Comments by "Stephen Hendricks" (@stephenhendricks103) on "" video.
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Excellent review, Brian! One very small nit and a few comments. It's a shame that Canadians don't have the option of the base GT-Line with the replacement of the 2.0L turbo with the ubiquitous 2.5L turbo. The GT trims are admittedly a bargain compared to European rivals but the GT-Line makes a strong case as well as an alternative to the KIA K5 GT and the Sonata N-Line, each fitted with the same 2.5L turbo engine. At around $38,000 USD for the fully loaded RWD version and a tad over $40,000 MSRP for AWD, the base Stinger is a screaming bargain with a small premium over the K5 and Sonata, neither of which offer either RWD or AWD and a far less premium interior. Assuming KIA's own numbers for 0-60 times, the 2.5 L turbo version reduces the 0-60 time by over a second (6.4 vs 5.2) compared to the previous engine and slices the difference between the GT-Line and the GT models with the twin turbo V6 to about half a second. Considering that a fully loaded GT2 Stinger has an MSRP of well over $12,000 more than the GT-Line the latter is tremendously tempting.
My only nit is the reference to the Stinger as a "sports sedan." That's certainly an appropriate label for the Genesis G70 built on the same platform but I think the Stinger (in all its trim levels) comes closer to the European conception of a Gran Turismo rather than a sport sedan. Somewhat larger than benchmark sport sedans and designed for comfortable high speed travel for up to 4 passengers for hours at a time over meticulously maintained highways as well as twisting backroads originally laid down two millennia ago by the Romans, the Stinger qualifies as a true GT. We Americans can't legally (or safely) take full advantage of the triple digit cruising a true GT offers but now and then on a lightly traveled highway in places like Montana the KIA's capabilities can be enjoyed.
As far as competitors are concerned I'd note the VW Arteon as an alternative to the GT-Line Stinger. And as an owner of both a VW GTI and a KIA Sorento I'm currently considering those two highly versatile "liftback" sedans as my teenage daughter looks hungrily at my GTI. (Can't imagine losing the GTI from the family. It would be like selling the family dog.) The two vehicles are virtually the same price (with discounts offered on the Arteon). And virtually the same length with a slightly longer wheelbase in the KIA. Rear seat room and cargo space, on the other hand, is more generous in the Arteon. While the on-paper HP and torque figures favor the Stinger, a Stage 1 ECU tune for the awesome EA888 VW engine virtually eliminates that advantage. Overall, the VW's interior is more upscale and the Arteon feels a bit "tighter" and well put together than the Stinger but the difference is slight, at best and may say more about my familiarity of the "feel" of a VW than a KIA sedan. The Stinger has a more "sporty" vibe but the Arteon is more elegant to my eye. In any case, it's a tough choice and I'm on the fence.
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