KIA's Biggest Mistake? Why The Brilliant Stinger Has Been A Sales Disaster 

To this day I'm a saloon guy, I'll never buy a SUV, crossover etc. with my own money. Quite simply, the best looking Kia so far.

Sales disaster in my book means in a few years, it is an affordable bargain for a very good car :)

They sold 16,000 Kia stingers in USA for year 2019. That's a solid number for a brand new car In a segment Kia has never been in before.

Bought the 2020. Don’t care what others buy, she’s a fun ride.

I'd have a Kia Stinger in a heartbeat. But there's a reason I drive a 2006 Volvo S60. It's because £4000 is less than £30000. And that's all I could afford when I bought it.

im absolutely sure that the brand image still plays a big role in this class of cars. people who are in the market for a car like this will want to have the image.

Simple reason we live in a world where people are obsessed with brands and the snobbery is real

As a Yank, I love this review in the English Country Side, and on wet roads. This is my retirement goal car. Excellent, fair, and extensive review. One of the best that I’ve seen thus far for fairness. Good on you Dude!

The fact that a Kia gets compared to Jags, Mercs and BMWs alone is amazing in my opinion.

*not enough promotion. no one knows it exists lol meanwhile, audi bmw and merc ads are spammed everywhere.

Super review my friend. All the infos you need and want. Glad I found this channel.

I own one and love driving it.... (I'm still in shock because I am a mustang guy at heart which in my opinion just shows how amazing of a job Kia did.)

I researched this car in depth and almost bought one. It's simply one of the best cars out there and is an undiscovered gem. It all comes down to two things, (1) people don't respect the Kia badge at this price point and (2) people aren't buying sedans. I found 30 loaded new Stingers for 20% off MSRP within driving distance, sadly it wasn't what we ended up buying due to space/children needs, but for the price especially considering the dealerships are giving deep discounts this is a miracle car. Go drive one and you'll be shocked.

As soon as the 3.3 V6 was 1p over the £40k luxury tax it was doomed. Same is happening to the Ford Mustang V8.

I've owned my GT2 in Hawaii now for several months.... and I gotta say.... this car, at this price point, is amazing. Also, what a lot of reviewers don't cover..... is Kia's 10 year 100,000 mile warranty, which is incredible.

I own a Stinger GT2 in the USA, the wife has a Kia Telluride (SUV) for driving to work/soccer mom duties. She loves her car, and to be honest, I don't mind driving the Telluride either. Put it into the sport driving mode option, and it's got surprising amounts of grip, and far less body roll than you'd expect from an SUV. It's fully specced and has almost every creature comfort you can possibly think of. I used to dislike pretty much all SUVs, but the Telluride changed my mind to that of "they don't all suck". Anyway, so where I'm going with this is that whenever we head out as a family, we have the option of taking either the Stinger or the Telluride. She prefers that I drive, but which of them I drive doesn't personally bother me. Time and time again, she suggests that we take the Stinger, because in her own words, it's smoother, more comfortable, and eats miles like candy. Despite not being as tall, the Stinger still offers a commanding presence on the road by sheer virtue of its power allowing it to be placed wherever the heck it damn well wants to be, and we can fit an awful lot in the rear trunk area before having to resort to using the larger 3-row Telluride SUV. Kia built an amazing car in the Stinger (that also applies to the Telluride too, but for very different reasons). The Stinger is a truly versatile do-it-all machine that challenges the notion that a family "needs" an SUV for family duties, and like the reviewer here says, it's just as capable of driving grandmothers around in comfort as it is bringing out the 18yo hooligan in you as soon as she gets out, before changing roles to a versatile family sedan/daily driver after you're done having fun, but can still be loaded up for a cross-country road-trip in luxury comfort come vacation time. Very few cars offer the broad "many hats" capability that the Stinger offers, and pretty much none at its price point (when new). Personally, I think the main reason for the low sales is sheer badge snobbery. For family daily drivers, people are far less choosy about the badges on the car. Most families just want something, cheap, reliable, and something that will get them from A to B, and not cost a ton to insure and miserly sips at fuel. The Stinger is more than that. It offers a taste of sporting luxury that does cost a fair chunk more than a typical family car, so it naturally falls into the "upmarket" section of the market, and sadly to this day, that lands it smack in the middle of brand snob territory. Here, people would much rather buy a second hand German car for the badge, than spring for the same money for a new car with a Kia badge on it. I reckon they don't know what they're missing out on, but that won't help Kia sell more of them.

Another great video that not just covers the car in sufficient detail but also tries to paint the bigger picture around it. Keep up the good work, sir.

I think it's main goal is to establish KIA as a brand, and it's definitely succeeded. Apart from that a really good car.

I agree with everything he said here. I've got over 40 000 km's on my 2019 now and I absolutely love it. I traded in a 2015 mercedes C400 for this and have absolutely no regrets.

Bought a 2019 Stinger GT1 - love the car - it gets a compliment EVERY time i go to the gas station. If you people like this car - buy one.

You are about the only car youtuber I don't skip videos on now. Nice work jayyemm

We went into my local dealer in Birmingham, and they told me that they didn't sell the Kia stinger from new and didn't have any second hand stock. Doesn't help if the dealers don't have them!

It's so nice to see a review for something other than the usual that will get lots of youtube hits. Thanks for putting this out, I really love your channel.

Really grown to love this channel, all ways interesting, honest, knowledgeable, doesn't take himself to seriously. Really Seems like a genuine nice chap.

@JayEmm I saw your McLaren videos. As someone that used to work for the firm in Woking years ago I am absolutely horrified at what the company has become. When we were doing the F1 Ron Dennis and Gordon Murray would not have allowed such shoddy practices. I was proud to work for the company.

i LOVE this style of car reviews, keep up the hustle!

Thanks for the information. I’ll Be looking at these used and certified in the future. Best Buy’s are after deprecation. I sold cars for 20 years, learned a lot!

Just picked up a 2020 Stinger GT Limited (Canadian) in January and found your video now. I feel a lot of the same things mentioned in this video and stand by your comment that if people haven't driven one yet they need to. As a daily driver it is a dream to drive. My parents think its a comfortable vehicle styled for a professional,but when you turn that knob to sport mode, it wants to get rowdy! An amazing machine by an underrated company. Great video! Keep up the good work!

Your reviews are getting better and better. Your commentary, the footage, the editing. Great content! Thank you!

Another year and i'll be looking for a cheap V6 Stinger as a daily. 2018 GT1's are already under $30k USD all day. This will be a steal of a sport sedan for $25k very soon for those of us that aren't bothered by the badge.

Got 18 GT2 AWD, absolutely love it. This car made me a fan of Korean cars now. This car is butter smooth and gorgeous to look at.

why did i get the feeling that this channel gonna be my favorite car review channel after top gear?

I've had mine for a year and I love it, I get compliments everywhere I go.

I found your channel thanks to your videos about your friends experiences with McLaren and I boy am I glad you do reviews as well. Well thought out, detailed insights and you aren't a 'lad' reviewer basing opinions on how many birds you'd pick up down the local maccy Ds on a saturday night. Subbed.

New to your channel. Love it. Thanks very much for sharing your knowledge. A big inspiration.

Got my base Stinger, last June, and I love every minute of it!!!

Europe gt sells very well .... Excellent premium car .. Design, interior, power, price ...

owned my stinger for 2 years. It's absolutely awesome. The problem for Europe is that the import taxes and the on top VAT, makes the car extra expensive. From where I live, it costs the same as a bare bones 320i. In Europe, it costs between a 330i and a 340i. Plus, there's just a lot of badge snobs and of course they compare the fully optioned Stinger GT vs a bare bones European equivalent. I'm much happy with my Stinger gt that I know I can drive the heck out of it for centuries and the warranty would still be there, unlike my last BMW which puked its guts out every year since the 3rd year of ownership

7 year warranty here in Australia... Have had my GT now for 8 months... fantastic ride and believe it or not.. they are popping up everywhere now!

Great video. Balanced and fair. I have a 2019 UK Stinger GTS and absolutely love it. I think you have hit the nail on the head in terms of rarity adding to the ownership experience. I am asked about the car every third trip! Keep up the good work Jay.

I've just finished 3 year lease on a Kia ceed Gt. The unknown hottish hatch. It was awesome, really well made, fab equipment level, drove great, looked great. Best of all it was cheap too!

Just got back from a customer here in Germany who drives a Stinger. He’s the CEO of the company and drove BMW before...he loves the car.

Not only do I thoroughly enjoy your views and many opinions with respect to cars, I actually read the comments too. I don't usually do this. I really like how you also educate with your opinions, aspects which I never thought I didn't know or realised I need to know. Thanks.

I live my 2018 gt2 stinger. One of my favorite cars I've ever owned

What a tool, looks so well planted and nicely screwed together, it's just the badge that's the stinger, if it doesn't start with an A B M OR P it's out.....that's just the way it is. Great vid J really nicely done.

Great videos mate , I’ve been following your channel for a long time and I love hearing your sophisticated in depth reviews. I would love to see a “series” of best sports cars for under £5000 (example)

Excellent review. I picked mine up a week ago here in Australia and it is amazing. Six years ago I had a Merc which cost me more than I paid for my Stinger. The Merc was a fantastic vehicle. If I were to buy the same model of Merc today and option it up with what the Stinger has as standard equipment, it would cost a fortune. I am not sure there is any other equivalent car in Australia that has the same build quality, standard equipment, warranty and performance for the price.

Love my Stinger, best car I’ve owned.

Bought a black GT2 in July 2019. Best decision ever. Kia South Africa made a few mods on mine. Sounds and drives even better.

Great review and love the car. Almost bought one actually, but it was the gearbox (reverts to auto when you don’t want it to), the dull exhaust (needs something more special on the V6) and at the time NO discounts at all which put me off. Hopefully the facelift rectifies these minor issues...

My 14 Optima has 170000 miles. Just yesterday I was on the interstate cruising at 85mph with no hands on the wheel. Straight as an arrow. Smooth as it was new.

The aftermarket has recently exploded, watch this model take off. Glad I got one!

I can tell you what held me back from buying one here in the states, the dealership, when you are spending $50k + on a car it's not a necessity and KIA dealerships (at least here) can't wrap their heads around that, they had the same issue when I went to look at a K900, great car, horrible dealership experience. Yes KIA puts out some great cars, give the Telluride the Stinger engine and I will buy one tomorrow and put up with the dealership, but that is the exception.

My Stinger turns heads and get compliments every where I go. (Rare) Love to see people throttle pass me on the highway just to get a glimpse of what it can do. I recommend it. At 37k for a GT1; it’s a steal. Now I’m eyeing that Genesis GV80. I’ve been an under dog all my life so I respect when under dogs make a stand. The Kia stinger is an under dog.

Jumped out of a Mercedes and into a Stinger and never looked back. This car has single handedly changed my perception not just of Kia, but also of those expensive over-rated and over-priced Euro brands.

Brilliant review and insights. Hear, hear! Well said, JayEmm!

Only reason I didn’t consider one is the lack of a manual option. Also ‘coupaloon’ is my new favourite word.

I think what really hurt Alfa was their reputation regarding reliability.

Its a fastback... And I personally prefer analog dials as long as they arent red and blue ☺ Lovely review, loved how you worded driving experience without reading spec sheet.

I've had my GT2 for nearly two years now and I still love it.

2019 Black GT2 Singer, red leather here.... love this car! In years to come... this will be one of those sought after cars.

I almost bought a Stinger GT last summer, but when it became apparent that they would not give me a discount when paying cash as they would if I took out a loan, I told them to shove it. In other words I was being penalized $2750 dollars for paying cash, (not a check but dollars). The salesman was adamant about selling me the car because he came outside while we exited the building pleading the whole way, such that I had to tell him to back off. Then when he stuck his head in my car through the open riders door preventing my other half from getting in, I told him to get out of face and out of my car. Then I went home and called other Kia dealers in the San Diego area. They all were doing the very same thing of charging an extra $2750 to anyone paying cash. I knew then that Kia was in with the banks at our expense. That kind of salesmanship while trying to screw a buyer, is part of the reason Kia was having problems with selling their GT automobiles. So I went out and bought a Jeep instead.

Not sure about the situation in the UK, but it's done pretty well in the US. Nearly 17,000 units sold in 2018, and under 14,000 in 2019. I see them quite a bit here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Kia didn't expect this to be a huge sales hit; it was basically an investment into changing Kia's image over time as a great alternative to other brands perceived as more prestigious than Kia.

Thanks mate I like to get the GT2 AWD so nice to here you enjoy the ride God Bless you patriot

Bought one of the first in Australia, now had it 2-1/2 years. Just brilliant. Best car I have owned, and I've had some nice Euros. And to date, NOTHING has gone wrong with it. Nothing. Surely a future classic, especially if there are so few around? But definitely not the car for badge snobs.

I’ve had mine for two year. Absolutely love it.

Awesome video James, I bloody love these too and have only ever seen a couple. I also think it's a very handsome car and I'm impressed Kia built something this good!

Might be 6k service interval, but the service cost is cheaper than anybody else. The longer service interval on German cars also helps the wearing out process - planned obsolescence.

Just Ordered my 2nd Stinger GTS (Being Built Now) for delivery in March, absolutely love this car, very true that it is rare, It does get a lot of attention everywhere I go. Excellent review.

People buy badges, they don’t know about cars.

Love the 80s era outtro. I know it's your usual ending but it's especially appropriate for a car that evokes the analog era (in a good way).

Hi Jay great video …ownership of any car is so personal. I really recently bought a Lexus 430 sc for the summer and several foreign trips it bloody fantastic yes isn’t the fastest it doesn’t handle …but living in Bournemouth the roof is always coming down . Great Channel

I have a GT Stinger and our police force has them as well in Australia. I recommend it to anyone for its value for $$$$. Great car all round.

Great review and great car. Seen only one or 2 out and about. Hope to drive one someday. I think a lot of is to do with badge snobs.

Who is ELFL!!? That ending music is awesome!!! Please upload complete version 😃

Amongst every other detail that sets this car apart, I also like how you get a full 3-way audio setup front and rear - presumably with a subwoofer - as standard

My coworker has one, very nice car can’t complain with the turbo either. I usually wouldn’t buy a Kia but it looks like a good daily driver.

Coupaloon - my new word of the day :)

Only one thing hindered the sales of this masterpiece, the KIA badge.

The problem is perceived lack of status. People buy status rather than objectively selecting the optimum driving solution.

Where I am the Stinger costs about the same as a Mustang GT, it has increased my opinion of Kia so they should keep making it and eventually they will get a following.

well... in australia... 70 grand is what went wrong for the TT v6. the only people realistically looking at Kia are those who want a cheap rear drive sports sedan. You won't get BMW or Merc or Audi customers because of the badge. It does not matter HOW GOOD it is. If they want to break into that market they need to get some out at a more reasonable price, even if it means cutting interior stuff. just want rear drive and power. Once they establish themselves, THEN take on BMW, etc. But you simply aren't going to do that out of the box.

Got one in 2019, though the GDI 2.0T fully packed GT-Line (in Russia) and absolutely enjoying it. In plan Stage 1.5 upgrade to ~310bhp/420Nm.

Have mine a year and a half, love it. 2018 GT1 AWD. Don’t know anything about any maintenance every 6K miles, never heard of it.

I want one of these in a stealthy colour, do a few performance mods get it up 400hp at least, it would be a true sleeper.

One childhood!! Love it!

30 Grand on a second hand KIA I think you have your answer right there buddy....

Lowers the R.P.M. at stop lights also .There's options to upgrade estitics , also !Great car for the mid-range buyer's.

Limited production with high demand: they will sell it in the markets where they make the most money per unit, not where margins are tighter.

For the Australian market at least, it needed less Korean bling styling and a supercharged small capacity V8.

Great review & right on! I have a 2019 GT1, RWD and it exceeds my expectations. Wouldn't change it. Not sure why it's not selling other than people want SUV'S now & they can have em.

I love your reviews they are very Organic easy to watch.

I think the name spoils it great looking car if you could spec it with a standard bonnet

Because the ttv6 engine version is at $40000+ USD, that BMW money already. You get a 460HP v8 base Mustang for $36,000 USD. $40K for premium.

In Canada I see them every now n then I absolutely adore it!! I'd love to be in one its so underrated only sold 3485 units in Canada from 2017 till now.. unfortunately, it has not been marketed on the silver screen much much I'll definitely get it as my next car as I currently drive a Mazda 3 2014 thats all i could afford as a first car

Love it..got my eye on it. Worth gettin rid of my cla 220d shooting brake?

My husband and I have a Stinger and absolutely love it! Really a fantastic car.

I love my Stinger. Can't think of a car I've more enjoyed owning

I see a lot of these in Australia. Sporty rwd sedans are very popular over here and since the local Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore have halted production the Stinger has pretty much had the market niche to itself.

Have had my Stinger for a year now, love it!