Kia Stinger 2019 review 

I did test drive this car. Great value for the price. The front looks like a BMW, designed by German engineers after all. Best Kia car ever in my opinion

Great review Tom...one of your best. There was an elephant in the room (gearbox) and you didn't shy away from it...well done👍

With the SUV craze, the Stinger sales in the U.S. aren’t what they would have been 10 years ago. The hatchback size is great as well.

I bought a 2019 Stinger GT2 and I get so many looks driving it blows me away! This car is freaking fun to drive! I wouldn’t sell it for $10,000 more than I bought it for especially since you can’t find a Ceramic Silver GT2 anywhere right now!

Very confident and precise review, well done Tom. You have matured and evolved into a very talented car reviewer, thank you for sharing your gift 👍

This car beats mustangs and rivals 300 SRTs Props to Kia for having the brains and guts to produce this badass car.

Interesting on the transmission. I have a US spec GT1 with the cable shifter. I have a manual gate which keeps it in manual. If it’s in drive and sports mode, it won’t revert back to drive unless I hold the right paddle down or come to a complete stop. If traction control is off, it also won’t upshift for you and you can bounce off the limiter. It’s all just tcu programming, their must be a way to get the same programming in the Aussie cars.

I know it's an effect of LEDs on camera but the pulsing lights look cool

Another great review Tom thank you 😊 This is one Kia that I would be very happy to park in my garage

This silver stinger looks so nice

I have one and I love it other than mine is a awd

I forgot Australia has a different weather pattern than we Northerners at Canada

I own a Stinger GT2 in the US except mine is AWD and it does not appear to have the issues you are talking about. Mine likes to stay in a decent rev range when slowing down but knows to keep it in a high gear when I'm not driving like a. He didn't say in the video but all the power does make you want to put the hammer down on a regular basis. A heavily modded Stinger with AWD can get 0-60 times in under 4 seconds. Tork Motorsports just did it today :）

I need to admit ... Kia did a marvelous job that car world hate to admit... Guys do you have any info on the weight balance? Does this car have 50/50 weight distribution?

Good review. I got a GT TT RWd and it’s actually quite a fun and lively car. Can’t wait to see what comes in future models. I’ve heard the 5 litre Hyundai V8 in a twin turbo version could be on the cards👀. That would be a serious ride.

Love the view from the front. Things seem to be jammed in there. Very nice!

Don't listen to this guy try it yourself. I'd rather have a manual, but I would totally disagree about his assessment of the automatic. I find it to be excellent. By comparison my last car was a 2015 GTI which had a 6 spd dsg. In normal mode that car was always in too high a gear lugging the engine and in sport mode would annoyingly over rev the engine. The Stinger doesn't do that at all. If I am on a twisty road in sport mode it down shifts when you are braking into a corner and doesn't hold the gear too long coming out of it. I do agree go for the V6 and don't be scared away by the price at least in the USA. I got 3K off competitive cash back and 2.5K off financing cash back from KIA and 5.5K off dealer discount so a 49,030 MSRP ended up being 38,030 which is a fantastic deal

The transmission issue highlights the fact the Australian performance sedans were born from motor racing. The Kia was recently admitted to being a brand building exercise and may not even be followed up with a successor.

The aircon at the back you can change the temperature and make it weaker and stronger

wow i finally see a silver GT stinger like mine in a review :). I am yet to see another silver one in real life though haha

love our 2020 gt line w/sun and sound....only a 2 l4 turbo but fast enough ....thx

Excellent review!

You really should talk about the spare tyre for every car review you do in Australia. This car should have an option for a full-size spare but I think it’s only a skinny one

Excellent and detailed review. From what I understand the gearbox is a ZF. If that is the case then the complaints you have are the same complaints I have with my FG G6E. I hate this box! I find it to be confused and just not sure which gear to go into. Going around corners is a major problem. Whilst they are obviously different cars and gearboxes, it sounds like an issue with ZF.

The Kia Stinger is a carbon copy of crafty German engineering. Well the entire Kia fleet will be better off with the current German engineers working with this South Korean company. Good luck!

Did not drop in Aus because of the auto nanny and the build quality. That aside no manual

Great review. Good pick up on the gearbox as well. I tested it and found the same annoying drawback. All in all a good solid car.

This is the best color 😍

Did they change something because I've got a 2020 GT2 and in sport mode I swear it doesn't upshift on it's own.

Name explains it all❤️

Kia will not address the gearbox so called issue. 6 or 8 speed auto is good but as you said, you can't drive it on manual mode. It does not allow you to hold the gears. And it does not choose the right low gear when cruising or coming out of a corner because apparently kia stated that they promote safe driving and the health of the transmission etc etc which is just BS ofcourse. Any kia owner can vouch for this about the transmission issue. Ain't a big deal but slightly annoying. I also found that all kia cars and suv etc claim that they tuned the suspension for Australia. Nonsense. Kia cars ride smooth on smooth roads yes but any other mildly uneven surface and you feel and hear a loud thud. I felt as if I broke something underneath one day and my speed was around 20 kms per hour over an unavoidable small pot hole. So transmission and suspension require addressing otherwise kia is as strong as a Hilux ! So to speak. When I bought mine, people said that I will have paint peeling, interior parts breaking and engine trouble. I say no to that now. Had my kia for almost 5 years, still as new ! No faults no dramas. Happy as a hippo lol !

I took the the GT for a test drive a few days back, and i noticed that it did indeed love to stay in higher gears. I also noticed the use of cheap plastics on the doors and for the price Kia is asking for it it's not worth it to be honest. It's a Decent car just, needs a little more updates to make it a Great car.A manual option would be a good start and using the soft leather in places where they use the cheap hard plastic. It drives pretty good and the harder bumps are lapped up in comfort mode. The vision in the drives seat is one of the worst I've seen from any car, head checks are useless and you have the door pillar in the way (I'm 6'2) and you do really see much out of the rear view mirror, just like the crappy new commodore. It's why i think i will buy a sub 20kms SS V Redline manual that has the same 7 year warranty, more space, decent interior and a car that i can fit in at a much lower price. Never thought i would buy a commodore in my life time( My daily at the moment is a XR8 Sprint that i want to keep the kms low on)

Thanks for the review. Maybe they'll get the slushbox sorted out next time.

Every time I watch something about cars.Honda Ad pop up

Where it is really at is the AWD! It's a beast especially with launch control

no shot of the boot?? You just talk about it?

Good review thanks

Kept comparing to the Chev V8 but no parallels drawn with the Ford Barra Turbo?

Nice review, i enjoyed it. I have a GT2 here in US, and the automatic 8 speed is pretty darn good in my opinion. even in daily drive where i am just doing 20 percent throttle, it moves the car in a sweet way. probably only thing in the review that i disagree with you. it shifts fast, smooth and dead on for me.

how about long term? materials? reliability? will you buy one for yourself?

Yeah I’m with you mate you gotta have a big Donk

Good Review of the car and yes it's a little bit noisy to my likings. Nevertheless it is a very good car indeed for its price.

Got one great car. ❤

Interested on how it will compete against the Genesis G70 when released same engine higher spec interior etc I think thr G70 might have its measure

Pick in 2020 manual sedan without m3. Being under $100.000

Coupe, Coupe, Coupe!!!!

But does the paint stay on this one?

Can'f afford it now, but I will pick up a used one in a few years.. thanks for the review

Which color is this?

Kia Carnival Platium 3.3petro please (silver)

Australia in love with Camador alot; stinger outperformed in every aspect, every catagory compared to it and he states "NOT as refined as Camador". come on.

"the paddle shifters go back to automatic mode after 10 seconds" Bro I have a Stinger PUT IT IN SPORT MODE AND UNLESS YOU COME TO A FULL STOP ITLL STAY IN MANUAL 24/7 why are you paddle shifting not in sport mode?

I'll wait till 2021 to get one of these used for 30k

Hey Tom. Can you try to start a trend among motoring journalists to use refillable drink bottles of varying sizes to demonstrate the storage in a car rather than plastic bottles? We can't recycle those things at the rate we're producing and using them. I think 20% of plastic water bottles are bought by motoring journalists to shove in door bins though I could be slightly overstating that figure. In any case, be part of the solution. What do you say?

Why did you say that the rear seats don't fold down?

A very good car, but in the segment there are better cars like the 2019 BMW 3series or the alfa romeo giulia

Please someone tell me the name of color of this car

I thought the bottom of the range stinger had a fake leather interior? not cloth

Is this up near Wiseman's?

Whats the location of the review

This thing cost more than a Golf R put that in perspective. This car cost $60,790 drive away. Where as a Golf R cost $57,290 here in NSW.

Kia were to late to the Australian Party I'm afraid, modern cars have moved on a fair way from this old large RWD Sedan/Hatch.

Noooo Tom, wheres the Omega

I am not going to pay over $50,000 for a road noise car. That noise would be very annoying.

Shit subjective review. this car is better than any Holden, ford, ever made, do a track day. Better customer service, better warrenty, more reliable, and cheap for what you get.

Kinda pricey

Automatic only? Sorry mate I’ll apply elsewhere 😝

Bad car

Aren't you a bit late to this party?

Ensconced! Say it again! I'm getting a chubby!

It's a kia. Get over it. Shit gearbox shit paint jobs. Doubt the engine will last much more than 150000 ks. Then crush it and buy another cheap shit wannabe German car....

You drive on the right boi no1s watchin this Jk people might but im not

$60 grand for this poo barge. No thanks.

Crappy car, paint falls off, rushed to market, should have sorted out the issues before foisting on the consumer.

Excellent review!