Stinger as Possible GS350 Replacement
 

Hey guys and gals. Today I finally took the time to spend some time at the Kia dealership with the Stinger. My GS lease is coming up and I am starting to look at my options, though I am having a terrible time coming up with other choices to consider (hate the E Class, not taken by the 5 Series, don't like Audi, etc.).

My license tabs are due on the GS in December ($700 or so) and I don't want to pay those then turn around and turn in the car a few months later, so I am thinking the time to replace the car is near.

I drove a 2018 Stinger GT2 AWD today. Red with black interior. I get the hype about this car...

The good:

- The styling is beautiful to my eyes. Very low, wide, and aggressive.
- The power. Great torque at any speed.
- The features and technology. I'd be hard pressed to name one thing that it didn't have. Seriously impressive.
- The interior was made of good quality materials and seemed roughly comparable in size to my GS. Should work for my family of 4 (kids are 4 and 7 but the Highlander does most family duty).
- The handling was fantastic.
- Real cooled seats!!
- Good cargo room.
- Great exhaust note.

The not so good:

- A lot more noisy and stiff than I am used to. Worried it will get tiring over time.
- After being spoiled by my GS 12.3" display, the 8" unit in the Stinger seemed cheap, not to mention it's a touch screen, and I hate touch screens.
- The combination of black leather, black headliner, high belt line, and dark tint made the interior pretty dark.

The deals out there are great right now. Before negotiations, current rebates and such knocked the price down from $53k to $46.5k.

So it was a fun car and probably my current top choice for my GS replacement. It'll be sad not to have a Lexus in the garage (used to have two), but that's life. I'll try to decide in the next few weeks.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...2fb06e71e.jpeg
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The 540i does have some great deals, no doubt. I've loved the 5 series for years but not that excited by them lately. Not really sure why.

I like the looks of the G80, but they weigh nearly as much as my Highlander... I want something with sportier handling than that.

There is a G80 Sport and it sounds like it's somewhat similar to the Stinger in terms of performance, maybe a little more luxury oriented. According to a Genesis forum I visit now and then Genesis inventories are kind of limited until they get their dealerships in place and up and running.

I've never driven one, but I sat in one at the Philadelphia Auto Show. I would think one of the bigger issues is that the interior would definitely be a step down from the GS (the sea of black aside). I suppose you could forego the hatch, and also consider the Genesis G70?

You might want to PM corradoMR2 and get his take.....he owns one. Also, I did a full-review on a turbo-four version some time ago, if it will help any.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...a-stinger.html



IMO it's hard to beat the material quality of Korean-designed vehicles today. They are, essentially, providing the type of quality today that we saw from Honda and Acura back in the 1980s, when they led the industry in material quality.

That's why I drive a Lacrosse...I don't like noisy, stiff cars, either.

Seriously, if you like the car, go for it, and don't worry about whether it has an "L" on the grille or not. Probably half of the people here in Car Chat (even moderators) do not drive Lexus products.

I don't know. I am not a brand snob by any means, but at the end of the day, you will still own a $50,000 KIA. That just sounds weird. I know the kia and hyundai lineups have come a long way since the 90's, but at the end of the day, its still a Kia. Kind of like driving a Neon SRT-4 is still...driving a neon.

I'm not quite sure I follow. :uh: If we're going to talk about nameplates, how is that any different from a 50-60K F-150 King Ranch or Ram 1500 Longhorn/Southfork? Either way, you still are paying that kind of money for a Ford or a Dodge (which the Ram nameplate split off from). The Dodge Hellcat and Demon muscle-cars can also run that much, or more. So......why would it be any different for a Kia?

Have you given up on buying out the lease and keeping your GS?

I would find the refined interior and ride hard to give up.

Your Highlander's central screen is smaller than the GS' screen and it is also a touchscreen. I guess the question is if you could get used to it if you had 2 similar screens in your driveway.

Are there no other colour choices? These (all-black interior plus high beltline) would personally be deal-breakers for me, but could you get used to it?

Yeah, I don't really care about that. I'm fine with the Kia badge.

I wouldn't actually be against this, but I am severely upside down on it, so my buyout is close to $35k and the blue book is around $29k. It's just not a smart decision, though otherwise I'd be fine with this approach.

The ride may indeed be hard to lose, but there are clear tradeoffs. The Kia interior was fine for me, and had a ton of tech my GS does not have. Lots to think about.

Not a deal breaker by any means, but you touched on the one thing I do not like about my Highlander.

They do have the red interior, but I like the red exterior so that is limited to the black interior. My GS interior is black with a black headliner, and it bothered me at first but then I got over it. I suspect I'd adjust to the Stinger as well.

Thanks for the comments, everyone.

Pick the car that best fits you - at the end of the day - you are the one paying the payments. :D

But - question - why do you hate the E-Class and Audi? I think the E-Class and the Audi A4, A5 Sportback and the 2019 A6 should be considered. They are beautiful cars.
For the price of a KIA Stinger GT2 AWD, you can get an Audi A4 Prestige Quattro with everything on it. The trade off is, I guess, is do you want more performance or more luxury?

I'd lease another GS. I find the refinement, interior, luxury, and dealer experience to be tops.

Yeah, but then I'd have a whole new list of "not so good". :D I respect the G90 very much, but it's really not the type of car that interests me.

I don't like the E Class because I don't want to pay $65k for a 4 cylinder, especially on a car that I find to be unattractive (gasp! I know, but I do not like Mercedes sedan styling).

As far as Audi is concerned, nothing really against them, but styling-wise they do nothing to make me excited. I find them to be very bland. I think they drive well but they're still very front heavy. There are other cars I'd choose first.

I really do love the GS. However, the attractive lease programs that were in place when I got mine are no longer available, so I'd end up paying more than I am now for basically the same car. That seems a bit hard for me to justify.

I think I just like that the Stinger is very different from anything I've owned before. A change could be fun. I could lease a Stinger for a few years, and by then perhaps Lexus will once again offer what I am looking for.

I agree with you on the 65K for a 4 cylinder part. But that's the sad reality of today's automotive world - where everyone is using turbo tech to make better EPA/MPGs. Similarity - the 530i is a 60K+ 4 cylinder as well. Plus the 330i being a near 60K 4 cylinder too.

Ahh. Point taken. My favorite thing about Audi designs are the lights. They do make some of the best light design in the business. But I agree - they are sorta of like Porsche and BMW - they don't really have "exciting" styling. I refer to Audi, BMW, and Porsche designs as sort of like a "suit & tie". They are changing the suit and tie every generation but its still a suit and a tie. Its just "evolutionary" to their previous design - not changing.

Have you considered any of the Genesis vehicles? Or maybe a Infiniti Q50 Red Sport?

I wouldn't sleep on the G80. Even the luxury-minded 5.0 I drove had pretty good handling. Not as agile as the IS, naturally, but also better than I would have thought given how nose-heavy and, well, regular-heavy it is. :)

To be fair, one of the first cars I plan to test-drive when my lease is up is also the Stinger. I keep hearing mixed reviews on the "stiffness". Some say it's rather comfy, others say too stiff. Idk, I'll find out myself I guess.

I may check out the Q50, as I hear they are offering killer deals on them, but I'm not too sure they are for me. As for Genesis, I don't want to go any smaller than the Stinger, so the G70 is out. Not interested in the G90, so that leaves the G80. I like the styling, but feel like it's getting long in the tooth, though I'd be willing to check out the sport version.

Good feedback on the G80, thanks.

I was a bit surprised by the stiffness of the Stinger, but I can't say it wasn't fun. Our roads around here tend to be pretty good so I'm not too worried about it. It's just stiffer than what I am used to.

The Q50 Red Sport does have killer dealers. I checked out some Q50 Red Sports with my friend before when he was car shopping. You can easily get 10K off MSRP if purchasing and lease options are in the $300s/per month. Its insane. Even if you think its not for you, test drive one and see how you like it. The acceleration is killer and tune potential is high.

I personally don't think the G80 is long in the tooth at all. Long in the tooth is if the car is 3-4 years old after the mid-cycle refresh. The Genesis G80 only refreshed in 2017.
The G80 started its life as a Hyundai Genesis as a 2015 Model Year. It got renamed and refreshed for the 2017 Model Year.
Essentially - if you buy a G80 today, the car is only "1-2" years old from the refresh point. And "3" years old from the introduction point. This car has at least 2-3 years left to go in its life cycle before a major redesign hits it - by the time that happens - your lease would be over. I would still encourage you to give the G80 a shot. And this is coming from someone that is not 100% high on Hyundai and Genesis too but I give credit where credit is due.
The Genesis G80, for its price, its a huge bargain. You'll be getting more luxury than the Stinger for roughly the same price.

I agree, the Genesis G80 will be long in the tooth, only if you buy the 2020/2021 Genesis G80 because by that time - it'll closing in on the redesign.

Seems like Genesis inventory is low. I cannot find a G80 Sport within even a 500 miles radius.

Not even a used one? A lightly used one is a steal right now. However if you are looking to lease, yeah I would try and find a new one.

There are several used Sports in my area.

Not even a used one. That doesn't surprise me terribly, since I believe the Sport didn't become available until MY2017, but I would have expected some new ones around.

Not one? Check Turo - see if you can rent a G80 Sport for a day just to see if you like it.

Or worst case - test drive a regular G80 and then order a G80 Sport.

I spent some time today further investigating the G80 and the Stinger. I really like them both but am leaning toward the Stinger. I am just in the mood for something really different, and I feel like I'll get that more with the Stinger than the G80, which will be more like my GS.

Talked to a couple dealers today and the poor value of the GS versus the buyout is making the deal more expensive than I would like. I have 6 months left on the GS lease so I think I'll suck it up, pay license tabs, and try to put this on pause until the spring.

Yeah. The G80 and Stinger seems to be hope very good options. The way I see it is - one is a bargain for luxury while the other is bargain for performance.

But definitely - its up to you. Either choice - is not a wrong choice - in my opinion. However - when spring comes and they happen to have a G80 in your area - check it out. You don't want to get the Stinger and then regret not trying the G80. :)

Not sure what current deals are, but for awhile Kia was offering anywhere from 5-8k off in lease cash. So what a lot of people were/are doing was taking the lease cash deal and immediately buying it out. I would check the Stinger forums as there are PAGES on how to do this. I personally didn't go that route when I purchased mine over the summer, but my deal was also pretty good.

Unless something has drastically changed, you won't ever beat an Infiniti deal on the Stinger. Those are firesale prices on the Q50! But it's hard not to consider it.

Red exterior and interior is out there BUT is ridiculously rare. May have to scour the nation for that combo.

Some find the suspension too firm, others to soft. I think it's fine except for the occasional rear end float that may or may not bother you. Play with the suspension adjustments and see what u prefer and if comfort setting smoothes it out for you.

I personally bought it because the looks grabbed me and it has literally everything I'd want in a daily driver. Tech, power, decent fuel efficiency, utility with the hatchback, and AWD for when the weather turns. Couldn't have picked a better car for my needs.

Thanks, I was hoping you'd chime in. I'm getting really excited with the thought. I really enjoyed the test drive. I will definitely check out the Stinger forums.

Thanks for the input.

And that's what people said about Lexus in 1990--a $40K Toyota.

Well, that works well when you are comparing Kias to Hondas, Toyotas and Nissans, but I'm not sure I'm ready to say that the Stinger's interior is on par with a GS.

That's a different situation than the KIA Stinger though. Your statement only works is if he was referring to Genesis being a 40K Hyundai.

In the 89, Toyota started a new brand called Lexus in order at an attempt to create luxury cars.

However - KIA isn't trying to make luxury cars. The KIA Stinger - is still a KIA at the end of the day. The same company that makes a KIA Rio that's 13K. That's the difference.

Note: I'm not one to badge snob as well. I love the Stinger and love how it drives. I test drove one when it came out. But I can't personally stomach buying a KIA for 50K.

The Stinger's interior is obviously not as rich-looking or luxurious as that of a GS (nor is it intended to be). But I was refering to the quality and solidity of interior materials, where, IMO, the Korean manufacturers, particularly Genesis, set the standard today. And, yes, I say that as a GM fan....GM does a lot of things well, but IMO the Koreans (and Opel) do material quality the best. Of course, if you disagree, I respect your opinion.