Kia Stinger Billed by Car And Driver as “Real Driver's Car with Lithe Responses”

Nearly every automaker over the past year has tried to create a so-called “3-series fighter”, or a trusty car that can somehow go toe-to-toe with BMW. The sports-sedan segment in which it competes has heavier competition than ever, with the space occupied with rivals such as Audi and Mercedes-Benz, and numbers from Jaguar, Infiniti, Cadillac, and our trusty Kia Stinger. The well-seasoned folks at Car and Driverlamented that our prized Stinger is shaped a bit like the sedan's hatchback offshoots such as the Audi A5 Sportback, and the BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe.

After these experienced drive testers got their hands on the Stinger 2.0T, they are now starting to think that this version may fit into a strangely different category, such as a competitor for the Mustang and Camaro. There are definite powertrain similarities, in that all of the cars feature rear-wheel drive, combined with a standard turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. The cars are pretty close in length, with the Stinger coming in at 190.2 inches, the Camaro at 188.3, and the Mustang at 188.5 inches. The ways in which the vents, scoops, and trim pieces that pepper the Stinger's smooth body lines also seem closer to the pony-car look than the European sport sedan stylings.

 The staff at Car And Driver thought that the assembly quality of the Stinger 2.0T was easily competitive with the more humble cabins of the Mustang and Camaro, and greatly appreciated the power that can be derived from the turbocharged inline-four. The Stinger's 6.0-second run from 0 to 60 mph was more than half a second behind the quickest times the Car and Driver staff have run in 4-cylinder Mustang EcoBoosts, and Camaro 2.0Ts. The 4-door Kia also possesses more in the weight department that the two pony car coupes: 3688 pounds, to the Mustang's 3556 and the Camaro's 3410. 

Engine-wise, the Stinger was deemed as refined and smooth enough throughout the rev range. It's a car that feels really peppy, and had a clear advantage over the Mustang in a 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, hitting 34 mpg, compared to the Mustang Ecoboost's slightly disappointing 24 mpg. The drive test offered insight on a cohesiveness that's missing from the more nose-heavy six-cylinder car, as the front and rear suspensions seem to work better in tandem to deliver the most confident handling. Damping is satisfyingly tight, steering is weighted well in Comfort mode, and feel and feedback through the steering wheel is definitely on point. We invite you down to Jim Butler Kia of St Louis to check out the best in four-cylinder, rear-wheel drive form, and begin the journey to enjoying your playful, affordable, and practical take on the sports sedan.