Terrible Option Packaging On the 2022 Stingers

[V10enomous]

The lease on my 2018 Stinger Premium is almost up so I went to the dealer to check out the 2022's. The 2018 I have has Memory Seats, Wheel and Mirrors which is very handy for us given how tiny my wife is at 4'10" and 92lbs. She drives all the way up, all the way forward and with the wheel all the way down. I can't even get my leg in after she drives the car.

So it looks like the only way to get the Memory Package is with a GT2 which is $54k+. The other thing I really wanted was the surround view and that is also only available on the GT2. The 4 Banger is more than adequate as the Stinger is just a grocery getter for us. I went to the Genesis dealer and it seems you can get both the Memory package and Surround View on the 4cyl G70 but we like the Stinger better because of the hatchback and the looks plus I can't stand those Chain Link Fence Grills on the Genesis cars. The G70 back seat looks smaller too. I don't really want a GT2 because of the poor gas mileage and the range on the 4cyl is bad enough now.

I think Kia really screwed up on this... At this point I might just buy the car I have which actually has a ton of equity in it. While it does have the memory package it doesn't have the driver assist stuff like Blind Spot, lane keep, crash avoidance and adaptive cruise.

Very disappointed.

 

[Maljey]

The lease on my 2018 Stinger Premium is almost up so I went to the dealer to check out the 2022's. The 2018 I have has Memory Seats, Wheel and Mirrors which is very handy for us given how tiny my wife is at 4'10" and 92lbs. She drives all the way up, all the way forward and with the wheel all the way down. I can't even get my leg in after she drives the car.

So it looks like the only way to get the Memory Package is with a GT2 which is $54k+. The other thing I really wanted was the surround view and that is also only available on the GT2. The 4 Banger is more than adequate as the Stinger is just a grocery getter for us. I went to the Genesis dealer and it seems you can get both the Memory package and Surround View on the 4cyl G70 but we like the Stinger better because of the hatchback and the looks plus I can't stand those Chain Link Fence Grills on the Genesis cars. The G70 back seat looks smaller too. I don't really want a GT2 because of the poor gas mileage and the range on the 4cyl is bad enough now.

I think Kia really screwed up on this... At this point I might just buy the car I have which actually has a ton of equity in it. While it does have the memory package it doesn't have the driver assist stuff like Blind Spot, lane keep, crash avoidance and adaptive cruise.

Very disappointed.

I agree, they really screwed up the packaging with the 2022 models. Although I ended up getting a 2022, I really wanted them to continue the base GT model, as that was the sweet spot for me in terms of pricing and features.

Memory seats arent a big deal to me personally, but I can see how they are in your situation.

I'd keep your 2018 if you've been happy with it. Otherwise maybe check out the VW Areton if you want a new, comparable car to the 4 cylinder Stinger. I think the Areton has memory seats.

 

[jthrelf]

I jumped on one of the last '21 GTs for this reason too. I don't mind being a minimalist in terms of features as long as I got the 3.3L TT. Didn't need to spend the extra 4K on the GT1.

Plus let's be real, the base GT is still nicely equipped.

Sounds like you're best off keeping your current car. Good luck!

 

[hummus]

For style, space and practicality, how about a K5 GT or EX? Seems like those have memory seats and optional surround view. The GT-Line might be a good option as well, though I'm not sure if it has those options. The GT would probably approximate the Stinger a bit better in some ways, and the EX with the 1.6T should give you very good range. Either would probably make a really satisfying, slick grocery getter and more.

Not sure if crossovers are your style, but the new Sportage and Sorento look great IMO.

 

[JSolo]

Same engine in the k5 gt. Lots of reviews say too much power to only the front wheels. Take that with a grain of salt and form your own opinion after test driving. For few gran less than stinger gt-line, they come very nicely equipped.

 

[V10enomous]

Sounds like you're best off keeping your current car. Good luck!

For style, space and practicality, how about a K5 GT or EX? Seems like those have memory seats and optional surround view. The GT-Line might be a good option as well, though I'm not sure if it has those options. The GT would probably approximate the Stinger a bit better in some ways, and the EX with the 1.6T should give you very good range. Either would probably make a really satisfying, slick grocery getter and more.

Not sure if crossovers are your style, but the new Sportage and Sorento look great IMO.

Honestly, the other Kia's don't appeal to me... The Stinger is a special unique car imo... It looks like a million bucks and it's so practical with the hatch...

I really just wanted the same car with the 4cyl and with some of the things that ours is missing like Blind spot and the driver assist stuff and the surround view...

The good news is that our car only has 26k miles and the residual on the lease is only $17,208. I got an instant offer on Carmax for $27k. Retail seems to be about $33k. We traded in a dead 20212 Optima Hybrid with 99k miles and got $6,500 lease cash plus a dealer discount and paid only $340.05 with 12k miles for 36 months sign and drive $0 down. I think I just may buy the car as dealers with new cars are not really bargaining now. I went to Deland Kia and they had 9 2022 Stingers and they all had dealer markups and painted on pinstripes...

 

[Robilar]

I agree, they really screwed up the packaging with the 2022 models. Although I ended up getting a 2022, I really wanted them to continue the base GT model, as that was the sweet spot for me in terms of pricing and features.

Memory seats arent a big deal to me personally, but I can see how they are in your situation.

I'd keep your 2018 if you've been happy with it. Otherwise maybe check out the VW Areton if you want a new, comparable car to the 4 cylinder Stinger. I think the Areton has memory seats.

The Arteon is still for sale?

It's essentially a lower featured Audi A5, same platform and same basic price but with less features.


The Arteon starts at 53k here in Canada before options

The Audi A5 sportback starts at 51.5k and way better tech.

 

[V10enomous]

The K5 just doesn't look like the same class of car to me. There will be a million on the road too... The Stinger Premium has a nice Luxury Car look to it, even more so than the Stinger GT's. Not to say that the GT's don't look great... they just look more sporty than Luxury.

 

[V10enomous]

This is my wife's car and she wouldn't touch a German or American car with a 10 foot pole. She likes the 100k warranty and the reliability and low cost of ownership.

 

[JSolo]

All the crazy mark up and very limited availability on the k5 gt is was drove me to the stinger. Nice to be in a RWD biased car again.

 

[Chark]

Agreed on Kia's current options packages. Was interested in the K5 EX or GT, but can't get AWD on those models. I want the premium stereo, but can only get that on the EX and GT trims (at extra cost).

Really would like all of the options in the GT2, but with the 2.5T engine. My only option is the Sun and Sound Package, but lots of other stuff left out.

Will probably wait for a low-mileage '22 GT-line with SSP to come available, especially with gas prices about to skyrocket.

 

[jrich05]

The lease on my 2018 Stinger Premium is almost up so I went to the dealer to check out the 2022's. The 2018 I have has Memory Seats, Wheel and Mirrors which is very handy for us given how tiny my wife is at 4'10" and 92lbs. She drives all the way up, all the way forward and with the wheel all the way down. I can't even get my leg in after she drives the car.

So it looks like the only way to get the Memory Package is with a GT2 which is $54k+. The other thing I really wanted was the surround view and that is also only available on the GT2. The 4 Banger is more than adequate as the Stinger is just a grocery getter for us. I went to the Genesis dealer and it seems you can get both the Memory package and Surround View on the 4cyl G70 but we like the Stinger better because of the hatchback and the looks plus I can't stand those Chain Link Fence Grills on the Genesis cars. The G70 back seat looks smaller too. I don't really want a GT2 because of the poor gas mileage and the range on the 4cyl is bad enough now.

I think Kia really screwed up on this... At this point I might just buy the car I have which actually has a ton of equity in it. While it does have the memory package it doesn't have the driver assist stuff like Blind Spot, lane keep, crash avoidance and adaptive cruise.

Very disappointed.

Totally agree, and this is exactly why I ended up getting a 2021 GT1 instead of a 2022 GT1 (no memory seats, no ventilated seats) or a 2022 GT2 (all the features but way more expensive).

 

[21Hemispheres12]

I actually wound up trading in my 21 GT line Stinger for a 22 K5 GT with the GT1 package. I was in a similar position regarding the 22 Stinger in that I felt for the price, the GT line was lacking in features compared to the K5.

The K5 being FWD without an LSD is definitely not ideal but it hasn’t been as big of a deal as I thought it would be. I can obviously make it spin the tires no problem but if I’m careful and roll into the throttle it hooks up really well and moves quick. The real star is the 2.5 paired with the DCT, the shifts are so smooth in normal mode and in sport plus they get extremely quick and harsh but in a good way.

So far I’m loving all of the tech in the K5 and the only thing I’m missing from the Stinger is the real leather seats but I can deal with that in exchange for ventilated seats. The 360 camera is awesome and the Bose stereo sounds great once you get it dialed in. Overall I’m extremely happy with it and would recommend giving it a test drive if you’re on the fence like I was.

 

[JSolo]

^^Interesting to read your story.

I was the other way around. Started with a sonata nline - those were readily available locally to test drive. Even haggled on one at another dealership (3rd one I test drove). We were ~$500-1000 apart (so many haggles, forgot the details of this one). I passed because they were charging this market adjustment fee (started around $2000 or so). That got me researching the k5 gt. Figured out what I wanted (gt with the gt1 package). Those were few and far between and none locally. The more distant ones were either wrong color or market adjustment. No point in traveling hours+ just to come back empty handed.

Also, the reviews had me concerned about wet/snow weather traction. We get plenty of that here. After a week or two I gave up. Many of the reviews mentioned overlap with the stinger in terms of the car needing limited slip and/or awd for better use of that power. Having driven both, I'd say the 8 traditional trans in the stinger is quite fast shifting. Maybe not dct fast but better than the slushboxes of yesteryear. Not as good as MT, but anything is better than cvt (9th gen accord).

The 2022 stinger gt-line comes fairly nicely equipped. You don't get some of the features of the k5 gt/gt1 such as the 360 camera, vented seats. Stinger gt-line does have option package to get the nicer stereo and sunroof. Wouldn't mind the stereo, don't care for the sunroof. Stinger gtline awd does included heated stereo wheel and seats.

Overall, while there are some things missing, I'd say the '22 stinger gtline checked off ~90% of the boxes. Good enough for me. The nicer stereo would be appreciated, but not $2K more appreciated, nor paying for a feature I don't want - sunroof.

Performance wise, the stinger is about #200-#300 heavier than the k5 gt w/gt1 so that contributes to slightly poorer mpg. Also note the k5 is fwd biased while stinger is rwd biased. I much prefer rwd period over fwd/awd but not easily available in the midwest snow belt market. Still, the car is plenty fast once you put your foot into it and gets up to speed too quickly for the traffic around here. Icing on the cake was getting the stinger few gran below msrp.

Edit: Wanted to add, the stinger gt-line comes with 18" wheels, while the k5 gt includes 19". This is good and bad. If you're in an area with well paved roads of course the 19" is better for performance. Around here it's pothole city. I've actually been pulled over before because the officer thought I was drunk given the slalom driving style trying to avoid what I could. For my area, 18" is preferable. Tires also cheaper.

 

[zetatai]

Another option Kia killed for 2022 on all but the GT2 is the 'front park assist'... a really cheap move, formerly on every model, and very useful on a car with a low front end!

 

[21Hemispheres12]

^^Interesting to read your story.

I was the other way around. Started with a sonata nline - those were readily available locally to test drive. Even haggled on one at another dealership (3rd one I test drove). We were ~$500-1000 apart (so many haggles, forgot the details of this one). I passed because they were charging this market adjustment fee (started around $2000 or so). That got me researching the k5 gt. Figured out what I wanted (gt with the gt1 package). Those were few and far between and none locally. The more distant ones were either wrong color or market adjustment. No point in traveling hours+ just to come back empty handed.

Also, the reviews had me concerned about wet/snow weather traction. We get plenty of that here. After a week or two I gave up. Many of the reviews mentioned overlap with the stinger in terms of the car needing limited slip and/or awd for better use of that power. Having driven both, I'd say the 8 traditional trans in the stinger is quite fast shifting. Maybe not dct fast but better than the slushboxes of yesteryear. Not as good as MT, but anything is better than cvt (9th gen accord).

The 2022 stinger gt-line comes fairly nicely equipped. You don't get some of the features of the k5 gt/gt1 such as the 360 camera, vented seats. Stinger gt-line does have option package to get the nicer stereo and sunroof. Wouldn't mind the stereo, don't care for the sunroof. Stinger gtline awd does included heated stereo wheel and seats.

Overall, while there are some things missing, I'd say the '22 stinger gtline checked off ~90% of the boxes. Good enough for me. The nicer stereo would be appreciated, but not $2K more appreciated, nor paying for a feature I don't want - sunroof.

Performance wise, the stinger is about #200-#300 heavier than the k5 gt w/gt1 so that contributes to slightly poorer mpg. Also note the k5 is fwd biased while stinger is rwd biased. I much prefer rwd period over fwd/awd but not easily available in the midwest snow belt market. Still, the car is plenty fast once you put your foot into it and gets up to speed too quickly for the traffic around here. Icing on the cake was getting the stinger few gran below msrp.

Edit: Wanted to add, the stinger gt-line comes with 18" wheels, while the k5 gt includes 19". This is good and bad. If you're in an area with well paved roads of course the 19" is better for performance. Around here it's pothole city. I've actually been pulled over before because the officer thought I was drunk given the slalom driving style trying to avoid what I could. For my area, 18" is preferable. Tires also cheaper.

All really good points and things I also took into consideration. There’s really no wrong choice, just depends on what is most important to you. I briefly looked at the Sonata but I really didn’t like the styling so that was pretty easy to cross off the list.

I’m definitely with you in not liking 19 inch wheels, they look good but my roads are basically garbage and I would have opted for the 18s if I had a choice. As far as winter, we get plenty of snow and cold here and I had the same thoughts as you. After driving it for a bit now, in normal mode driving it like a normal car it feels like basically any other FWD sedan I’ve had. I bought a set of 18 inch winter tires and wheels so I have no doubt that the car will be fine in the snow with those.

Im wondering if they changed the programming of the transmissions on the 22 Stinger like they did for the G70 because I definitely notice a big difference between my 21 Stinger GT line and the DCT in the K5, mostly in responsiveness of the paddles and smoothness of down shifts.

I got lucky with my K5 as I found white GT with GT1 package on the lot at a dealer a half hour from me and was able to get it for MSRP. I definitely wouldn’t have paid any markup for it or any other car for that matter.

 

[Vonrichthofen]

The lease on my 2018 Stinger Premium is almost up so I went to the dealer to check out the 2022's. The 2018 I have has Memory Seats, Wheel and Mirrors which is very handy for us given how tiny my wife is at 4'10" and 92lbs. She drives all the way up, all the way forward and with the wheel all the way down. I can't even get my leg in after she drives the car.

So it looks like the only way to get the Memory Package is with a GT2 which is $54k+. The other thing I really wanted was the surround view and that is also only available on the GT2. The 4 Banger is more than adequate as the Stinger is just a grocery getter for us. I went to the Genesis dealer and it seems you can get both the Memory package and Surround View on the 4cyl G70 but we like the Stinger better because of the hatchback and the looks plus I can't stand those Chain Link Fence Grills on the Genesis cars. The G70 back seat looks smaller too. I don't really want a GT2 because of the poor gas mileage and the range on the 4cyl is bad enough now.

I think Kia really screwed up on this... At this point I might just buy the car I have which actually has a ton of equity in it. While it does have the memory package it doesn't have the driver assist stuff like Blind Spot, lane keep, crash avoidance and adaptive cruise.

Very disappointed.

When I bought my Stinger, I had in mind to buy another Optima, (K5). I had a 2011 LX, and then a 2015 SXL. When I saw the new K5 I was totally underwhelmed. With the crazy led z for Zorro parking lights, and the rear fascia, it just struck me that it looked like a kid‘s car. I was ready to leave when they showed me the Stinger they had on the lot for not a whole lot more that K5 taxi cab. I drove home in the Stinger.

 

[General_Vodka]

Yeah I think that the current options kinda suck. But I would never spend 55k on a gt2, as I got my 18gt2 for 40k.

 

[JSolo]

That $3K stimulus doesn't quite cover the difference....

 

[RM7]

This is auto options 101, they intentionally make it so you have to order a bunch of stuff you don't want to get the one thing you do. BMW, Audi, Mercedes, they are all experts/graduates-level at this. Almost every car is like this really. It's intended to maximize profit. It gets ridiculous sometimes, but that's what tends to drive my decision for cars. If the options I want add way too much stuff or don't work out, I find another car. Sometimes it's about being smart with the option builder, the people are the dealership are 99% oblivious to these things and just sell the cars as equipped on the lot, so they have no real experience building the cars, you have to take a spec sheet in.