Things you would change...

[EchoesMyron]

I've had my car for about a month now (GT2) and there's a few little things I'd change about it if I had a magic wand. My list is pretty small and mostly software based, Overall I'm very happy with the car.

Things I would change:

1. add a CD player

2. Add a drive mode between sport and comfort

3. Reprogram the logic for the idle stop.
The thing about it that drives me nuts is that when I pull in to the garage, the car will shut off but then when I put it in park, it has to start back up again. This may only be an issue with the GT2 with the shift by wire. There's a possibility that it may need transmission line pressure to activate the parking pawl. It's still annoying so I usually just turn the idle stop off.

4. It would be cool if it would change the interior accent lighting with drive mode and double cool if you could choose the color for each mode. This one's kind of a goofy idea but it might be entertaining.

5. There's a few functions that I wish would 'latch' and stay activated or deactivated when you restart the car: Idle stop and drive mode come to mind. As it is, most things deactivate by default when the car is shut off and restarted.


That's about it. What are your ideas?

 

[mldavis2]

Interesting list. Since I don't have mine yet (March '18) I'm wasting time on this forum trying to learn.
1) You can buy a cheap external CD/DVD player that runs off the USB port. Not very elegant, but functional. $19 or so.
2) Are you not able to create a Custom mode combination of the features of each driving mode you like?
3) I'd ask your shop about that one.

 

[EchoesMyron]

Yeah, I've hooked up my old portable disc player a couple of times but it's definitely not very elegant. It's also a distraction when trying to change discs or songs. I just went with a Pandora premium subscription for $10 a month and now I can play whatever I want right off of my phone and have the steering wheel controls functional. I don't store music on my phone because I just don't but between XM and my Pandora subscription, I'm set now.

My last Acura had a hard drive system that would rip and store CDs in it, I loved that system. After a while I had an extensive library right in the car. Every car should have that setup.

Yes, I can create a custom drive mode but it only allows you to choose from the preset parameters (sport, comfort, eco). Comfort mode feels a little lazy for my tastes and sport mode is awesome but a little high strung for driving around town. Ideally, I'd like a mode that has a throttle response, transmission logic and power output that's somewhere in between comfort and sport for daily driving and while we're at it, I'd firm up the damper settings even a touch more in sport. That's real nitpicky but it would be my ideal. The custom mode won't let you do that.

 

[Kazz]

I'm really digging number 4!

 

[Clearly Canadian]

I'm really digging number 4!

Agreed! It should totally do that!

 

[westcoastGT]

1. More masculine sounding horn
2. Fog Lights
3. CD player and music storage system
4. Higher grade carpet
5. Deeper exhaust note
6. Park would not be a button ! ( edit addition )
None of these would be deal breakers ( and werent ) I really love this car !

 

[Kia Stinger]

Like others, I think it would be really cool if the interior ambiance changed from, for example, blue to red when the car is placed into sport mode - and vise verse...

 

[mldavis2]

1) Yes, the little Euro-sounding beep isn't very intimidating.
2) Well, where would you put them without covering the radar panel, intercooler, radiator and license plate locations? You don't want a Peterbilt front end to hang stuff on and increase drag.
3) Everything seems to be streaming these days. Just rip your CD's to the USB drive.
4) Hmmm...hadn't noticed the carpet under the floor mats
5) Can't get a V8 rumble from a V6, but you can spend a bunch of money on new exhaust system

No offense. JMHO.

 

[westcoastGT]

1) Yes, the little Euro-sounding beep isn't very intimidating.
2) Well, where would you put them without covering the radar panel, intercooler, radiator and license plate locations? You don't want a Peterbilt front end to hang stuff on and increase drag.
3) Everything seems to be streaming these days. Just rip your CD's to the USB drive.
4) Hmmm...hadn't noticed the carpet under the floor mats
5) Can't get a V8 rumble from a V6, but you can spend a bunch of money on new exhaust system

No offense. JMHO.

None taken , but the OP asked } Things you would change , so just my opinion . and there is a good placement position for light strips in the middle of the air intakes on the lower front fascias ..........................

 

[Clearly Canadian]

1. More masculine sounding horn
2. Fog Lights
3. CD player and music storage system
4. Higher grade carpet
5. Deeper exhaust note

Non of these would be deal breakers ( and werent ) I really love this car !

Agree with 4 & 5 in particular.

 

[init3]

Repeating a few points other have already stated.

1. Ability to completely disable the idle stop n go feature
2. Small one but not let the car shift into neutral unless you push the button on the shifter. I like to drive with my hand on the shifter and its way too easy to shift up while driving.
3. Software patch to fix all the minor things, like the LCD brightness resetting after a while. The audio randomly fading to the back of the car.

 

[Pacco]

Repeating a few points other have already stated.

1. Ability to completely disable the idle stop n go feature
2. Small one but not let the car shift into neutral unless you push the button on the shifter. I like to drive with my hand on the shifter and its way too easy to shift up while driving.
3. Software patch to fix all the minor things, like the LCD brightness resetting after a while. The audio randomly fading to the back of the car.

2!!! I accidentally shift to neutral all the time!

 

[EchoesMyron]

Repeating a few points other have already stated.


2. Small one but not let the car shift into neutral unless you push the button on the shifter. I like to drive with my hand on the shifter and its way too easy to shift up while driving.
3. Software patch to fix all the minor things, like the LCD brightness resetting after a while. The audio randomly fading to the back of the car.

As far as I know, the standard is to allow an automatic to shift from Drive to Neutral without pressing the button. The button is only needed to shift into or out of Park and Reverse. Every car I have driven is this way, even the column shift style.


Regarding #3, I posted in the thread on the audio fader issue: try disabling the 'lower volume when shifting in to reverse' feature. mine quit resetting after I did this. It's definitely a bug. All of the bugs will eventually get worked out once they are officially recognized. Kia will come out with software updates for this stuff. Finding bugs is the price we pay for being early adopters.

 

[init3]

As far as I know, the standard is to allow an automatic to shift from Drive to Neutral without pressing the button. The button is only needed to shift into or out of Park and Reverse. Every car I have driven is this way, even the column shift style.


Regarding #3, I posted in the thread on the audio fader issue: try disabling the 'lower volume when shifting in to reverse' feature. mine quit resetting after I did this. It's definitely a bug. All of the bugs will eventually get worked out once they are officially recognized. Kia will come out with software updates for this stuff. Finding bugs is the price we pay for being early adopters.

Valid points on #3 but as far as shifting I WANT to press the button in order to shift from drive to neutral.

 

[EchoesMyron]

Yep, I got that. My point was that since it's the standard across the industry to not have to push the button to shift in to neutral, I doubt that it's going to be changed. I can see where it would be annoying if you're always bumping it in to neutral though.

 

[Kazz]

A better warning when you press P and the trans doesn't actually go into Park for whatever reason!

 

[mldavis2]

Yep, I got that. My point was that since it's the standard across the industry to not have to push the button to shift in to neutral, I doubt that it's going to be changed. I can see where it would be annoying if you're always bumping it in to neutral though.

I think there are two practical reasons why N is accessible from D. One is in the event of a stuck throttle like the Camry's were accused a couple of years ago. Witless drivers didn't have the common sense to kick the shifter into N and let the car drive them into a tree or whatever was up ahead. That is a safety feature. If they were to require some knowledge of which button to press in an emergency and didn't RTFM, the car company is subject to law suits.

Since I drive a 6-speed GTO, I am always able to shift into any gear without pushing a button. If you know the revs to match the gear, you don't need a clutch. So I never drive with my hand on the shifter unless I'm.....planning to shift. Perhaps the shifter "stiffness" needs to be changed? Or does this only apply to the "shift by wire" shifter and not the GT and GT1?

 

[EchoesMyron]

I was just thinking about the 'stiffness' of the shifter detents on the GT2 shift by wire. Those could probably be beefed up a little bit and solve the problem. Since a traditional automatic shifter is actually moving a cable or linkage, there's a little bit more substance required to move it...even accidentally.

One thing I miss about driving a manual is the satisfaction of rev matching and good double clutch or heel and toe downshift. That's the only thing though. I'm pretty tired of reviewers complaining about the lack of a manual in the Stinger The modern paddle shifted autos are so good that they're faster at shifting and give better acceleration times. We've come a long way from the old 3 speed slushboxes. But I digress...

Good thing you don't rest your hand on the shifter on the manual...that's a good way to put extra strain and wear on the shift forks among other things.

 

[mldavis2]

Good thing you don't rest your hand on the shifter on the manual...that's a good way to put extra strain and wear on the shift forks among other things.

Yes, I'm a stick shift fan and a service manager from the '80's. Slushboxes are not as much fun as immersing yourself in rev-matching, gear anticipation and changes and the skills of driving a manual as smoothly as an automatic. I know how to take care of a car and it's paid dividends over the years.

 

[EchoesMyron]

Thought of another thing I'd change/ add: Lit up sill plates on the door jambs. The ones I had on my Optima were a nice touch. I could see them in the Stinger script, same as the rear emblem. Of course they'd have to be linked with the interior accent lighting so you could change the color...