What's your opinion about Stinger price

[Bigserver1]

Value is not the same as price.

This times 1000. If you’re looking at a base Panamera vs a GT2, the stinger is an unreal value. It doesn’t mean that it isn’t priced too high in a vacuum.

 

[stinger1168]

67k AUS is 52k and change USD, so pretty similar there.

I think Kia is going to have a tough time in the US selling the Stinger against the upcoming G70, especially if the 50k max price rumors are true. I’m hoping there will be a market calibration where the Stinger prices drop a few thousand, or they start to offer attractive lease terms and/or purchase APRs to make the cost more palatable to consumers. I think the stinger is better than the G70 (assuming missing features show up), but at a glance, the G70 will look more attractive for the same money.

If I’m correct, the “drive away” price includes all fees and taxes where in the US the $52k price is just Matovich before fees and taxes. So, if I’m correct, the Aussie Stinger is considerably cheaper than the US Stinger.

 

[stinger1168]

Basically, the US Stinger is too expensive. And we get less features and colors as well so there’s that too. I understand that money is worth different amounts in different countries and that different countries have different trade deals with S. Korea but I really feel the US Stinger should be $4000 cheaper with ALL the colors and features that are available everywhere else in the world. KIA always said that they never planned to sell a lot of them here in the US...But they could and they could make a ton of money off it and the Stinger platform if they wanted to. I have no doubt they can sell it in the US for cheaper.... hhmmmm... I wonder how the VW Arteon will be priced when it comes out in the US???

 

[Waynerm002]

Basically, the US Stinger is too expensive. And we get less features and colors as well so there’s that too. I understand that money is worth different amounts in different countries and that different countries have different trade deals with S. Korea but I really feel the US Stinger should be $4000 cheaper with ALL the colors and features that are available everywhere else in the world. KIa always said that they never planned to sell a lot of them here in the US...But they could and they could make a ton of money off it and the Stinger platform if they wanted to. I have no doubt they can sell it in the US for cheaper.... hhmmmm... I wonder how the VW Arteon will be priced when it comes out in the US???

I have 2 different thoughts on this. The first is that the Stinger GT isn't expensive when compared to the cars it competes against, the Audi S5 and the BMW 440 GC, while the GT tops out at $52K, the 6 cylinder versions of the German 4 door coupes are around $10K more and will end up costing more if you plan on keeping them long term. Are those vehicles $10k better than the Stinger GT? If one just care about the badge, then it might not matter. However, as many here who have come from the German brands can attest, they are not worth the extra cost over the Stinger GT.

The second thought is this, compared to how they packaged and priced the car in the US market, it ends up being too costly for being a KIA. Hear me out on this one. As an owner of 3 Optimas and based on the equipment you get in this vehicle loaded, the Stinger and Stinger GT top versions are lacking some options to make it a complete package as we get on those vehicles, considering they were offered on version in other markets. Now with the car being priced as it is, it is going to be tough for them to add in those options and jack the price up higher in the short term. I may be wrong on this, they may throw in some better materials and options to justify the cost increase, but that would push them up to the German brands too fast and unless they overhaul their lineup or add in some truly luxurious vehicles, the GT may end up as a one hit wonder (like the VW Phaeton) and fizzle out in a couple of years as the CUV craze takes over.

Personally, I want this car to succeed but I also want to see KIA as a brand keep bringing more exciting and value priced (not cheap), sporty models to market. If they can bring a set of premium, sporty vehicles in their line up along with the models they currently have, while upping the dealership experience, they would have a done something the rest of the industry have not been able to do. For them to have a pricier line, they would need to do a new badge and dealerships as folks spending big money want a better experience and as we can see already, a lot of their dealerships aren't doing a great job on that front.

 

[voon]

Not sure about other countries. In Switzerland, where it comes at 58'000 CHF (basically equals the same amount in US more or less) fully loaded with all options included (awd, 3.3l,360 cam whatever etc), it is basically a bargain, because the next best thing as an upgrade would maybe an Audi S4 or similar, which costs nearly double that (around 113'000 CHF with the same options as the Stinger). Of course the Stinger is not an Audi S4, as there's a few cheap plastics in the stinger, it is too heavy at 1900 KG etc ... but still, the price is good for what you get. I can't talk, yet, about real value (which means the stuff has to last a few years without breaking), but directly on paper, the Stinger is great value.

The "Only Kia" argument is silly by itself. You pay the things you get with the Stinger at a good price. You don't get to pay less for this giant package of big engine, leather, 360 cams and so on just because "it's a kia", especially since it's already at half an Audi. The only place where this can matter is resale price, where Kia does not have any prestige (but is slowly being a totally accepted brand around here).

 

[mldavis2]

Well said @voon. If we quit comparing the Stinger in the U.S. to other countries prices and compare the car itself (instead of the price) to anything -- ANYTHING -- else that compares for features, performance and quality, it is a fair price and a good deal. Who knows what the resale value of this car will be after a few years. It is a car for the enthusiast at the GT level and nothing in the U.S. comes close at the price. Forget who built it.

 

[Waynerm002]

It is a great car no matter how you cut it. On the 2nd portion of my response, I can also see how current KIA owners see this. It is good to know they did something for the enthusiast market, we really don't need the extra electronic stuff but these days it is almost a requirement for a better insurance rates. I would like to get one but gotta wait till my lease is up.

 

[RJStinger]

Not sure about other countries. In Switzerland, where it comes at 58'000 CHF (basically equals the same amount in US more or less) fully loaded with all options included (awd, 3.3l,360 cam whatever etc), it is basically a bargain, because the next best thing as an upgrade would maybe an Audi S4 or similar, which costs nearly double that (around 113'000 CHF with the same options as the Stinger). Of course the Stinger is not an Audi S4, as there's a few cheap plastics in the stinger, it is too heavy at 1900 KG etc ... but still, the price is good for what you get. I can't talk, yet, about real value (which means the stuff has to last a few years without breaking), but directly on paper, the Stinger is great value.

The "Only Kia" argument is silly by itself. You pay the things you get with the Stinger at a good price. You don't get to pay less for this giant package of big engine, leather, 360 cams and so on just because "it's a kia", especially since it's already at half an Audi. The only place where this can matter is resale price, where Kia does not have any prestige (but is slowly being a totally accepted brand around here).

Wow. Why is the AUDI S4 that expensive there?? I'm sure here you can get that for about 10k or so more than the GT2 here.

 

[voon]

10k more with ALL the options in the stinger? Not possible here

 

[RJStinger]

10k more with ALL the options in the stinger? Not possible here

I just priced out a 2018 Audi S4 3.0T Prestige Sedan. MSRP $64,590. So about 12k more than GT2AWD. And you can get about 6%off MSRP at best on an audi. I just bought a Q5 for my wife so did a lot of research on audi.

 

[STNGRNV]

The "Only Kia" argument is silly by itself. You pay the things you get with the Stinger at a good price. You don't get to pay less for this giant package of big engine, leather, 360 cams and so on just because "it's a kia", especially since it's already at half an Audi. The only place where this can matter is resale price, where Kia does not have any prestige (but is slowly being a totally accepted brand around here).

But it's not all that silly, at least not in the US. Brands matter in the US (for better or worse). I'm not even a brand snob and I would've never even looked at a KIA before (And this is coming from a guy who drives a run-down 20 year old Pontiac). Many Americans won't look at it the way you are. That's like saying, "Hey look at this nice Casio watch! It has all of the features and materials of a Rolex and it's cheaper." In the end the Casio is still a Casio. KIA has to know that is in the process of a great brand perception change and the Stinger is helping change that. I don't believe this wouldn't even come up if it was the Toyota Stinger or the Honda Stinger.

 

[voon]

@RJStinger
I think I may have used the S5 instead (the 113k is a test I did a few weeks ago). If I used the S4 I end up around 93'000 CHF. Base is around 72'000 and then I have to add heated steering wheel, 19" wheels, 360 degree camera, navigation, HUD, tempomat etc.

@STNGRNV
Yes, "silly" is a personal thing. To me, someone who won't look at me, because I drive a kia is fine with me ... I don't need such people in my life, so they filter themselves out I drove BMW for over 10 years now, including new, loaded cars I fully paid, no leasing etc and it disgusted me just the other way round as well, if someone would compliment me as a person because of the brand of my cars.

I'm not saying there aren't people where brands or materialistic values matter. I'm not even saying they are few. I'm just saying I find them ridiculous

 

[STNGRNV]

@voon I'm speaking about brand perception across the board, not necessarily people who want other people to look at them. This is why I used the example of Toyota and Honda. People perceive them as being better brands and more reliable with good resale value. At one point people perceived BMW to be luxurious and a driver's car. For the longest time people believed KIA to make cheap (and I don't mean inexpensive) cars. Then KIA moved to the tactic of offering more features with good quality for less. It has been working. Now, they want the US market to buy KIAs with fewer features for more money, and it's working somewhat. But if the Stinger was priced the same way and had a Honda badge, the perception changes (quality, reliability, longevity, etc). There would be less worry about service departments, shady dealers, etc.

So in short, I actually agree with you about judging someone because of what he drives, but there's more to brand perception than snobbery (even though that exists, too).

 

[mldavis2]

I simply see those who turn up their noses at the Kia brand have never driven one, much less a Stinger, and they are simply demonstrating their complete lack of knowledge of current automotive industry trends. How many people do you know who drive a BMW because they advertise as "The Ultimate Driving Machine?" Well over half of them is my guess. Most have no clue what the car is about.

 

[shaggystinger]

I simply see those who turn up their noses at the Kia brand have never driven one, much less a Stinger, and they are simply demonstrating their complete lack of knowledge of current automotive industry trends. How many people do you know who drive a BMW because they advertise as "The Ultimate Driving Machine?" Well over half of them is my guess. Most have no clue what the car is about.

While I agree with you to a certain extent, the reality of the situation is that we are a small subset of enthusiasts. Our perception of what a vehicle is intended for is overall not what the average US consumer cares about (ie. the SUV craze) and that is what drives the market. Growing up I always thought of BMW, Audi, Mercedes as a status symbol. A way of saying "I have done well in my life" to be able to afford this brand. I know I am not alone in this mentality. KIA, I would hope, knows this which is why the Stinger is intended to bring attention to the brand as a whole. To bring us back on topic, I still believe it is overpriced in the upper trim levels. An average consumer coming from an optima, accord, camry, fusion etc. will find it quite a stretch for a fully loaded Stinger. And I can only speak for the DC metro area when I say that a guy/gal who can comfortably afford a brand new porsche panamera etc. will not seriously entertain a KIA Stinger as well. I hope in time that will change.

 

[stinger1168]

I have 2 different thoughts on this. The first is that the Stinger GT isn't expensive when compared to the cars it competes against, the Audi S5 and the BMW 440 GC, while the GT tops out at $52K, the 6 cylinder versions of the German 4 door coupes are around $10K more and will end up costing more if you plan on keeping them long term. Are those vehicles $10k better than the Stinger GT? If one just care about the badge, then it might not matter. However, as many here who have come from the German brands can attest, they are not worth the extra cost over the Stinger GT.

The second thought is this, compared to how they packaged and priced the car in the US market, it ends up being too costly for being a KIA. Hear me out on this one. As an owner of 3 Optimas and based on the equipment you get in this vehicle loaded, the Stinger and Stinger GT top versions are lacking some options to make it a complete package as we get on those vehicles, considering they were offered on version in other markets. Now with the car being priced as it is, it is going to be tough for them to add in those options and jack the price up higher in the short term. I may be wrong on this, they may throw in some better materials and options to justify the cost increase, but that would push them up to the German brands too fast and unless they overhaul their lineup or add in some truly luxurious vehicles, the GT may end up as a one hit wonder (like the VW Phaeton) and fizzle out in a couple of years as the CUV craze takes over.

Personally, I want this car to succeed but I also want to see KIA as a brand keep bringing more exciting and value priced (not cheap), sporty models to market. If they can bring a set of premium, sporty vehicles in their line up along with the models they currently have, while upping the dealership experience, they would have a done something the rest of the industry have not been able to do. For them to have a pricier line, they would need to do a new badge and dealerships as folks spending big money want a better experience and as we can see already, a lot of their dealerships aren't doing a great job on that front.

I agree 100% when comparing the Stinger with the Audi S5 and BMW440GC, the Stinger is a great value and has very good bang for the buck. That's one of the many reasons why I want the Stinger. I was trying to compare the price of the Stinger in the USA with the price of Stingers in other parts of the world. An example is Canadians paying up to $10k less (possibly due to trade agreements between Canada and S.Korea) and I recently read on this site that an Australian fella paid (converted to US dollars) $52k "drive away" which I'm guessing means includes all fee's and taxes. Both examples are fully loaded GT2's. Our msrp in the US for a fully loaded GT2 is about $52k and that doesn't include taxes and fee's. And the US doesn't get some of the color combo's and features on top of that. So that's all I was getting at

I too would love to see a premium line up at KIA. They have the beautiful Stinger, an all new K900 is around the corner and I personally thought KIA should do a high performance/GT SUV based on the Stingers platform but it seems that won't happen for a while.

 

[Clearly Canadian]

While I agree with you to a certain extent, the reality of the situation is that we are a small subset of enthusiasts. Our perception of what a vehicle is intended for is overall not what the average US consumer cares about (ie. the SUV craze) and that is what drives the market. Growing up I always thought of BMW, Audi, Mercedes as a status symbol. A way of saying "I have done well in my life" to be able to afford this brand. I know I am not alone in this mentality. KIA, I would hope, knows this which is why the Stinger is intended to bring attention to the brand as a whole. To bring us back on topic, I still believe it is overpriced in the upper trim levels. An average consumer coming from an optima, accord, camry, fusion etc. will find it quite a stretch for a fully loaded Stinger. And I can only speak for the DC metro area when I say that a guy/gal who can comfortably afford a brand new porsche panamera etc. will not seriously entertain a KIA Stinger as well. I hope in time that will change.

I agree with most of the above. But also keep in mind that for a brand to have a premium place in the marketplace it needs to have upscale pricing.

 

[KingRider]

Basically, the US Stinger is too expensive. And we get less features and colors as well so there’s that too. I understand that money is worth different amounts in different countries and that different countries have different trade deals with S. Korea but I really feel the US Stinger should be $4000 cheaper with ALL the colors and features that are available everywhere else in the world. KIA always said that they never planned to sell a lot of them here in the US...But they could and they could make a ton of money off it and the Stinger platform if they wanted to. I have no doubt they can sell it in the US for cheaper.... hhmmmm... I wonder how the VW Arteon will be priced when it comes out in the US???

I'm not sure it is to expensive, The only car that comes close is the new 2018 Genesis G80 3.8 but it dose have the over head surround monitor warning and some nicer badges and some nicer emblems and interior if you prefer. I'm really not sure but I think I saved some money buying the KIA GT2 with the 0.9 financing at 47600.00. I just think it should have come with remote start standard on the GT2. Its a bummer.