I got to sit in one for awhile and the interior was decent. Did not feel like a luxury car but definitely not bad. It was definitely a big car...doesn't really compete with a 3 series.

I also got to sit in the new RS3 and that thing fit like a glove. The new A/S4 also is very impressive. I love the interior. I think the question will be, is the lux brand and interior fit finish worth the 5-10k premium over the Stinger? I hope it succeeds as competition is always good but I wouldnt put my money in it.

 

The 4Runner essentially dominates the mid-size, body-on-frame segment, but only because it has been around since the 1980s, when it was basically just a pickup with a converted camper-shell on it.

 

Quite the conundrum no doubt. I was a big fan of the optional 4.7L V8 in the 4Runner before it was dropped. It still irks me that they don't offer the 4.6L V8 which they have two options. The Tundra 4.6L V8 is rated at 310hp @ 5600 rpm and 327 lb-ft @ 3400 rpm, and the GX460 version has 301hp @ 5500 rpm and 329 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm. Now granted for a modern V8 301-310 hp is nothing. But the torque surely beats the 4Runner's 4.0L V6 278 lb-ft.

Yeah the Kia Mohave is sold in the Middle East, Central Asia, Brazil, Chile, and Russia, from the info I found online. So places where a BOF SUV can shine.

 

Essentially KIA failed at trying to ask the buying public to pay a premium for the Boreggo in the US market. Goes to show the power of the Toyota brand.....That stupid CR magazine gave the 4Runner one of the worst review scores possible, yet it the 4Runner has the highest satisfaction rate among CR subscribers.

 

It is interesting that Toyota does not offer the V8, I think it comes down to the fact that the current gen 4runner was released just after the recession, 2010 model in early 2009 , I believe Toyota held the prices in line for the current gen to help offset the crash in buyers confidence at the time. My mother sold me her V8 Limited which was $51K MSRP in 2004, her new V64Runner with some nice tech was $48K 11 years later.

 

Today's 4Runner does. It is a markedly different vehicle from what it was 30 years ago....essentially a camper-shell pickup. The real transformation came in the 1990s, when Toyota decided to get serious about its design.

We're also getting somewhat off-topic...the Stinger.

 

Just like the Boreggo. I am calling a complete FAIL.

 

Well, if you want to discuss the Borrego, open a new thread. I'll be happy to join. It was a nice BOF SUV in my book, if not the world's most sophisticated one.

 

I agree. This new Stinger has a very difficult challenge ahead of it. I think the Genesis version might work however.

 

So, owning a Toyota 4Runner which you recently posted about, seems to match you up to those very CR subscribers from the looks of it. Why else would you have kept it this long? And isn't there another Toyota in your garage, the Matrix? CR subscribers like that car too. Do you have any non-Toyota vehicles at all? Because CR sure liked those over the years, as did JD Power.

Back to the Stinger. It tops out at that spot where the others are in the mid-price range. By the time you load them up with options, you're well beyond anything Kia could come up with. This car isn't aimed at the German car consumers, but rather to introduce a younger demographic who are willing to look at this car on its merits. Remember, badge snobbery is the first thing that depreciates the minute you drive off the dealership lot, and some other guy has a better bigger brand.

 

Always liked GM since I was very young, have owned a few over my lifetime. Just can't trust them to be reliable, but you do get a huge discount which you can either roll the dice and keep the savings or put it into a repair.

As for the 4Runner, people love to mention how old and ancient the tech is and this and that. But they fail to mention how it is a satisfying vehicle to those who own them. The Matrix we have is an average car at best. The LX is a burden for the most part. My Corolla is nice for what it is again an average car at best. but cheap to maintain, insure, and operate.

And just like the Boreggo, or the K900 which is Canada, KIA still sells the 2016 model, I don't think it will work.

 

^^^ I test drove a 04 Runner with the V8 and full time AWD system a few years back. Ripoff Toyota dealership and so they were just hustling a trade in with no reconditioning on their part. A very nice car but my long legs don't do well with the low seating position, otherwise I would have bought it.

I wouldn't necessarily discount Kia too quickly here. It's going to be a niche enthusiast car. But it is a RWD platform that is currently using a 4 cylinder and a 3.3 turbo that's straight out of the G90. Now what happens if the Kia boys decide to stuff the big V8 into this car? This is what should keep the Germans and Cadillac up at nights. It's not about this model, it's about what next.

 

I wonder if Kia has said anything publicly about their projections on Stinger sales? That would be the key to determining whether or not it's a sales success. It's fun to speculate on how each person thinks it's going to sell but the real measure will be their expectations..

 

That's unfortunate for you. What did you end up buying?

Sounds like a Chevy SS to me.

 

I don't know how crow tastes but I stand behind what I said:

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/infin...t-test-review/

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/kia/s...t-test-review/

BTW, bitter much? LMAO