I hope you enjoy your car.

 

[Mach_Tuck]

I'm courting a sunset yellow GT2 RWD as well. With Costco pricing I am at $47,300. Dealer is trying to add tint, gps alarm, and paint protect for $800 apiece....not happening.

I'll go for it at $47,300 but NOT with those "shady" add one and ridiculous mark ups.

My dealer told me the stinger was in very low quantity and they were no longer accepting Costco pricing BUT would still honor mine...even for the "limited." Car supposed to arrive next week so will update as things progress.

Agreed, however, these dealers are still needing to learn how to treat customers in this price point. Else they will see $50k walk out the door over and over again.

I'd call them back and tell the, you'll take it for the posted internet price!!

 

[DCBStingerGT]

Hey there, @gilthanis1 and @Mach_Tuck , read your dealership issues regarding the Stinger Limited in Sunset Yellow, a few days ago i watched a video from a US dealer with such a vehicle, i know it most probably will not help, as the dealer is not near you, or also marked up, but thought to share it with you both. Goodluck from AU.

 

[Mach_Tuck]

Hey there, @gilthanis1 and @Mach_Tuck , read your dealership issues regarding the Stinger Limited in Sunset Yellow, a few days ago i watched a video from a US dealer with such a vehicle, i know it most probably will not help, as the dealer is not near you, or also marked up, but thought to share it with you both. Goodluck from AU.

Yep. I've contemplated that one. About 40 min for me. However it's an AWD and that's a no go for me here in the desert. RWD only.

If I can't score a deal on yellow. I can wait till next year. Maybe he dark blue chroma over red will show up here...amazing combo.

 

[derek0609]

I had zero issues with negotiating my sunset yellow AWD GT, I actually paid less than sticker for the car. I would blame the dealership more than Kia itself. Good luck to you!

 

[gilthanis1]

Mach and I were able to finally get our Sunset Yellows. I had to drive 550 miles to pick it up, but dam it was worth it. I can't remember if Mach got his locally or if he had to travel a bit.

Glad to hear you were able to get one under sticker!! Congrats and welcome to the club!!

 

[derek0609]

Mach and I were able to finally get our Sunset Yellows. I had to drive 550 miles to pick it up, but dam it was worth it. I can't remember if Mach got his locally or if he had to travel a bit.

Glad to hear you were able to get one under sticker!! Congrats and welcome to the club!!

Dang, 550 miles? I picked mine up 3.4 miles from my house! There is another one available in Michigan too. It's a base AWD GT just like mine. I am glad you were able to get what you wanted! I love the color and thanks, feels good to be in the yellow club!

 

[gilthanis1]

Dang, 550 miles? I picked mine up 3.4 miles from my house! There is another one available in Michigan too. It's a base AWD GT just like mine. I am glad you were able to get what you wanted! I love the color and thanks, feels good to be in the yellow club!

Yessir, Upstate SC to Kia of Muncie in Muncie, IN. The drive sucked, but I'd do it again tomorrow for this car. I wanted a GT2 AWD in Sunset Yellow since they announced the production specs last year. It took a little while but I'm so happy I didn't settle. I have the exact configuration I wanted, and it's not going anywhere. Who can argue with AWD and a TT V6 covered by a 100k warranty? Lol

 

[derek0609]

Yessir, Upstate SC to Kia of Muncie in Muncie, IN. The drive sucked, but I'd do it again tomorrow for this car. I wanted a GT2 AWD in Sunset Yellow since they announced the production specs last year. It took a little while but I'm so happy I didn't settle. I have the exact configuration I wanted, and it's not going anywhere. Who can argue with AWD and a TT V6 covered by a 100k warranty? Lol

I drive thru Muncie once a month on business from Metro Detroit, that was a long way for you to go but it sounds like your vey happy with your decision! I am not arguing that at all my friend! Here's to AWD TT V6s with 100k warranties!! Cheers!

 

[MarkyMark]

I've been to 3 different Kia dealerships in Upstate South Carolina..... Spartanburg, Greer, and Greenville. If Kia does not force these dealers to change and make them quit charging $3-6k or more over MSRP, the Stinger will suffer the same fate as the likes of the GTO, and Chevy SS. You cannot treat a customer like an idiot and flat out lie when you are trying to sell a $50,000+ car. That just doesn't work.....

Greenville got a Sunset Yellow GT2 RWD in today and called me to come see it as I was the first person to ask so they gave me the call when it came in on the truck, and thats where the nice for this stealership ends..... I go, test drive the car, and then they hit me with a $55,000 price tag..... For a car with an MSRP of $50,100.

$4900 OVER MSRP.... I want some of what they are smoking. They flat out lied and told me they 'have to charge a certain price b/c Kia told them to'.... What a load of bullshit when they have the factory sticker sitting there on the desk with the $50,100 MSRP on it. They are trying some really shady shit like $1200 for 'mudflaps' and $1500 for 'Nitrogen in the tires' and they would NOT budge on the price.

The best part is they now have the car listed on their website at $50,100 MSRP with a $47,xxx Invoice price...... I have tried 3 separate times to get a Stinger and the dam stealerships have killed it every time because I refuse to pay over MSRP for anything. I had very high hopes for this car and wanted one for the past 3 years.

Until Kia changes their dam stealerships and treats customers with respect, especially when you are asking $50k for a car I will find a different brand. Anyone want a good used Optima? I am finished with this brand, but I truly wish anyone who got a Stinger the best and I hope you enjoy your car.

Total agree. Kia has a problem with many - not all - but many of their dealers. They are a company that started as a total bottom feeder, Rio, Soul seller, and still do a massive bulk of business with low-end commuter vehicles.

Enter the K900, Cadenza and Stinger. Kia is now competing with luxury-level dealerships and a completely different type of socio-economic customer. With the Stinger it's exasperated more, by the fact it is brining in sharp, sharp, car folks that know their stuff. Lie to these people and it's over. Screw with pricing games, it's over. Lost sales, lost sales, lost sales - with potential buyers leaving with a bad taste in their mouth.

Here are two ways Kia can solve this, one being conventional, one not a much, but done commonly in the past:

1. Kia quickly shifts to making a Luxury brand for Kia as they did for Genesis.

or

2. A slower approach to doing this with Kia is to create a "store within a store" concept. Back in the stone ages of computers, when a Company called CompUSA actually ruled the roost (CompUSA. Just that name makes me laugh...), and Apple had Steve Jobs emerge as the CEO once more. Jobs got CompUSA to create a store-within-a-store for Apple and it's products. That area had carpet, and made sure all the computers were up and running with demo displays or able to be accessed to actually run and check out. Often, not always, but often, there was an actually trained Apple devoted person to the area.

The result was it raised Apple's brand as legit, and it sold Macs - a LOT of iMacs, and helped propel Apple until iPods took over...

The point for Kia? Launch a store within a store under a new brand name. It can simply be a small group of select veteran sales people that are dedicated to the Stinger (and K900 and Cadenza). These folks become amazingly well versed in these cars. If they are all booked up with people, by all means the next best sales folks can help customers out, but THIS is the dedicated team. They always have fresh coffee and food available for their customers.

They don't lie.
They don't play games.
And if it can be contracted, there is no dealer mark up.

Over time, the dealers can get their own offices that are slightly more upscale and exclusive. Move from there to it's own brand and break off from the dealer.

For now? Stinger, K900 and Cadenza need their own dedicated sales team with a luxury-level approach to their customers, which by and large, are simply more educated and affluent than Kia's average customer. Sure, a ton of Kia customers are this way also, but the luxury-version vehicles much more so. Treat them like luxury customers, and it'll go a long, long, way for the brand and for sales.

 

[Mach_Tuck]

Agreed...the bulk of Kia sales are for Sub 25K cars so the market/customer is just different. For instance, i walk into a Lexus/BMW Dealership and am asked what car interested in and if i would like coffee or sandwhich. Walk into the Kia dealer and am asked which car im interested in and what i want my monthly payment to be. Just not a good way to start.

I was told that dealers did have some "training" on the Stinger so maybe that is a step in the right direction. I knew fully well that i would not have the same dealer experience with Kia and was ok with that. I was not prepared, however, for the level that was received.

My recommendation is, know what you want, know what price (not payment) you will pay, and be willing to walk. Patience and persistence is key.

 

[MarkyMark]

Agreed...the bulk of Kia sales are for Sub 25K cars so the market/customer is just different. For instance, i walk into a Lexus/BMW Dealership and am asked what car interested in and if i would like coffee or sandwhich. Walk into the Kia dealer and am asked which car im interested in and what i want my monthly payment to be. Just not a good way to start.

I was told that dealers did have some "training" on the Stinger so maybe that is a step in the right direction. I knew fully well that i would not have the same dealer experience with Kia and was ok with that. I was not prepared, however, for the level that was received.

My recommendation is, know what you want, know what price (not payment) you will pay, and be willing to walk. Patience and persistence is key.

The dealers have had a lot of training on the Stinger, but that does NOT change dealership culture in the least... Likely not even a dent, if a minor pause at best. Kia and Hyundai have been risk averse with their luxury lines and it took what, 10 years or so for Genesis to get off the ground and lead with their own brand and eventually dealerships? I hope they can get Kia's luxury division there a LOT faster than that...

 

[weew]

I suspect this is partly why the head of Kia usa just got booted out and the former head of Kia Canada is taking over.

Canada's Kia dealers seem to be better

 

[Helo58]

It would be wonderful for this to be addressed by Kia through instruction passed down to the dealers. It might even be possible to assign something like "Platinum Status" or "Signature Dealer" to a select few volume dealerships that specialize in upscale sales methods targeted to a different demographic.

I would love for KIA to pay attention to this next sentence. The exact car that I want sits currently at a dealer no more than 15 miles from me and I will not buy it.

I made a fair offer to both parties using the actual pricing information and lease rates from the data gathered here on this site. The dealership lot was cramped with no place to park, the showroom was noisy and cluttered, I heard "title loan" more than once, the car I wanted wasn't present when I came to look at it because the owner of the dealership was driving it for personal use, they pulled the "monthly payment" thing, low-balled me on my trade, and had a $900 documentation fee that they would not budge on. Needless to say, I didn't buy the car on that trip to the dealer. I was polite and kind, as much as you can be buying a car and not ending up a doormat, and after leaving the dealership they have not followed up on a legitimate sales opportunity in a week and a half. I guess their approach is that they think someone else will buy it because it is awesome and they don't have to do anything. That doesn't fly with luxury car owners.

In any event, I refuse to buy the car from this dealer and have contemplated driving 3.5 hours to the next nearest dealer with one like it. I shouldn't have to do this for a multitude of reasons. The Trim Level/Color/Options availability thing is a whole other thread I could get started on... After several visits to dealers who think this way, I am reconsidering my potential "marriage" to the car due to having to live with the dealership "in-laws." The reason I have put off the 3.5 hour trip is I fear that one more negative trip will sour me to the car entirely.

I'll admit that my time with my Lexus ISF has spoiled me, the dealership I took it too for service was fantastic, their rates were the same as Toyota's for routine maintenance. Most of all, Lexus was professional on every level from sales to service and they build the most reliable luxury car out there. If I am paying $50k for a car from Kia, they WILL have to raise the bar significantly.

 

[mikeceli]

I've seen high markups on sudden high demand vehicles, for decades. IE The original Mazda RX7!

NO WAY in hell a distributor/MFG is gonna tell a dealer NOT to charge more money.

 

[gilthanis1]

NO WAY in hell a distributor/MFG is gonna tell a dealer NOT to charge more money.

Dodge did it with the Hellcat. They slapped the dealers hard if they marked it up over MSRP.

Kia absolutely has a duty as a manufacturer to tell their dealers to quit f*****g people over and get these cars out there. If they want to seriously get into the market at this price point, we as up-market consumers, expect WAY more than 99% of Kia dealers even have a clue how to deliver.

 

[MarkyMark]

It would be wonderful for this to be addressed by Kia through instruction passed down to the dealers. It might even be possible to assign something like "Platinum Status" or "Signature Dealer" to a select few volume dealerships that specialize in upscale sales methods targeted to a different demographic.

I would love for KIA to pay attention to this next sentence. The exact car that I want sits currently at a dealer no more than 15 miles from me and I will not buy it.

I made a fair offer to both parties using the actual pricing information and lease rates from the data gathered here on this site. The dealership lot was cramped with no place to park, the showroom was noisy and cluttered, I heard "title loan" more than once, the car I wanted wasn't present when I came to look at it because the owner of the dealership was driving it for personal use, they pulled the "monthly payment" thing, low-balled me on my trade, and had a $900 documentation fee that they would not budge on. Needless to say, I didn't buy the car on that trip to the dealer. I was polite and kind, as much as you can be buying a car and not ending up a doormat, and after leaving the dealership they have not followed up on a legitimate sales opportunity in a week and a half. I guess their approach is that they think someone else will buy it because it is awesome and they don't have to do anything. That doesn't fly with luxury car owners.

In any event, I refuse to buy the car from this dealer and have contemplated driving 3.5 hours to the next nearest dealer with one like it. I shouldn't have to do this for a multitude of reasons. The Trim Level/Color/Options availability thing is a whole other thread I could get started on... After several visits to dealers who think this way, I am reconsidering my potential "marriage" to the car due to having to live with the dealership "in-laws." The reason I have put off the 3.5 hour trip is I fear that one more negative trip will sour me to the car entirely.

I'll admit that my time with my Lexus ISF has spoiled me, the dealership I took it too for service was fantastic, their rates were the same as Toyota's for routine maintenance. Most of all, Lexus was professional on every level from sales to service and they build the most reliable luxury car out there. If I am paying $50k for a car from Kia, they WILL have to raise the bar significantly.

I can only hope someone influential at Kia corporate is following these forums closely and looking to implement changes quickly. Your idea of the Platinum or Signature Dealer status, or a group in dealers that qualify that have training above and beyond the standard Kia floor is the quickest path to success.

 

[Helo58]

I've seen high markups on sudden high demand vehicles, for decades. IE The original Mazda RX7!

NO WAY in hell a distributor/MFG is gonna tell a dealer NOT to charge more money.

In the information age, I wouldn't say that you can take dealer markups as business status quo anymore. People know where their money is going and how "rare" their special car actually is. Dealer markups are dying IMHO, and the MFG won't have to have anything to do with it.

Plenty of articles about Dodge preventing the Demon markups. Also plenty of articles about Honda's rep being hurt by markup on the TypeR Civic. Information age will get you...

 

[KiaofMuncie]

HELO58 - Which stinger are you looking for? No games in Muncie,IN. I can ship anywhere in the United States. Also.....We do not drive our Stingers for personal use! Factory fresh

 

[Helo58]

HELO58 - Which stinger are you looking for? No games in Muncie,IN. I can ship anywhere in the United States. Also.....We do not drive our Stingers for personal use! Factory fresh

Hi Jason! Thanks for chiming in. I appreciate that you don't take the Stingers for personal use! I am looking for an AWD Ceramic Silver GT1 with black interior. Your website shows you don't have one. Thanks for the offer, but it is unlikely that I would purchase using this method.