2022 Stinger 2.5 Gt line YouTube "review".

[kielbasa]

I took a closer look at 2.5 lately, and it seems to be a very good compromise. You get much better MPG, the car is not as laggy as 2.0, and You will still have fewer maintenance costs in the future - fewer spark plugs, fewer coils, fewer turbos to replace And so on. Also, with some light mods, You're likely to get close to 3.3 in 0-60, whereas 100-200 might be even better. RWD and 350 lbs less make a significant difference for sure.
Plus - the initial purchase cost is also much smaller.
It would be best to hear some info from a 2.5L owner on how it drives and compares to 3.3 performance-wise.

 

[Transmetal]

So I just happened to be checking out Kia Stingers for sale online. I see listings for a 2023 gt-line apex special edition. Never heard of those before. After looking it up. Looks like they get bits and pieces from some of the gt cars, parts bin dump? Brembo brakes (all gt's) carbon fiber interior pieces (scorpion, gts, grand tourer) black trim and exhaust tips (scorpion, grand tourer) Wheels look smaller though, 18s I'm guessing. Crazy that this was the price of an awd gt1 back when I bought my car new.

2023 Kia Stinger GT-Line Apex Special Edition in Lakeville, MN | Minneapolis Kia Stinger | Jeff Belzer's Kia

Research the 2023 Kia Stinger GT-Line Apex Special Edition in Lakeville, MN at Jeff Belzer's Kia. View pictures, specs, and pricing & schedule a test drive today.

www.jeffbelzerkia.com

 

[RKA123]

When the 2023 model year came out they introduced the Apex package which includes everything you describe and isn't a bad deal at $1000. The entry point to a 3.3T model went up significantly in 2023 though with the removal of the GT1 trim.

2022+ models do include all the active safety systems standard which could be an upside depending on the buyer. Some people will certainly value stuff like lane departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and smart cruise control more than others. The 2.5T engine is also certainly an improvement over the older 2.0T engine in the 2018-2021 model years.

So I just happened to be checking out Kia Stingers for sale online. I see listings for a 2023 gt-line apex special edition. Never heard of those before. After looking it up. Looks like they get bits and pieces from some of the gt cars, parts bin dump? Brembo brakes (all gt's) carbon fiber interior pieces (scorpion, gts, grand tourer) black trim and exhaust tips (scorpion, grand tourer) Wheels look smaller though, 18s I'm guessing. Crazy that this was the price of an awd gt1 back when I bought my car new.

 

[Volfy]

If the Apex Edition can be gotten alone for $1000, then it would be a fantastic bargain. Doing a Brembo conversion these days will cost you that much or more. However, Kia made the Sun & Sound Package mandatory with the Apex Ed., which then turns into a $3300 package. I'm sure that is still a very desirable deal for a lot of folks, but not me. I don't like sunroof, which just adds weight, reduce headroom (for wearing helmet at Autox/Track), and introduce problem areas for leaks, rattles, etc.

Also, Kia should've included LSD in that Apex package. Then again, it's a mechanical LSD, so it's easily retrofitted, as I did with mine.

All in all, the 2.5T version is still very desirable. If it was available when I bought my 2.0T, I would've seriously considered it... depending on the price.

 

[zetatai]

Well, he's driven both, I have not; so, those are his words, not mine (not a direct quote, more of a condensed paraphrase). He seemed pleased with the 2.5L and this is the first commentary on it I've seen/heard. I'm sure there is a noticeable difference when the 3.3L is called upon to deliver all the goods; otherwise, there probably is very little difference between the 2.5L and 3.3L: just a guess on my part.

If it's all about performance, there's no arguing with Merlin (BTW, I have driven both). However, some of us have other priorities, such as lower buy-in threshold ($!), significantly better MPG, and (considering the relatively small gas tank) better 'MPT' (miles per tank).

 

[zetatai]

If the Apex Edition can be gotten alone for $1000, then it would be a fantastic bargain. Doing a Brembo conversion these days will cost you that much or more. However, Kia made the Sun & Sound Package mandatory with the Apex Ed., which then turns into a $3300 package. I'm sure that is still a very desirable deal for a lot of folks, but not me. I don't like sunroof, which just adds weight, reduce headroom (for wearing helmet at Autox/Track), and introduce problem areas for leaks, rattles, etc.

Also, Kia should've included LSD (Limited Slip Differential) in that Apex package. Then again, it's a mechanical LSD (Limited Slip Differential), so it's easily retrofitted, as I did with mine.

All in all, the 2.5T version is still very desirable. If it was available when I bought my 2.0T, I would've seriously considered it... depending on the price.

Could you elaborate on the retrofit process ("Then again, it's a mechanical LSD (Limited Slip Differential), so it's easily retrofitted, as I did with mine.") or have you already somewhere else on the forum (link?)? Thanks...

 

[Volfy]

Could you elaborate on the retrofit process ("Then again, it's a mechanical LSD (Limited Slip Differential) (Limited Slip Differential), so it's easily retrofitted, as I did with mine.") or have you already somewhere else on the forum (link?)? Thanks...

See post #45 and # here:

car is swaying

LSD (Limited Slip Differential) (Limited Slip Differential) (Limited Slip Differential) will not help the sliding to one side under heavy acceleration. If anything, it makes it worse. I have a RWD LSD (Limited Slip Differential) (Limited Slip Differential) (Limited Slip Differential) and my car...

stingerforum.org

car is swaying

if they're squared you should see if 265/35 fits in the front as well, that'd make the most sense if it fits.

stingerforum.org

The links there will take you to a G70 forum where I posted details and pics.