Weight confusion

[KSCHULZ525]

I recently registered my Stinger for the first time and was very surprised at the cost. After a bit of chatting with NYSDMV I was given a breakdown of the charges which included the amount for a car weighing 5148 pounds. I know that most car websites list the weight between 3900 and 4200 pounds. So I look in the owner's manual and, sure enough, it says the weight is 5148! How can this be? I have the rare GTS AWD model, but it can't be that much heavier can it? I hate paying the state more than I have to.

 

[JSolo]

What's the reg based on, curb or gross weight?

5148 is the gross weight I see listed on some sites.

 

[KSCHULZ525]

What's the reg based on, curb or gross weight?

5148 is the gross weight I see listed on some sites.

I assume its GVW since the title matches this in the owner's manual. Can the GTS really weigh that much more than other stingers or do they all weigh that much? This would mean Edmunds, Car and Driver and others are off by about 1000 pounds.

 

[JSolo]

Each trim has a different curb weight. I imagine gross weight also varies based on the tires used.

Good luck fighting the system, esp NY's system.

 

[Thomby]

I assume its GVW since the title matches this in the owner's manual. Can the GTS really weigh that much more than other stingers or do they all weigh that much? This would mean Edmunds, Car and Driver and others are off by about 1000 pounds.

GVWR is the max it's rated for with all passengers and cargo. So your actual weight of 4000ish plus 4x 200lb people and a few hundred pounds in the trunk.

 

[Snicklefritz]

I never heard. So, NYS is taxing a vehicle based on what it can carry? Who came up with that money making scam? Does every state do this?

 

[vipeboy2000]

GVW is different than curb weight... gvwr is how heavy the car can be ever at full capacity... i believe the heaviest trim is the gt2 awd as it has more equipment than the gts .. the gts is a in betweener in specs with a gt and gt1 .. . If they register based on gvwr then yes, but if it's by curb weight they got it wrong. awd models will be around 4023lb mark and rwd around 3829lbs. that means with a gvwr of 5148, the payload capacity of the car is 1125 for the awd and 1319 lbs for rwd.
Can be slightly different through the years... and 4vs6 cylinder.

 

[KSCHULZ525]

The page in the manual only shows GVW and it says it's 5148. I like the explanation, though. Did Kia get it wrong? The state doesn't seem to specify what weight means.

 

[vipeboy2000]

The page in the manual only shows GVW and it says it's 5148. I like the explanation, though. Did Kia get it wrong?

gvw is correct 5148... but that is not curb weight, what the car weighs empty or one driver.. starting in 2022 or 2023 kia listed the estimated curb weight for the stinger on their specs site.
gvw weights are slightly lower for facelift models , the left column is for the gt-line, right is gt2

 

[JSolo]

So which level of insanity is the NY dmv using, curb or gross weight?

Realistically, reg fees should be based on actual weight of vehicle (vs potential weight) and miles driven. Although i wfh, I pay the same reg fee as a commuter or an uber/amazon flex driver.

 

[vipeboy2000]

So which level of insanity is the NY dmv using, curb or gross weight?

Realistically, reg fees should be based on actual weight of vehicle (vs potential weight) and miles driven. Although i wfh, I pay the same reg fee as a commuter or an uber/amazon flex driver.

looks like unladen weight.. which is curb weight not gvwr... so they did it incorrectly... lol

 

[KSCHULZ525]

gvw is correct 5148... but that is not curb weight, what the car weighs empty or one driver.. starting in 2022 or 2023 kia listed the estimated curb weight for the stinger on their specs site.
gvw weights are slightly lower for facelift models , the left column is for the gt-line, right is gt2View attachment 87840

Good find! So there's nothing for a 2019 GTS and no way to make a case.

 

[KSCHULZ525]

looks like unladen weight.. which is curb weight not gvwr... so they did it incorrectly... lol View attachment 87842

Thank you for this! I also got a quick reply from DMV through email that verifies they use unladen weight. Checking the doorframe plate, it states a maximum capacity for passengers and cargo at 904 pounds. So 5148-904 gives a curb weight of 4244?

 

[vipeboy2000]

yes that's the most accurate way

Thank you for this! I also got a quick reply from DMV through email that verifies they use unladen weight. Checking the doorframe plate, it states a maximum capacity for passengers and cargo at 904 pounds. So 5148-904 gives a curb weight of 4244?

 

[Volfy]

Technically speaking, unladen weight is with the vehicle empty. Curb weight OTOH includes all fluids and equipment required to be ready to drive, including a full tank of fuel. For Stinger, 16 gal of gasoline is about 100 lbs.

 

[G-41732]

Technically speaking, unladen weight is with the vehicle empty. Curb weight OTOH includes all fluids and equipment required to be ready to drive, including a full tank of fuel. For Stinger, 16 gal of gasoline is about 100 lbs.

Makes sense. The real question is, how does the state make a determination of this "curb weight" if Kia doesn't list it anywhere. Reputable vehicle websites all seem to put it around 4100 or so. Looks like I need to make a trip in to DMV (ugh) and talk to somebody.

 

[vipeboy2000]

Technically speaking, unladen weight is with the vehicle empty. Curb weight OTOH includes all fluids and equipment required to be ready to drive, including a full tank of fuel. For Stinger, 16 gal of gasoline is about 100 lbs.

that is true... but probably for most purposes it's close enough.. lol .. also different places have different definitions for unladen weight.. some include up to 5 gallons of fuel and full radiator, oil etc.. some do not..

 

[Volfy]

that is true... but probably for most purposes it's close enough.. lol .. also different places have different definitions for unladen weight.. some include up to 5 gallons of fuel and full radiator, oil etc.. some do not..

Agreed. I think the two are quite often used interchangeably to mean without passenger(s) or cargo.

FWIW, "(un)laden" is a term typically used in shipping. So those numbers would be used by the freight company for an 18-wheeler (or a cargo ship) full of brand new Kia Stingers from Korea.

Curb weight, as the name suggest, is how the vehicle would weight sitting at the curb, ready to roll. It's more end-user oriented.

 

[Buzzman12]

Well, I must say, after reading this thread, I'm glad I live in Ontario (Canada) when it comes to registering a new vehicle, and yearly renewals.

 

[Volfy]

Makes sense. The real question is, how does the state make a determination of this "curb weight" if Kia doesn't list it anywhere. Reputable vehicle websites all seem to put it around 4100 or so. Looks like I need to make a trip in to DMV (ugh) and talk to somebody.

From post#11 above, it looks like that number is entered in by whomever registered the car in the first place. This is fairly typical. As a reference, here in TX, that number is entered on the Title Application U-130, under "EMPTY WEIGHT". That then gets listed on the vehicle title as simply "WEIGHT". I doubt the state really cares how precise that number is, as long as it is somewhat close, since TX does not levy registration fee based on that number... at least not for most vehicles. I have filled out this form many times. I probably could've typed in any number and the clerk likely wouldn't have cared.


In your case, it would appear whoever entered that number got it wrong. Unfortunately, getting it corrected seems a whole lot more difficult than typing the wrong number in the first place. I agree that your method of subtracting max cargo capacity from GVWR is likely the most convincing to the NY DMV. Quoting numbers on mfr's own placards is hard to argue against.