Maintenance costs: deal breaker? Talk me into or out of a Stinger

[Rich_Freakin_Evans]

I can tell you haven't priced kia wheels. Ridiculously pricey for 'boat anchors' they are. I haven't priced them since 2018, and one wheel was $630 then. the other thing is offset. the front wheel is 34 the rear 8.5 wide wheel is 47. I've not heard of anyone trying to fit a rear wheel in front. I don't think it can be done.

Gotcha, thank you. So aftermarket with spacers up front is really the only way forward it seems

 

[Snicklefritz]

Gotcha, thank you. So aftermarket with spacers up front is really the only way forward it seems

you don't need spacers just the correct offset. if your running same size on all four then 34-36 offset is the range to look at. if you don't go nuts on rim width, 31 offset will work. depends on the model of wheel. do your research or pick one of the already tried setups on the forum. a lot of those are shared here. Aftermarket Wheels

 

[LordKOTL]

So would the cheapest way to run a square set up on an AWD V6 be to buy 2 OEM rear wheels, 2 rear sized tires, and install them on the front with spacers?

I don't know what the cheapest way would be, but in my case when my PS4 summer ties give up the ghost I'll switch them with Continental ExtremeContact DWS06+ All seasons. I've heard good things about them. I might not get as-good of traction as I would from Summer only tires, but where I live I can't justify a complete other set of tires for the winter for 1-3 actual snow days, but with plenty of days below 40F where the PS4's go from handling like it's on rails to handling like it's on hockey pucks. I'm personally not too concerned with a difference in wear for the staggered tires. Mine at ~8000 miles look about the same both front and rear for a daily driver.

 

[Rich_Freakin_Evans]

I don't know what the cheapest way would be, but in my case when my PS4 summer ties give up the ghost I'll switch them with Continental ExtremeContact DWS06+ All seasons. I've heard good things about them. I might not get as-good of traction as I would from Summer only tires, but where I live I can't justify a complete other set of tires for the winter for 1-3 actual snow days, but with plenty of days below 40F where the PS4's go from handling like it's on rails to handling like it's on hockey pucks. I'm personally not too concerned with a difference in wear for the staggered tires. Mine at ~8000 miles look about the same both front and rear for a daily driver.

Thanks for the info. Is your car awd?

 

[LordKOTL]

Thanks for the info. Is your car awd?

Yes. But again, I've only got a shade under 8k on the clock and about a year into ownership, so take that for what it's worth. For all I know this time next year my back tires look like racing slicks and my fronts look the same as they do today.

 

[D.J.]

So aftermarket wheels all around?

Yes

Or just buy staggered fitment tires

I use a square 18" setup for my winter wheels, and OEM staggered for summer. I replace front and rear independently as required at a rate of approx 1.5 rear replacements per front replacement.

3 rear pairs per 2 front pairs.

Also, my opinion - Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires are like 85%-90% as good as the Michelin PS4, and nearly 50% the price.

 

[Snowwhite]

you can get a used set of stock wheels fairly cheap and then use just the rears. but yes, a better aftermarket set is probably a better way to go.

 

[D.J.]

you can get a used set of stock wheels fairly cheap and then use just the rears. but yes, a better aftermarket set is probably a better way to go.

Though you are technically correct...
That would look - uh.. stupid...

It's why you haven't seen even one yet on this planet.

 

[Transmetal]

I don't know what the cheapest way would be, but in my case when my PS4 summer ties give up the ghost I'll switch them with Continental ExtremeContact DWS06+ All seasons. I've heard good things about them. I might not get as-good of traction as I would from Summer only tires, but where I live I can't justify a complete other set of tires for the winter for 1-3 actual snow days, but with plenty of days below 40F where the PS4's go from handling like it's on rails to handling like it's on hockey pucks. I'm personally not too concerned with a difference in wear for the staggered tires. Mine at ~8000 miles look about the same both front and rear for a daily driver.

Idk about those Continentals........I didn't like how they fit on the front running the stock size 225 40 19. Posted about it in another thread. The tires didn't even fully cover the rims. I ended up returning them and switched to a 235 40 19 Michelin primacy mxm4 for the fronts

 

[chad1064]

* Should I be concerned about carbon build up on the intake valves? My Audi suffers from GDI carbon buildup which requires walnut media cleaning. How often are you guys having this service done and what are the dealers/shops charging?

* Looks like the AWD V6 have issues with tire wear. How often are you buying tires and how much are you paying per set? My audi has been going through a set about every 30-40k

* What other maintenance items am I missing in terms of high cost items?

For reference, I have a 22 GT2 AWD that I've had for almost 2 years and about 36,000 miles. I drive a good mix of city, stop/go traffic, and highway road trips.

1) I haven't had any issues with the carbon build up and I don't worry about it too much. I think some people are overly cautious about it and install oil catch cans and use treatments. I've also ready posts from people who have high miles, never did any preventative work, and haven't had an issue.

2) At my last oil change the tires still had good tread left on the original, stock tires ( Michelin Primacy Tour A/S). There was more wear on the rears than the fronts, but that's to be expected and the difference wasn't drastic. The tires have a 45,000 mile manufacture warranty (half that on the rears due to the staggered setup per Michelin) so I've been happy with my wear so far. Obvious, "your mileage may vary" depending on driving style. I'll be looking to replace them in the next 6 months or so. Also, I live in Minnesota and haven't had any issues with the stock tires in the snow.

3) I honestly haven't had any high cost maintenance done (knock on wood). I've had zero problems with the car since I bought it in 2021, and I've just followed the maintenance schedule. The dealership by me is no BS, they haven't tried to upsell me or get me to do useless work. A very, very minor annoyance is that the oil needs to be changed every 6,000 miles (3,000 under extreme circumstances such as winter weather, but I've still only changed the oil every 6,000). My last car (a 2018 Accord) would go almost 10,000 between oil changes. I totally understand the difference between the Stinger's 3.3TT engine and the Accord's 2.0T, but at my current mileage it's been about twice the oil changes.

The only unknown high-cost factor to consider is insurance. Insurance is such a hard thing to compare, but my insurance more than doubled when I bought my Stinger. Nothing on my record, no at-fault insurance claims, nothing to really be able to pin it on other than the car itself.

 

[Rich_Freakin_Evans]

For reference, I have a 22 GT2 AWD that I've had for almost 2 years and about 36,000 miles. I drive a good mix of city, stop/go traffic, and highway road trips.

1) I haven't had any issues with the carbon build up and I don't worry about it too much. I think some people are overly cautious about it and install oil catch cans and use treatments. I've also ready posts from people who have high miles, never did any preventative work, and haven't had an issue.

2) At my last oil change the tires still had good tread left on the original, stock tires ( Michelin Primacy Tour A/S). There was more wear on the rears than the fronts, but that's to be expected and the difference wasn't drastic. The tires have a 45,000 mile manufacture warranty (half that on the rears due to the staggered setup per Michelin) so I've been happy with my wear so far. Obvious, "your mileage may vary" depending on driving style. I'll be looking to replace them in the next 6 months or so. Also, I live in Minnesota and haven't had any issues with the stock tires in the snow.

3) I honestly haven't had any high cost maintenance done (knock on wood). I've had zero problems with the car since I bought it in 2021, and I've just followed the maintenance schedule. The dealership by me is no BS, they haven't tried to upsell me or get me to do useless work. A very, very minor annoyance is that the oil needs to be changed every 6,000 miles (3,000 under extreme circumstances such as winter weather, but I've still only changed the oil every 6,000). My last car (a 2018 Accord) would go almost 10,000 between oil changes. I totally understand the difference between the Stinger's 3.3TT engine and the Accord's 2.0T, but at my current mileage it's been about twice the oil changes.

The only unknown high-cost factor to consider is insurance. Insurance is such a hard thing to compare, but my insurance more than doubled when I bought my Stinger. Nothing on my record, no at-fault insurance claims, nothing to really be able to pin it on other than the car itself.

I really appreciate the info. My insurance company quoted $40 more per month than my Audi, so not too much of an increase.