Looking at whether to purchase a Kia Stinger

[Rm65]

Looking to purchase a new 2021 Stinger GT. I want to know if there are any inherent issues that i should be aware of. I currently have a Golf GTI mk 6 which has been great except for oil consumption issues. I understand this to be an inherent issue with VW built engines. Trying to avoid this with next purchase if possible. If it was not for oil consumption i would buy another Golf. Any good or bad experiences with the stinger woukd be appreciated so i know what i am getting into.

 

[5tinger]

Just a warning if you test drive a Stinger then YOU WILL GET IT.

Really it's a proper sports luxury GT.
Drives so nice and smooth yet feels so powerful.
It's very comfortable and has so many features making it good value for money.
It looks good, people will defiantly take a glimpse as it has a stout presence on the road.

It's also reliable, I've been following this forum since since early 2018 and there hasn't really been any common reliability concern.
The Stinger feels solid.

 

[RedCal]

Agreed, do not test drive one, This forum is full of people who took one for "just a test drive"
If you are going to, test drive it after you have driven all the other cars that might interest you, and be ready to buy.
The biggest issue you may encounter is finding inventory.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Howdy and welcome. I'm the poster boy for the Kia Stinger. Hah. Mine is nearing three years and over 40K miles; not a trace of an issue. I got this car primarily to encourage me to consent to road trips (as my wife's "ground support", she flies); I had read the promo book all winter and took the "fatal test drive" and then bought it three days later. It's everything that Kia touts, asserts and brags it up to be. And the quality and reliability are taken to a whole new level; which was the point of producing a concept car that is "The Gran Turismo Redefined." They certainly did that! It has retro cues all over it, but especially in the body lines and the interior: my GT1 even has the "T" shifter, which is so old school. (I like it.)

Individual vehicles can manifest flaws. If you read for any extended time on here you'll run into this list that annoy and disappoint (but again, most vehicles are like mine and don't have issues):

Paint that can chip or flake easily (this was a real problem with the Sunset Yellow, enough so, that Kia did a recall on that color).

Brakes that shudder (but aftermarket pads correct this; some get aftermarket rotors too; and some correct the shudder by simply rebedding the OE pads).

Various creaks, squeaks, rattles, thumps, etc.; but commonly from the hatch lid and sunroof; most of these are correctable, but some are pernicious and stubborn.

The dark chrome trim along the tops of the glass can get discolored/spotted (replaced under warranty).

The nappa leather can crease excessively and wear along high impact areas (this one is super rare, by the way).

The sound system fades to the rear; or turns itself off; or is judged to be "shrill/harsh" (audiophiles in our midst, mine is excellent).

Drivetrains, a very few reported on here, have failed; either tranny or the actual engine (possibly even more rare than leather wear).


The tl;dr version is: check the paint very carefully for pinprick holes in the clearcoat, any chipping that isn't blatantly in front from attrition, or any other flaws from the factory or handling during transit. And test the brakes during the test drive. Listen for any extraneous noises during the test drive. Otherwise, only time will tell, as with any car.

Good luck!

 

[Kia Stinger]

Looking to purchase a new 2021 Stinger GT. I want to know if there are any inherent issues that i should be aware of. I currently have a Golf GTI mk 6 which has been great except for oil consumption issues. I understand this to be an inherent issue with VW built engines. Trying to avoid this with next purchase if possible. If it was not for oil consumption i would buy another Golf. Any good or bad experiences with the stinger woukd be appreciated so i know what i am getting into.

Welcome! Moving this out of the lounge.

 

[Travis Wills]

Agreed, do not test drive one, This forum is full of people who took one for "just a test drive"
If you are going to, test drive it after you have driven all the other cars that might interest you, and be ready to buy.
The biggest issue you may encounter is finding inventory.

Ironically I bought mine before I actually drove it or any Stinger for that matter. I didn’t even have to drive it to know I was going to love it. They had a car I wanted at the right price and so I signed the paperwork and drove it home. My only regret is that I didn’t get AWD. I didn’t figure that out until over a year after I bought it though.

 

[Blueangel]

Purchased mine 4 months ago. Never heard of the Stinger before then and didn’t care “ it’s a Kia”. Saw it in an ad, fell in love with the silhouette, and knew it was going to be mine. Didn’t even look at other dealerships. My only stipulations was that it was new, a V6, and an AWD. Didn’t know about the trim levels and still didn’t care when I found out later on lol. Sometimes cars just call out to you I guess.

I love how underrated this car is. I can chill and cruise if I want to, let others pass like I just got my license or I can blow someone’s mind out the water and give it some juice, depending on the a**hole that decided to cut me off without warning. Either way, it’s a blessing to own. Knock on wood, no issues thus far. Keeping the mods simple with sways, intakes and catback.

 

[MerlintheMad]

My only regret is that I didn’t get AWD. I didn’t figure that out until over a year after I bought it though.

Funny! By then you were acclimated to the torque/acceleration and finally felt brave enough to really power through the curves; and your rear end came unstuck. That, was your first clue. Am I right?

 

[Travis Wills]

Funny! By then you were acclimated to the torque/acceleration and finally felt brave enough to really power through the curves; and your rear end came unstuck. That, was your first clue. Am I right?

I have never actually driven it hard around the corners. My issue is with launching the car from a dig. I didn’t try that until after about a year of owning it.

 

[Rm65]

Just a warning if you test drive a Stinger then YOU WILL GET IT.

Really it's a proper sports luxury GT.
Drives so nice and smooth yet feels so powerful.
It's very comfortable and has so many features making it good value for money.
It looks good, people will defiantly take a glimpse as it has a stout presence on the road.

It's also reliable, I've been following this forum since since early 2018 and there hasn't really been any common reliability concern.
The Stinger feels solid.

Thank you. The test drive i had was impressive. Your feedback is appreciated

 

[Montanaman]

Well I made the mistake of taking a Ceramic silver GT1 AWD out for a test drive here in Arizona two days ago and now it is sitting in my garage! I am blown away by this car and I've owned or leased them all at 60 years old. 911's, BMW's, Vettes you name it I've had it. This car is ever bit the equal to many luxury sedans and sport backs. The fit and finish are very good. Not quite BMW level but very good. The drive and handling are brilliant. I never thought I would get a KIA but what can I say? They made a world class sports sedan/hatchback for 50k and I paid much less than that. It's unbelievable.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Well I made the mistake of taking a Ceramic silver GT1 AWD out for a test drive here in Arizona two days ago and now it is sitting in my garage! I am blown away by this car and I've owned or leased them all at 60 years old. 911's, BMW's, Vettes you name it I've had it. This car is ever bit the equal to many luxury sedans and sport backs. The fit and finish are very good. Not quite BMW level but very good. The drive and handling are brilliant. I never thought I would get a KIA but what can I say? They made a world class sports sedan/hatchback for 50k and I paid much less than that. It's unbelievable.

Couldn't resist. Love that test drive. Welcome to the forum.

 

[bearstinger]

I had never heard of a stinger until hubby said lets go drive one, it came home with us as my car.

 

[colnago1331]

Looking to purchase a new 2021 Stinger GT. I want to know if there are any inherent issues that i should be aware of. I currently have a Golf GTI mk 6 which has been great except for oil consumption issues. I understand this to be an inherent issue with VW built engines. Trying to avoid this with next purchase if possible. If it was not for oil consumption i would buy another Golf. Any good or bad experiences with the stinger woukd be appreciated so i know what i am getting into.

The biggest thing you should be aware of (and I'm sure you are already) is that the Stinger is nothing like your GTI. The Stinger is a big, heavy car relatively speaking, and while Kia may like to call it a sports sedan, it's not really that; it's a grand tourer . . . an Autobahn cruiser, if you will. This isn't to say you won't be able to have fun in the curves with it, because you certainly can. It is, in fact, possible to rotate the car a tad using the gas pedal. But the car is most comfortable going 65 or 70 mph *cough*ormore*cough* down the open highway.

 

[Ulikefishsticks]

I agree with others saying if you test drive it you will buy it. I absolutely had to buy it after my first test drive. Then a few weeks later I test drove it again after I already knew I was buying it. This car is great. It is fun when you want it to be, functional when you want it to be. Can haul a decent amount of cargo, can carry around 4 or 5 people and the part I love is how rare the car is and how many stares and compliments I get on the car. I am coming up on 40,000 miles. I will most likely be trading in for a new one at about 50-60k miles.

 

[GenesisG70]

FYI the Stinger GT2 is far a superior car than any golf.

 

[4wheelpilot]

When I test drove a Stinger GT1/GT2 back in 2017, I thought the car was “tame” and not impressed. Back then, the salesman was clueless about the driving modes so I only drove it in its default “comfort” mode. After a few minutes of your test drive, put it in “sport” mode to feel the way it should be driven...responsive and lively. My son has a 2019 GTI (luckily no oil burn issues) and it’s a great car. Coming out of a GTI, the Stinger will feel big to you. But if you are ready for a true grand tourer, the Stinger is a great choice. Good luck

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

The Stinger will feel like a boat compared to your current car. I came from a 2014 wrx and it felt SO much bigger and more difficult to park than my Subbie... and the Subbie is pretty fat compared to the MK6 GTI...

Test drive both the RWD and AWD models but make sure to keep in mind the drivetrain and type of tire (summer vs all season). When I test drove the Stingers I test drove two that were AWD and one that was RWD. One AWD has summers and the other had all seasons while the RWD had summers. There are noticeable differences.

I was cross-shopping many different cars with the Stinger. I only picked the Kia over the CPO 2018 S4 because of the warranty and cost of ownership. If I could have been offered the same factory warranty from Kia to the Audi I would have stomached paying a bit of a premium for maintenance (even though I go to an independent third party mechanic for service).

I notice that a lot of people who "took it for a test drive and had to get it" are people who aren't really coming from a performance car background or aren't cross-shopping the Stinger with other "high bred" cars. Don't get me wrong, I adore the looks of the Stinger and it was in the top 3 most "fun" cars I test drove but that was not why I chose it. The warranty was the selling point along with the fact that I could save a ton of money on servicing the car.

Watch out for brake problems with the pads/rotors along with some hiccups with the engine and transmission. Some people are also reporting audio problems with their speakers. Another thing to watch out for, and this has nothing to do with the car itself, but is incompetent and lower IQ people working at Kia touching your car. Not all Kia dealerships are certified or allowed to work on Stingers and even the ones that are allowed to touch them seem to lack serious techs and mechanics that understand what to do. With that said though, unless it's for warranty or recalls, I never take my car for service at a any dealership regardless of the brand.

 

[Rm65]

When I test drove a Stinger GT1/GT2 back in 2017, I thought the car was “tame” and not impressed. Back then, the salesman was clueless about the driving modes so I only drove it in its default “comfort” mode. After a few minutes of your test drive, put it in “sport” mode to feel the way it should be driven...responsive and lively. My son has a 2019 GTI (luckily no oil burn issues) and it’s a great car. Coming out of a GTI, the Stinger will feel big to you. But if you are ready for a true grand tourer, the Stinger is a great choice. Good luck

 

[Rm65]

Thank you for the comment. I have test driven both a Stinger GT and Lexus IS. After Golf Gti there is no doubt they feel bigger and less agile cars as compared to GTI. That being said I am looking at more of a compromise in the ride so to that end the Stinger with the adaptive suspension provides a good option. I have had the Golf for 9 years which demonstrates I have been happy with the car as this would have to be the longest I have ever held a vehicle. I am now looking at the next 10 years into retirement so reliability and overall ownership costs are important considerations for me this time around. The low entry to the Stinger is a concern which I need to further consider.