2.0 Kia Stinger vs Kia Optima

[MarkyMark]

Just to make one more comment ... It's hard for hardcore enthusiasts to understand, but probably 95% of buyers are unimpressed with chassis, brakes, suspensions, and all that stuff. They don't know (or don't care, frankly) whether it's a double wishbone or a McPherson strut, or if has a panhard rod or a hydraulic hubcap adjuster. It either rides okay or it doesn't (and most new cars DO), and issues like whether the rearend can be hung out at 85 on a freeway cloverleaf don't even enter into their equation.

So, the fact that the Stinger is built on a different platform from the Optima is well and good, but really only for the enthusiast. To the average buyer it probably just means it costs more. These folks will drive the Optima and it will feel fine, they will be impressed with the content and the price, and they won't be able to justify the extra sheckels for the Stinger. Enthusiasts, OTOH, will appreciate the difference and ante up the extra bread. With the Stinger, Kia is obviously playing to the enthusiast.

But we must remember that not everyone is an enthusiast, so the Stinger isn't a slam dunk.

(Did I just state the obvious?)

You bring up an assumption in the thread name itself... It could be renamed “Will the average Joe find the Stinger 2.0l an underequipped Optima SXL?”

The answer to this is, yes, likely so. I’d venture to say 70% want transportation and some creature comforts. The other 30% are a mix of driving enthusiasts, or want a luxo nameplate regardless.

For most people on this site, I view the question of this Post as coming from the view of the average Joe, with people here explaining why the Optima and Stinger 2.0l are vastly different vehicles, with the average Joe gaining a bit more understanding/appreciation as to why they are completely different vehicles.

 

[Stingerfanhi]

Agree! I would have done a 2.0 Premium if "GT-Line" was offered, like many of the "showroom cars" had. Sadly, ended up with the GT2 mainly for the seats. Wearing dress shirts/slacks everyday for work in Texas, I couldn't be without ventilated seats, coming from five years of it with my Optima Hybrid. But now that I'm used to a HUD....that'll be another one of those "must haves" next time too. DANG IT!

Amen brother. Hawaii is hot and even a mid level Tucson comes with ventilated seats. Why not the premium? Also you cannot see out the back. All trims should have cross traffic and lane alerts standard.

 

[Merkur720]

Amen brother. Hawaii is hot and even a mid level Tucson comes with ventilated seats. Why not the premium? Also you cannot see out the back. All trims should have cross traffic and lane alerts standard.

Yes -- this car should have Blind Spot/Rear Cross Traffic as standard....PERIOD. It's saved my a$$ twice in the last two months. Although I knew (and expected) visibility to be poor, I can't imagine driving in urban life without these features.

 

[Mike_TX]

You bring up an assumption in the thread name itself... It could be renamed “Will the average Joe find the Stinger 2.0l an underequipped Optima SXL?”

The answer to this is, yes, likely so. I’d venture to say 70% want transportation and some creature comforts. The other 30% are a mix of driving enthusiasts, or want a luxo nameplate regardless.

For most people on this site, I view the question of this Post as coming from the view of the average Joe, with people here explaining why the Optima and Stinger 2.0l are vastly different vehicles, with the average Joe gaining a bit more understanding/appreciation as to why they are completely different vehicles.

I think that's fair. I might question your percentage splits, but the reality is still that we all have to do most of our driving to get somewhere, as opposed to the driving equivalent of "long romantic walks on the beach". So at some point we have to look at comfort and the ability to serve as an efficient transportation device as necessary traits. After all, a funny car is crazy fast, but none of us would tolerate one as a daily driver.

That's an extreme example, but you get the point. We're all Average Joes when we're stuck in rush-hour traffic.

 

[Kia Stinger]

We're all Average Joes when we're stuck in rush-hour traffic.

This is where I want to be when I'm stuck in rush hour traffic. As close as I can come to this:

...and as far away as i can come from this:

 

[Soca Boy]

The Optima is a great car, I think people looking for maybe a bit more room will go for it. The Stinger is a drivers car, people who want a bit of fun. What I don’t get is the KIA Cadenza, it’s base price is a loaded Optima and loaded is a Stinger GT

 

[Kia Stinger]

The Optima is a great car, I think people looking for maybe a bit more room will go for it. The Stinger is a drivers car, people who want a bit of fun. What I don’t get is the KIA Cadenza, it’s base price is a loaded Optima and loaded is a Stinger GT

the Cadenza is a bigger, softer, quieter, even more luxurious car than the Optima. It fits between the Optima and the K900 similar to the way the Lexus ES sits between the GS and LS...

 

[tyork]

The 2013- 2014 Optima SXL's have more horsepower and torque and are lighter than the 2.0 Stinger's .. this link will give you a comparison Comparison table in automobile-catalog
....The benefit to the Stinger is it has a AWD 2.0 version .. the Optima's don't have a AWD option. This in my opinion is the only reason to upgrade from a 2013- 2014 optima to the Stinger 2.0l .. if you are gonna upgrade to the Stinger you need to go for the GT 365 hp..

 

[tyork]

@Kaumaxx said "The 2.0t Stingers are RWD hatchback Optimas. Plain and simple."

We all have our own opinions, that's for sure. So I'll stay away from the emotional responce to that claim and stick with some facts to refute it.

Technically, the Stinger is built on an entirely all-new G70 chassis, designed solely for the Genisis and Kia brands. It does not share the Optima platform whatsoever. Thus, the claim it's just a RWD Optima hatchback, other than opinion, is not based on the reality the Stinger is factually not.

The 2.0L engines are of the same lineage, but the transmission and the way the engine is tuned to work with the drivetrain is entirely different than an Optima. It's flat-out faster.

Rightly so, the Stinger is RWD, and is a hatchback. How that equates to a FWD non-hatchback Optima factually? I have no idea. This claim in and of itself makes them entirely different vehicles from handling to practicality to design.

Lastly, I've driven the Optima and the Stinger 2.0L and 3.3L GT. The Stinger is a vastly differently behaving machine over the Optima. The Optima is designed to draw in familes and those on tighter budgets - mid-size family sedan buyers. The Stinger is a different drive, handels much more like a true sports car, and performs as such. On paper and experience both - the Optima and Stinger are vastly different vehicles.

It has a tail, four legs and both are decently big and fast. The Cougar is basically the same as my large dog, save for fur type and looks... Uh, no...

I don't know about all the tighter budget remarks when it comes to the SXL Optima's they run 36,000 fully loaded .. that's not a budget thing .. the lower end optima's are. Comparison table in automobile-catalog

 

[Ghostgreystinger21]

Couldn't disagree MORE. My 2.0 rwd blows away any Optima, Accord, Camry, or Mazda6 for driving experience FULL STOP...and for the same price or thereabouts. As someone who has owned and worked on several cars of varying performance levels, this model is the perfect fit for an enthusiast who also has to juggle family and a budget. While most average family sedan buyers may not care, you can bet there are those who do. The 2.0 is an AMAZING alternative to those cars, and trying to dismiss it as "a rwd optima w/ a trunk" is dismissive, snotty, and NOT what this forum is about!!!!

Amen brother, whoever said that is straight trolling!