Do we still like the Kia Stinger in 2021?

FieroAlex

FieroAlex

Legacy Member
To make a short story long...

I'm shopping for a "beater" to replace my 07 Mazda 6 wagon MT. Now that I'm driving a lot more to get to work I need something newer and more reliable that offers a lot of interior space but I still want the car to be somewhat fun.

I was looking at picking up a new Kia Forte5 GT MT since they are cheap, hatchback and manual with the tunable 1.6T but then a coworker got a Stinger and now I'm confused.

How do we feel about the Stinger GT AWD in 2021?

I've been watching a lot of videos and reviews and the general consensus seems to be positive. I hate that it's automatic but everything else seems to be positive. The car can easily be tuned to be in the 450hp range, it has great aftermarket support and seems to be fun to drive. From what I read the driving dynamics are great but the interior is cheap. Reliability seems to be good and the cars are still holding up well.

I wouldn't pay 55k for a new one (the MSRP for the 2022's is up about 6k over 2021 prices) but 2018's seem to be going for 37-40k with reasonable km's. Somehow the stinger seems to have avoided the massive depreciation that we are accustomed to with Kia.

I would get rid of my Mazda6 and probably my 370Z if I go with a stinger but I could probably keep the 370z if I go with any of the others cars that I am considering below:

Also considering
Golf Alltrack Wagon 6MT
Golf Sportwagen 4motion 6MT
Crosstrek Sport 6MT (new)
Kia Forte5 GT MT (new)

Would you get a Stinger?
 
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The fact that all your other contenders are Manual suggests the stinger lacks something you're looking for. That and being in a completely different category vs the more utilitarian alternatives you're considering.

Maybe one of them unicorn G70s with a stick shift? It'd be a nice tourer with a modicum of engagement / sporty feel every now and again.

The stinger looks good and technically checks most if not all the boxes for the segment it's aimed at... I just can't get excited about it. (Not that I'm a huge fan of that segment anyhow)

Kia looks like they're unsure if this generation will get a successor or not. Car executives always have those weird ideas: look, the answer to the question nobody asked! (What would a kia 3 series fighter look like?)
 
kahos said:
The fact that all your other contenders are Manual suggests the stinger lacks something you're looking for. That and being in a completely different category vs the more utilitarian alternatives you're considering.

Maybe one of them unicorn G70s with a stick shift? It'd be a nice tourer with a modicum of engagement / sporty feel every now and again.

The stinger looks good and technically checks most if not all the boxes for the segment it's aimed at... I just can't get excited about it. (Not that I'm a huge fan of that segment anyhow)

Kia looks like they're unsure if this generation will get a successor or not. Car executives always have those weird ideas: look, the answer to the question nobody asked! (What would a kia 3 series fighter look like?)
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To be fair I prefer the styling of the Genesis G70 over the Kia Stinger however I really need a hatchback and the G70 is a sedan. Since this car would be my "daily" it needs to be able to do all the house work, carry the goalie bag, carry the dog and be pleasant for the 3-4 times a year that I drive 7hr to visit family in Montreal etc. This would be tuned within the first month of ownership but would also need to be able to carry crap from home depot. I have no shame in using it to carry things as long as it fits with the hatch closed.

I agree with your analysis that the Stinger is not available in MT and that IS a big deal to me but I'm considering it because of the potential for pleasure and daily use year round. It also has that big ass sunroof and I'm dying to get back in a car with an open roof.

humm...
 
J’ai essayer le kia stinger de m’ont oncle c’est loin d’être fun ce véhicule... était content de retourner avec mon wrx , pourquoi pas un golf r manque espace ?
 
If 365hp isn't going to cut it for you and you'd get the stinger tuned, you might as well cross the crosstrek off your list right away (sorry, couldn't help it) The 2.5l in the outdoors/limited has "adequate" power from a "strictly appliance" point of view. I've never driven a 2.0 but no stick can make up for the lack of power is the consensus about that combo. The steering is over assisted, the bolstering on the seats is non-existant. Suspension tuning borrowed a page from the buick playbook (which makes it surprisingly comfortable). In spite of all that, it's a great all around commuter. Good visibility, good ergos, very practical. A shame that Subaru couldn't half-ass adaptive cruise to work with a stick shift. Other manufacturers have pulled it off.


MrSpace said:
Go with MR and get a GSW.

I think 15 members here have one, it must do something right!!!
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There's so much hype about that car on ze internet lol. I took one for a spin and was underwhelmed. It's not the poor man's awd GTI my dumb ass started thinking it could be lol. Definitely less NVH than the crosstrek at crusing speeds. More cargo behind the rear seats but cabin felt more cramped than I expected.
Great car so long as expectations are realistic from a performance / engagement point of view. It's a shame it had to go.

Really, none of these cars on your list will scratch that performance itch. I think I'd go boring and keep the toys.
 
Personnellement ça ne m'attire pas tant comme bagnole, mais j'ai 3 connaissances qui s'en sont achetés dernièrement et ils semblent très satisfaits jusqu'à maintenant.
Ils leurs ont tous mis une tune et j'essaye de les convaincre de venir faire un tour à Napierville ou Mirabel pour essayer ça.
 
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C'est drôle, je suis dans un dilemme similaire... la Golf R, c'est bien le fun, mais je manque de place. Ma blonde magasine pour changer d'auto et elle veut un "ptit char". Elle veut donc que je m' occupe de la fonction "véhicule familial ". De plus, je m'ennuie d'avoir un toit ouvrant. Je pense à l'Arteon, la Stinger ou la A5.
 
J’avais essayé la A5, j’aimais mieux la shape. Tres bonne valise mes les places arrières plus limitées en hauteur.

J’ai fini avec une A4
 
I like all of your considered options, to be honest. I got a bad taste of Volkswagen reliability, so I'm a little turned off from the Germans. I've also heard a tad too many things about Hyundai/Kia 4-cylinder engines.

I love the Stinger; a guy @ work has a fully loaded one and it's gorgeous inside/out...but...no manual. Unless you have a bike or a sports car on the side (your 370Z) I personally would have a hard time with just a cruiser.

I like the Crosstrek a lot, Japanese reliability and all that jazz. I think lack of power is its biggest downside. Apparently they solved their oil burning issue. Not sure how I feel about it but I do like it and the fact that it still comes manual (albeit only with the 2.0L and not the 2.5...) is great. Never drove one but apparently Subarus have a great driving feel, a bit oldschool.

Sportwagens are cool. Maybe they're more reliable than I give them credit for, but if it were for that, I find Volkswagen's latest products lack a lot in the fun-to-drive department. They used to drive really well with a sporty feedback edge, but the last couple of generations...even the GTI, feel a bit bland. Personal opinion. I love their styling though.

If I had to pick a family car...ouf, I'd have a hard time. If the Civic Si came in a wagon form, I wouldn't look any further. Same thing for the Mazda3, except I actually think the current Civic is more fun than the current Mazda which has gotten more posh. Would you ever consider an Accord Sport? It's not a wagon but it has plenty of room and refinement, still gets the manual and is super reliable.

That's what I'd go for. Either an Accord Sport or the last Mazda6 to come with a manual.
 
I prefer the G70 as I don't need a hatch. But do I still like the Stinger, yes.

Throttle House boys have a look at the car again to see how's it fares against the competition in 2021.
 
Thanks for the input everyone

I like the Golf R but it's just too small. I don't like the Mazda 3 and I won't consider a sedan. I love the look of the Corolla Hatch XSE but it is also too small.

I really do need the space. This car is supposed to be the family work horse but I want it to be engaging and fun. My old Matrix XRS was a blast in the higher RPM with the 2ZZ engine and the Mazda 6 wagon also had great driving dynamics, amazing interior space and decent power with the V6.

I know I'm contradicting myself with the Crosstrek but I'm a big fan of Subaru (I've had 5) and I've always liked the model but like everyone else here I've never bothered with them because they are so underpowered and they really can't be upgraded to make more power. I'm not sure how I would enjoy the lack of power since the car doesn't offer anything in terms of driving excitement but ticks off all the other boxes.

The GSW, Alltrack and Forte5 can be tuned. The Forte5 is already at 200hp but fwd whereas the GSW and alltrack can be tuned to 200HP with little effort. I am worried with VW reliability especially since I want the large sunroof and they are known to leak...

As for the Stinger the reason for the tune isn't so much for the power but the way the car changes in terms of response once it's tuned. I'm still on the fence about the car I might just have to try one but reports here seem to be split between boring and fun.
 
MrSpace said:
A crosstrek that's small, no?
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It is the smallest one of the bunch at 551L with the seats up, The Stinger has 660L, the Forte5 has 740L and the alltrack/gsw has 861L

I think the Crosstrek is on my list just because I like the looks and the brand when in reality it's probably my worst option. I think each of the other cars would probably be more fun to drive than the Crosstrek. I should eliminate it from my list, it is the weakest link.
 
FieroAlex said:
It is the smallest one of the bunch at 551L with the seats up, The Stinger has 660L, the Forte5 has 740L and the alltrack/gsw has 861L

I think the Crosstrek is on my list just because I like the looks and the brand when in reality it's probably my worst option. I think each of the other cars would probably be more fun to drive than the Crosstrek. I should eliminate it from my list, it is the weakest link.
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Yeah it's a bit too bad subaru decided that enthusiasts had to settle for a sedan WRX or a 2dr BRZ. Otherwise, it's either you settle for the very definition of vanilla (N/A and/or CVT) or they'll tell you to pound sand. We could do the old man yelling at clouds all day over the lack of a wrx hatch of turbo crosstrek but subaru's sale have only been going up despite killing some cool variants and ignoring a part of their fanbase. The crosstrek is definitely an outlier on your list.

To me, potentially throwing the warranty away with a tune and facing the depreciation on the Forte is a bold move. 30k for an econobox with torque steer?
I don't see what's appealing about that.

Based on what you're after, I could see the stinger being one of the best fits. You get that sunroof, no shortage of power. The hatch makes it practical and it's probably a very nice place to spend 6+ hours on the highway.

A regal Tour X could be interesting for you if you can find one. It looks like a few were imported here.

https://www.autotrader.ca/a/buick/r...=no&ursrc=hl&orup=12_15_30&pc=S4R 7R2&sprx=-1

Turbo/AWD euro DNA, spacious and comfortable. You do like oddball cars from the sounds of it lol.
 
Rombotis got an AllTrack to something like 350whp, I believe without opening the motor.

Besides the stock lack of power, it's the perfect DD.
 
FieroAlex said:
It is the smallest one of the bunch at 551L with the seats up, The Stinger has 660L, the Forte5 has 740L and the alltrack/gsw has 861L

I think the Crosstrek is on my list just because I like the looks and the brand when in reality it's probably my worst option. I think each of the other cars would probably be more fun to drive than the Crosstrek. I should eliminate it from my list, it is the weakest link.
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Le Crosstrek est vraiment juste une Impreza jackée, aucun intérêt. Une wrx hatchback (ils n'en font plus je sais) offrirait le même espace.
 
Comme la plupart des produits Coréens, ca subit un hype au début pis le monde réalise que ca reste du coréen...
 
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