Test Drive Experience of a Stinger GT2

[Killianz26]

I went to one dealership and had a great experience, called ahead they had the stinger sitting out front waiting for me no questions asked. Had a great test drive, left since orginal offer was low,

Went to second dealer about an hour away it was awful, they had balloons and loud music to the point that I had to yell for the salesman to hear me across the table.... They actually came up with a better offer.
I told them I needed the night to think about it.
Just about as I was ready to call the first dealership called and asked how I was doing and if I wanted the stinger, I told them the second dealership gave me a better deal. They matched it and I went with them.

In all honesty I would pay more to never go back, the music and distractions were insane. I will also add that I have had brand new 2007 Cobalt ss supercharged and a 2015 WRX STI launch edition and no dealership was close to as bad.

I actually left somethings in the survey about the other dealership. It's as if they are living in the 90s.

I think Kia needs to upgrade their dealership experience, the Stinger is a nice car and anyone coming to look them should be treated fairly.

/End rant

 

[Kia Stinger]

They are saying they don’t want to buy a new car with significant mileage. I get that. A dealer was trying to sell me a GT1 that the owner of the dealership was driving. They were asking $1500 OVER msrp despite the fact the owner was driving it and it had about a couple hundred miles on it. My GT2 had 14 miles on it when I got it. By far the least amount of mileage I had on a new car. It made me feel extra special.

When a sales person tells me the owner of the dealership was driving the vehicle, I assume they mean, "It's been test driven for X amount of miles".

 

[mldavis2]

I'm picky. I'm also a former service manager, GM Master Technician and have built racing engines. I know cars and engines. Every car I've bought over the past 20+ years was a custom factory order, 3-5 miles on the odometer, and most of them I've been there when they were off-loaded from the transport. My Stinger is the same. The sales and service department has instructions to pull the keys (fobs) until I get there. If there is a mandatory service test drive, I'm in the car. No exceptions or no car. Break-in is critically important to proper ring seating in cylinder bores even on a racing engine. It's in every owners manual for every brand. Heavy throttle runs on a new engine are bad, and that's exactly what everyone wants to do on a test drive. I understand that, but not on MY car. Drive how you like and like how you drive. Just not in my car.....

 

[Mike_TX]

I'm picky. I'm also a former service manager, GM Master Technician and have built racing engines. I know cars and engines. Every car I've bought over the past 20+ years was a custom factory order, 3-5 miles on the odometer, and most of them I've been there when they were off-loaded from the transport. My Stinger is the same. The sales and service department has instructions to pull the keys (fobs) until I get there. If there is a mandatory service test drive, I'm in the car. No exceptions or no car. Break-in is critically important to proper ring seating in cylinder bores even on a racing engine. It's in every owners manual for every brand. Heavy throttle runs on a new engine are bad, and that's exactly what everyone wants to do on a test drive. I understand that, but not on MY car. Drive how you like and like how you drive. Just not in my car.....

Not just being argumentative, but drag racers and NASCAR builders don't break in their engines by babying them ... they go from assembled to wide open in short order, and those are some of the most powerful, fastest, and reliable engines in the world.

Just sayin'.

 

[mldavis2]

Not just being argumentative, but drag racers and NASCAR builders don't break in their engines by babying them ... they go from assembled to wide open in short order, and those are some of the most powerful, fastest, and reliable engines in the world.

Just sayin'.

Total difference in application and tolerances @Mike_TX. Full bore race engines only have to last one race or a couple of drag runs before complete teardown. In a race engine (and I've worked on a few in my time) you want minimum friction so you don't care about tight rings and bearings -- just enough to prevent blow-by. In a passenger car and performance car engine intended to last for a manufacturer's warranty, it must have tighter tolerances or you end up with oil in the cylinders and exhaust in the crankcase. Different world. Yes, they break them in fast, but that is the only RPM at which they will ever run so bearing loads don't change much over wide RPM ranges.

 

[StingerGT68]

To the OP, don't be discouraged if you're interested in buying a Stinger. There's good dealers and bad ones.

I was able to negotiate and bought my base GT for $3200 below MSRP. All about taking the time .

 

[WELLSTUNG18]

To the OP, don't be discouraged if you're interested in buying a Stinger. There's good dealers and bad ones.

I was able to negotiate and bought my base GT for $3200 below MSRP. All about taking the time .

That’s true and that’s an awesome discount. I definitely need to develop good negotiation skills lol. Some dealers do try to get over on you, but there are others out there so I’ll take my time research other dealers and areas. It just happened to be one bad experience. I’m still interested in the Stinger, but I won’t deal with that dealership again.