Stinger's interior space

[vsic112]

Hey guys, I've been lurking in the shadows for some time now and finally joined. I currently drive a 16 kia optima (wife's car) and 07 TL type S (tranny on its way out). Actively looking for a new car and thought for sure it would be a stinger GT. I went to my local dealership this past weekend and realized how tight the interior is, otherwise the car is a perfect. My other choices are 18 TLX aspec or a 15 or 16 CPO lexus nx f sport. Just wondering if interior space is an issue for others that have a family and intend to use for daily driving.

 

[voon]

I don't have a family, but I sat in a Stinger like most So my opinion: It is a long and wide vehicle, but do not mistake it for a transporter. It's sleek, curved roofline has its drawbacks. I'm 188cm (6' 3"ish in Muricanspeak) and I touch the roof with my head on the backseats .. It's not made for tall people at all there, but will seat shorter family assets (commonly called children) quite well. Also footspace isn't perfect back there. The boot isn't a station, either. While it's not necessarily cramped, given it is a real 5th door and not some nasty trunklid, it is still rather narrow considereing the width of that car. But you'll get enough bags in for a holiday And there's rear power for the tablets of kids In other words, it was not made for families .. but it will transport them with a cretain amount of drawbacks you can expect from a sleek vehicle.

 

[Kia Stinger]

Hey guys, I've been lurking in the shadows for some time now and finally joined. I currently drive a 16 kia optima (wife's car) and 07 TL type S (tranny on its way out). Actively looking for a new car and thought for sure it would be a stinger GT. I went to my local dealership this past weekend and realized how tight the interior is, otherwise the car is a perfect. My other choices are 18 TLX aspec or a 15 or 16 CPO lexus nx f sport. Just wondering if interior space is an issue for others that have a family and intend to use for daily driving.

Welcome aboard, @vsic112! Thank you for signing up... So you're feeling the latest versions of the Acura TLX and Lexus NX have more room inside that the Stinger? Are you specifically referring to the back seat or front seat? Because The Optima your wife has, Accord that I have (same size as the TLX) don't feel any larger to me than the Stinger. Then again, I haven't spent a lot of time in the back seat of the Stinger. So maybe that's where you're seeing the disparity...

Oh and I felt the Lexus NX had noticeably less room then my car last I sat in one...

 

[vsic112]

thanks for the replies! Voon, I definitely realize that it's not made for families now that I've sat in one. I guess my expectation of space was heightened by some of the advertisements of it being such a long car. I was just more disappointed because I wanted something with just a little more space. Kia Stinger, yes I'm mostly talking about the back seats more so than the front. I don't know what the measurements are for the optima off the top of my head, but it feels pretty spacious and definitely bigger than the stinger and TLX. The opening of the doors seems wider on the optima and leg room is comfortable in the back. One thing I noticed about the stinger is the middle console in the front seems higher than most cars and the hump on the floor between seats in the back is rather large. The combination of these things may be giving me the appearance of it being smaller. As far as the TLX ,I took a look at one last weekend and yes it seems pretty tight in the back as well. I haven't checked out the nx in person yet. Hopefully I can test drive the stinger GT soon to get a better feel of driving comfort, then make a decision.

 

[Kia Stinger]

thanks for the replies! Voon, I definitely realize that it's not made for families now that I've sat in one. I guess my expectation of space was heightened by some of the advertisements of it being such a long car. I was just more disappointed because I wanted something with just a little more space. Kia Stinger, yes I'm mostly talking about the back seats more so than the front. I don't know what the measurements are for the optima off the top of my head, but it feels pretty spacious and definitely bigger than the stinger and TLX. The opening of the doors seems wider on the optima and leg room is comfortable in the back. One thing I noticed about the stinger is the middle console in the front seems higher than most cars and the hump on the floor between seats in the back is rather large. The combination of these things may be giving me the appearance of it being smaller. As far as the TLX ,I took a look at one last weekend and yes it seems pretty tight in the back as well. I haven't checked out the nx in person yet. Hopefully I can test drive the stinger GT soon to get a better feel of driving comfort, then make a decision.

Okay, yes, the Stinger has less room in the back from what I've been hearing. Of course, it slops a bit toward the back - and I hear legroom isn't as good as, say, the Optima. So there's that... As for the center console being higher than normal in the front - I've been noticing this as a trend lately. I think this may have started off as a luxury car kind of thing - because when I sit in my wife's 2016 Genesis Sedan, it's the same way - but it directly reminded me of sitting in cars like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 7-Series, and Lexus LS... In my Honda Accord - it's low like most typical cars...

In any event, the Stinger's back seat should be perfectly find for kids - so I think it still fits well as a family car unless you have really tall children. Do go for that test drive. I'm pretty sure you'll love it...

 

[Bigserver1]

The Optima has less rear legroom than the Stinger, but more front legroom, so if your seat is positioned farther up, the rear legroom will seem larger for sure.

The TLX has way less rear legroom (2 inches less), and similar front legroom. Honestly the TLX is embarrassingly small in the back.

I think a lot of it comes down to how your front seat will be positioned. I test drove an 18 accord today, and because of the way I had to position the driver seat, the rear legroom was comparable to the stinger in a comfortable driving position for me, even though there’s 3.5” less legroom in the rear. I’m 6’3”, so the seat ends up pretty far back regardless, but it’s interesting how it all works out.

To make a long story short, I drove a stinger yesterday and really loved it. The rear room for my kids in car seats is going to end up being comparable enough that I’m going to have a hard time talking myself out of getting one.

 

[Kia Stinger]

The Optima has less rear legroom than the Stinger, but more front legroom, so if your seat is positioned farther up, the rear legroom will seem larger for sure.

The TLX has way less rear legroom (2 inches less), and similar front legroom. Honestly the TLX is embarrassingly small in the back.

I think a lot of it comes down to how your front seat will be positioned. I test drove an 18 accord today, and because of the way I had to position the driver seat, the rear legroom was comparable to the stinger in a comfortable driving position for me, even though there’s 3.5” less legroom in the rear. I’m 6’3”, so the seat ends up pretty far back regardless, but it’s interesting how it all works out.

To make a long story short, I drove a stinger yesterday and really loved it. The rear room for my kids in car seats is going to end up being comparable enough that I’m going to have a hard time talking myself out of getting one.

Welcome aboard, @Bigserver1! Thank you for signing up. And thank you for the comparisons! The TLX and Accord are the same car - at least up until 2017. I haven't sat in a 2018 of either yet. Seat positioning does make a difference and that'll determine whether or not there's much room in the back. But for a typically family - smaller kids sit in the back and that should allow for plenty of comfort for the two adults in the front as far as seat position goes. You have an Optima now?

 

[Bigserver1]

Welcome aboard, @Bigserver1! Thank you for signing up. And thank you for the comparisons! The TLX and Accord are the same car - at least up until 2017. I haven't sat in a 2018 of either yet. Seat positioning does make a difference and that'll determine whether or not there's much room in the back. But for a typically family - smaller kids sit in the back and that should allow for plenty of comfort for the two adults in the front as far as seat position goes. You have an Optima now?

Hey there, thank you! I have a forte now after having a 12 and a 14 Optima SX turbo. When we had our second kid, I traded in the Optima for an Acura MDX, and I got a cheaper payment in the forte.

The acura guys also told me that the TLX is the same platform as the accord, but for 2018 I think that’s changed. The 2018 has 93 Feet of passenger space, while the 18 accord has nearly 103 feet of passenger space. I was looking at an 18 TLX a couple months ago, and the rear leg room (34.5”) was a dealbreaker for me, as it’s smaller than my forte, which already feels really tight with two car seats in it.

I drove an accord touring yesterday, and I had to have the seat all the way down and all the way back to be comfortable (I’m 6’3”), because of the lack of knee room around the center stack. I drove the stinger two days ago, and my ideal driving position in that actually gave a comparable amount of rear legroom to the accord (probably an inch less overall). It’s funny how seating positions can make such a difference in overall legroom. A few days ago I thought the stinger was a no go due to rear leg room. After driving it and comparing it to other cars, it’s now very much in contention for me, because it was also the most fun I’ve had driving a car in a long time.

 

[Kia Stinger]

Hey there, thank you! I have a forte now after having a 12 and a 14 Optima SX turbo. When we had our second kid, I traded in the Optima for an Acura MDX, and I got a cheaper payment in the forte.

The acura guys also told me that the TLX is the same platform as the accord, but for 2018 I think that’s changed. The 2018 has 93 Feet of passenger space, while the 18 accord has nearly 103 feet of passenger space. I was looking at an 18 TLX a couple months ago, and the rear leg room (34.5”) was a dealbreaker for me, as it’s smaller than my forte, which already feels really tight with two car seats in it.

I drove an accord touring yesterday, and I had to have the seat all the way down and all the way back to be comfortable (I’m 6’3”), because of the lack of knee room around the center stack. I drove the stinger two days ago, and my ideal driving position in that actually gave a comparable amount of rear legroom to the accord (probably an inch less overall). It’s funny how seating positions can make such a difference in overall legroom. A few days ago I thought the stinger was a no go due to rear leg room. After driving it and comparing it to other cars, it’s now very much in contention for me, because it was also the most fun I’ve had driving a car in a long time.

I did hear the TLX was going to shrink to make the midsize (let's be honest, it's midsize) RLX seem "big"er... Right... But, yeah - that may have happened for 2018. The Accord is pretty decent-sized in the back. I have a 2016 V6 Touring. Nice car. But it's very good to hear you can sit comfortably in the front of the Stinger, at 6'3" - and still be comfortable in the back seat. That's very good and sounds like PLENTY of room to make the Stinger a solid, versatile, and sporty family car...

 

[Bigserver1]

I did hear the TLX was going to shrink to make the midsize (let's be honest, it's midsize) RLX seem "big"er... Right... But, yeah - that may have happened for 2018. The Accord is pretty decent-sized in the back. I have a 2016 V6 Touring. Nice car. But it's very good to hear you can sit comfortably in the front of the Stinger, at 6'3" - and still be comfortable in the back seat. That's very good and sounds like PLENTY of room to make the Stinger a solid, versatile, and sporty family car...

Yeah they shrunk the TLX right out of my consideration list lol. And the RLX is so uninspiring for that price tag, so no thanks.

I’ve said for two years now, that I’ll never have another kia, but this damn company keeps sucking me back in. I had an irrational love affair with my first Optima (2012 loaded turbo), but after that, the 14 and the forte I have now have been just OK. After driving the stinger, I may end up talking myself into another one, because it was that good. I also loved the G80 sport, but I don’t think it was 7-8k better than the stinger, especially since the kia is more fun to drive.

 

[Kia Stinger]

Yeah they shrunk the TLX right out of my consideration list lol. And the RLX is so uninspiring for that price tag, so no thanks.

I’ve said for two years now, that I’ll never have another kia, but this damn company keeps sucking me back in. I had an irrational love affair with my first Optima (2012 loaded turbo), but after that, the 14 and the forte I have now have been just OK. After driving the stinger, I may end up talking myself into another one, because it was that good. I also loved the G80 sport, but I don’t think it was 7-8k better than the stinger, especially since the kia is more fun to drive.

 

[Bigserver1]

Haha basically.

If the 2019s have the 360 camera and wireless charging that were weirdly left off the US version for 2018, I’ll probably get a ‘19 GT2 and no one will ever take me seriously again when I swear off kia.

 

[Kia Stinger]

Haha basically.

If the 2019s have the 360 camera and wireless charging that were weirdly left off the US version for 2018, I’ll probably get a ‘19 GT2 and no one will ever take me seriously again when I swear off kia.

Worst case scenario there's a possibility of having a surround view camera option programed in. We're discussing that somewhere around here... I've lost track! Here it is...
360 Camera

 

[voon]

2019 has a camera drone whirring over your roof

 

[Kia Stinger]

2019 has a camera drone whirring over your roof

 

[Bigserver1]

Worst case scenario there's a possibility of having a surround view camera option programed in. We're discussing that somewhere around here... I've lost track! Here it is...
360 Camera

For sure. Good to know there are other options. Hopefully they just add the 360 for the 19s like the rest of the world already has. When I drove the G80, the camera system blew me away, especially the split screen option where you simultaneously get front and rear views. The top down 360 is also something that I’ve never had, but already know once I have one I’ll never want to be without it.

 

[Kia Stinger]

For sure. Good to know there are other options. Hopefully they just add the 360 for the 19s like the rest of the world already has. When I drove the G80, the camera system blew me away, especially the split screen option where you simultaneously get front and rear views. The top down 360 is also something that I’ve never had, but already know once I have one I’ll never want to be without it.

It does seem like one of those features that we'll one day wonder how we lived without. Driving a car is a big responsibility (some people forget that) and having extra eyes around you can NEVER hurt...

 

[vsic112]

Hey Bigserv, thanks for responding. Yea after taking a better look at a coworker’s tlx, it’s definitely way to small in the back. So it looks like I’m back to the drawing board. Really wanting the stinger even more now. Another issue is waiting for the stinger even if I ordered one. I’ve heard some ppl say feb-April. Anyways I’m 5’9” so most people sitting behind me won’t have a problem. As I mentioned above I think the high sitting center console and the hump (rather large) on the back floors makes me feel like the car is smaller inside.

 

[Kia Stinger]

the hump (rather large) on the back floor

That's the RWD hump!

 

[Bigserver1]

Hey Bigserv, thanks for responding. Yea after taking a better look at a coworker’s tlx, it’s definitely way to small in the back. So it looks like I’m back to the drawing board. Really wanting the stinger even more now. Another issue is waiting for the stinger even if I ordered one. I’ve heard some ppl say feb-April. Anyways I’m 5’9” so most people sitting behind me won’t have a problem. As I mentioned above I think the high sitting center console and the hump (rather large) on the back floors makes me feel like the car is smaller inside.

Yeah, no worries, sorry it’s too small for you! The TLX was a car a few months ago that I really wanted to like, but just couldn’t get there, between being tiny and the infotainment being awful (the head unit in our 2016 MDX makes me want to drive off a bridge on the regular).

I’m going down a dark place about being all in on the stinger lol. I’ll be waiting for the 19s, since my lease is up in December of 2018, and I’m holding out hope that they’ll add 360 cameras and wireless charging to the US fleet. I drove the new accord touring and wanted to love it, but after the G80 sport and the stinger I just couldn’t get there. Not to mention the drivers seat isn’t great for someone my height, and the necessary seat position in that car for me negates the extra legroom in the rear.

I am probably going to be doing a 2019 RWD GT2, and I already can’t wait lol.