2021 Kia Stinger Review

Name: 2021 Kia Stinger
Brand: Kia

Price Range: $22,990 - $32,750

The 2021 Stinger delivers sharp performance with very few concessions. Build quality is strong, and the spacious hatchback has plenty of room. Kia also backs up the Stinger with longer-than-average warranties.

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Average price: $27,453

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Kia Stinger model years

Kia Stinger for Sale

2021 Kia Stinger Review

Pros

Sporty and stylish appearance
Entertaining levels of performance
Refined interior with hatchback utility
Generous warranty coverage

Cons

Limited space for rear passengers
Ride quality can get a little jittery at times
Sloping roofline hampers rear visibility

What's new

The Stinger has no significant changes for 2021
Part of the first Stinger generation introduced for 2018

Overview

Written by automotive expert Cameron Rogers

10/14/2020

The 2021 Kia Stinger is not your everyday sedan. With its coupe-like styling, standard rear-wheel drive and an available turbocharged V6 engine that thumps out 365 horsepower, the Stinger evokes the style and performance of a European sport sedan. Yet it's also quite practical — its hatchback design opens up more cargo room than almost any other sedan in its class — and comes with Kia's great warranty.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

For sale near Ashburn, VA

11 listings

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2021 Kia Stinger
GT-Line Sedan
$22,990
- 76,699 miles
- No accidents, 2 owners, personal use only
- 22 City / 29 Hwy MPG
- Carvana - Richmond (95 mi away)
- Home delivery*
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Navigation
- Leather Seats
- Sunroof/Moonroof
Close
Located in Richmond, VA
At Carvana, we go miles beyond the extra mile. That's why we provide you with a convenient, fast, and hassle-free car buying experience that puts you ...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
25 Combined MPG (22 City/29 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: KNAE15LA0M6087564
Stock: 2004361056
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 12-18-2025
2021 Kia Stinger
GT-Line Sedan
$25,998
fair price
$1,018 above market
- 31,233 miles
- No accidents, 2 owners, personal use only
- 21 City / 29 Hwy MPG
- CarMax Asheville (371 mi away)
- Delivery available*
- AWD/4WD
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Leather Seats
- Keyless Entry/Start
Close
Located in Asheville, NC
Wanna drive? CarMax puts you in the driver's seat-and that includes transparency. Certain cars may have unrepaired safety recalls, so check nhtsa.gov/...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
24 Combined MPG (21 City/29 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: KNAE15LA1M6098055
Stock: 27751317
Certified Pre-Owned: No

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Granted, this sedan isn't for everybody. It's more expensive than commonplace sedans such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry and (arguably) not as prestigious as an Audi or a BMW. But overall we think Kia has come up with a great niche sedan that delivers impressive performance at an accessible price.

What's it like to live with?

Want to know even more about the Kia Stinger? Check out our editorial experts' long-term test of a Kia Stinger GT2. How was the interior and visibility from inside this fastback sedan? Was the cargo room big enough for road trips? How was our Stinger GT test car's reliability? Learn this and more from our yearlong 20,000-mile test. Note that while we tested a 2018 Stinger, our observations still apply to the 2021 model as well.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

by the Edmunds Experts

Great

8.2

out of 10

We drove the 2021 Kia Stinger on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Performance

8.5/10

How does the Stinger drive? The Stinger is fun to drive. We tested the GT. It doesn't launch very hard from a full stop, but nail the accelerator at speed and you'll be impressed by the thrust from the twin-turbo V6. Our test car posted a 0-60 mph time of 5.0 seconds. That's quick, though some comparable luxury sport sedans are a little quicker.

Around turns, this big sedan exhibits some body roll even when the dampers are in their Sport setting. Still, the Stinger GT handles well and responds the moment you start moving the wheel. The steering effort is moderate, in contrast to the too-light feeling in other Kias.

Comfort

8/10

How comfortable is the Stinger? In the standard Comfort driving mode, the GT's adaptive suspension dampers smooth out road imperfections. The ride is firmer in Sport mode but livable. But the Stinger lacks the ride sophistication of luxury sedans, and it can get a little jittery on coarse pavement.

Seat comfort is also a little lacking. The front seats are supportive and offer multiple adjustments, but some might find the padding overly firm. The seat bottom is also on the narrow side. Little wind or road noise makes it inside the cabin, allowing for a quiet ride without much vibration either. The V6 engine has a constant pleasing sound that kicks up a notch in Sport mode.

Interior

7/10

How’s the interior? Drivers have a wide range of adjustability on the top GT2 trim's sport seats, even at the side bolsters and thigh extension. It's easy to find the perfect position. The steering wheel is highly adjustable as well. Unfortunately, it's not so easy to get in and out. The doorsills are wide, and the rear roofline requires passengers to duck to enter.

Space in the front seat is reasonable, though taller drivers might brush the roof on models with a sunroof. The rear is less hospitable, with restricted headroom and legroom. The touchscreen is a bit of a reach from the driving position as well, and it can be difficult to see over the high hood from the low seating position.

Technology

8.5/10

How’s the tech? Connectivity in the Stinger is straightforward and effective. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and the 15-speaker Harman Kardon audio system on most models pumps out high-quality sound.

Safety-wise, most trims also come with Smart Cruise Control, an adaptive cruise control system that can bring the Stinger GT down to a full stop. Forward collision mitigation and lane keeping assist are standard on the GT1 and GT2 trims.

Storage

8.5/10

How’s the storage? The Stinger makes the most of its hatchback design. It easily bests the carrying capabilities of a typical sedan. The hands-free hatch that activates when you stand behind the bumper for a few seconds is a nice touch. Up front, the Stinger has a sufficient amount of storage space for small items.

For small-child transport, the Stinger has outboard car seat anchors that are hidden behind covers. The anchors themselves are inset pretty far from the front of the covers. The top tether points are located about halfway down the seatback. You'll have to move the cargo cover to reach the tether points.

Fuel Economy

7/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA estimates that the base Stinger with a four-cylinder engine gets up to 25 mpg combined. Then there's a sharp drop to 20 mpg for the V6. In both cases, the Stinger lags behind other cars with comparable performance.

Value

8.5/10

Is the Stinger a good value? Kia's warranties are among the longest in the industry. This extensive coverage figures heavily into the value equation. The Stinger also offers good bang for the buck on its own accord. It has unique buttons and components compared with the rest of the Kia lineup, plus soft surfaces on the doors and attractive trim on the dash. From a base model all the way up to a GT2, the Stinger gives you a pleasing combo of luxury and performance.

Wildcard

8.5/10

The Stinger offers head-turning styling and backs it up with true sport-sedan handling. We also like its approachable demeanor, which makes the Stinger a breeze to drive easily and a blast to drive hard. We suspect new owners will approve.

2021 Kia Stinger trim level differences

The 2021 Kia Stinger is a midsize sedan with a hatchback-style liftgate. It is sold in four trims: GT-Line, GT, GT1 and GT2. The GT-Line is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (255 horsepower, 260 lb-ft of torque). All others use a turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 (365 hp, 376 lb-ft). An eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive are standard across the board, and all-wheel drive is available on any trim. Feature highlights include: Compare the 2021 Kia Stinger trim levels in-depth.

Which Stinger trim does Edmunds recommend?

The turbocharged four-cylinder is fine, but the Stinger is a sport sedan through and through. You owe it to yourself to get the most powerful version possible. That makes the GT the best starting point. For our money, the GT1 is the way to go. Over and above the base GT, you get all manner of performance and luxury bits, including adaptive suspension dampers, ventilated seats, a larger touchscreen and a kicking sound system. We think it's a steal.

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$177/mo

$146/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

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Reliability

The 2021 Kia Stinger has a 5 years / 60,000 miles basic warranty and 5 recalls. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.

Recalls

5 recalls found

Checking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.

If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).

Recall Number:: 24V169000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: SC300
Number of vehicles affected:: 36248
Defect Description:: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2019-2020 K900, and 2018-2023 Stinger vehicles equipped with a 3.3-liter turbo gasoline direct injection engine. The left turbocharger oil feed pipe and hose assembly may deteriorate and leak oil.
Defect Consequence:: An oil leak in the presence of hot engine components can increase the risk of an engine compartment fire while driving.
Corrective Action:: Dealers will replace the left turbocharger oil feed pipe and hose assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 26, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC300.

Recall Number:: 23V634000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: SC281
Number of vehicles affected:: 18224
Defect Description:: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Stinger vehicles. The fuel control valve plunger may stick inside the high pressure fuel pump, causing over-pressurization and loss of drive power.
Defect Consequence:: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:: Dealers will update the engine control unit software, inspect, and replace the fuel pump as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 10, 2023. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC281.

Recall Number:: 21V862000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: SC219
Number of vehicles affected:: 53
Defect Description:: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Stinger vehicles. A software error in the instrument cluster may cause an inaccurate fuel gauge reading.
Defect Consequence:: An inaccurate fuel gauge may result in the vehicle unexpectedly running out of fuel and stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 10, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC219.

Recall Number:: 20V560000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: SC198
Number of vehicles affected:: 635
Defect Description:: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Stinger vehicles. The fuel pump's jet nozzle may have a plastic burr remaining from the manufacturing process, possibly causing a blocked nozzle and an insufficient fuel supply to the engine.
Defect Consequence:: Insufficient fuel supply to the engine can result in a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel pump and replace the jet nozzle housing assembly, if necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 29, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC198.

Recall Number:: 20V518000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: SC196
Number of vehicles affected:: 28200
Defect Description:: Kia Motors America (Kia) recalled certain 2019 Stinger vehicles equipped with 3.3L T-GDI engines on August 27, 2020. On December 30, 2020, Kia expanded the recall population and added certain 2018-2021 Stinger vehicles. While driving, an engine compartment fire may occur in the area where the Anti-lock Brake Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) is located.
Defect Consequence:: An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury or crash.
Corrective Action:: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install a new fuse kit in the electrical junction box, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. The recall began November 30, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC196.

Warranty

5 years / 60,000 miles Basic Warranty

Basic Warranty: 5 years / 60,000 miles
Drivetrain Warranty: 10 years / 100,000 miles
Rust Warranty: 5 years / 100,000 miles
Roadside assistance Warranty: 5 years / 60,000 miles

Kia Stinger Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.3

35 reviews

5(65%)

4(20%)

3(3%)

2(5%)

1(7%)

See all 35 reviews of the Kia Stinger

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Jack of all Trades, Master of One

Castillan, 09/04/2020

2020 Kia Stinger GT2 4dr Sedan (3.3L 6cyl Turbo 8A)

I have the fully optioned GT2 RWD version. This car is fantastic. I'm not sure what can be said that hasn't already been said, but I'll try to put my ideas down. This car is a sum of all that it is, along with a sum of all that it is not, and in understanding this, it still comes out on top as a master of what it truly is. Is it sporty? Yes, but it's not a sports car, and it … doesn't pretend to be. It gives you enough for a taste when the mood strikes, but it's not built to set any new lap records. It'll take off from a standstill (0-60mph in 4.7s) and roll-on fast enough with a strong smooth linear power delivery that will keep any true sports/muscle car honest in that they have to be serious about keeping the Stinger behind them, but it's no drag strip champion. It'll go around corners better than almost any family sedan you can name, but it's not setup for sports car scalpel-like corner carving. It doesn't have a manual transmission, but you can tell it you want to control shifts yourself, and it'll let you do that. The suspension, even in sport mode, leans more towards the comfort side of sport. The ride is almost never jarring. It's a highly capable sporty mile-eater, and if we accept that's what it actually is, then we can accept that the race-track and drag-strip is not what it was designed for. Is it a luxury sedan? Yes, but it's not top-shelf luxury, and it doesn't pretend to be. It gives you a good taste of quality leather trim, soft touch materials, brushed aluminium accents, quality controls, 3-zone automated climate control, a soft quality ceiling, plenty of room front and rear, stitched panels, with middling-firm but extremely comfortable ventilated/heated seats that makes it an enjoyable place to be for hours upon hours at a time, but it cheapens out at below knee height, and that's fine unless you spend all your time in the foot-wells. ie. it's luxury where it counts, and if you don't expect more than that, then all is well. Is it loaded with quality of life features? Yes, in this trim level. Tiltable/powered sun/moon roof, powered rear hatch, a sound system with crisp and clear sound quality reproduction that's capable of making your face vibrate with distortion free intensity. Parking assist, blind-spot monitoring, a clear reverse camera, lane keep warning/assist, frontal collision warning/auto-braking assist, 360 degree split-screen camera views, power ports front and rear, internal lighting everywhere, navigation and a fully featured infotainment system. It's all here. It may be missing a few of the very latest whizzbang sub-options (eg. no in-dash blind-spot camera view on lane-changes, physical dials instead of a fully digital configurable dash screen), but even if it doesn't have the absolute latest version of whatever feature, it will still offer a basic form of said feature. Is it a practical daily driver? Yes, amazingly so. With the 4 doors you can stick it in comfort drive mode and you're used to the throttle response, it'll perform family/commute duties all day, every day, in high comfort. We traded in our old Camry LE for this, and the Stinger is just as capable of the daily family runabout chores as the Camry was, just in better comfort. Can it carry much stuff? Can it or what?! Fold down the rear seats, and it's almost as roomy as a small pick-up truck with covered rear. I used a throw-down sheet to protect the upholstery, but I parked next to a guy in a pickup truck at Lowes, and it so happened that we were both buying stuff for flooring projects. I was able to fit underlay, the boards, tools, trim, the whole works for a 200sq.ft project in the one trip. The guy loading up next to me was pretty much the same thing, and the back of his pickup truck looked almost as full as my Stinger. Later I picked up a 55 gal aquarium for the wife with a flat pack cabinet. No problem. It still had plenty of room left over. This car truly is a jack of all trades, but a master of the one thing that matters most in a one-car family garage, versatility....and that's what this car is, a highly comfortable mile-eating sporty grand-tourer with a capital V on Versatile. Love it!

Got myself a 2021 Stinger GT2!

Phil S. , 07/09/2021

2021 Kia Stinger GT2 4dr Sedan (3.3L 6cyl Turbo 8A)

I took a lot into consideration when deciding to buy a Stinger, but it ended up beating out other new Kia models, as well as the more expensive luxury sedans (I.e. Mercedes, audi, Lexus, etc.). The Stinger occupies a fairly niche class in the car market (Performance sedans from non-luxury brands), and actually shares the class with cars like the Dodge Charger. Despite being from a … "non-luxury" brand, the quality of the Stinger easily rivals that of typical luxury brands. All in all, I love my car. It's a blast to drive, the ride is incredibly smooth, and it has great all around performance. I passed up the typical "luxury" brands because of the increased costs, and because I have no interest in being associated with the Uber-bougie reputation those brands are associated with. As for what I think about the vehicle, I would agree with the "cons" described by Edmunds' professional reviewers in that it has pretty poor rear visibility due to its fastback design. It sits rather low as well and with the sloping roofline, it can be difficult to get in and out of. There is some slight jitteriness at times, but I feel this is minimal and isn't worrisome to me. Beyond the aforementioned styling issues, etc., I absolutely love the look and feel of the vehicle. The interior and exterior quality is outstanding for the class of vehicle the Stinger falls in. The interior is incredibly comfortable. While I missed out on the larger 10'' infotainment screen of the 2022, I feel the 8'' screen of the 2021 is plenty large enough. The UI took some getting used to as the car has a lot of available tech, but was easy to use once I spent some time with it. My only other [slight] complaint is the gas mileage. Though, this is somewhat relative, as depending on the vehicle you are coming from, fuel economy may be better or worse. For me the drop to 17/25/20 was an adjustment. That said, I would like to point out that when driven on the Eco setting and driving mildly, my MPG has been consistently higher than the EPA ratings above. When driving on a Highway with 60-70 MPH, the inertia of the car is enough to carry it over hills easily and I was able to get 29 MPG. My combined MPG is usually 21-23. Even though I'm driving on Eco, I feel very loss of performance. All-in-all, I love my new car, and I definitely don't regret my purchase. I love driving my Stinger, and I love seeing other Stingers on the road. I feel like I'm part of an underappreciated car club; especially since the roads in my area are dominated by Lexus, Mercedes, Audi, and BMW. When I see someone driving one of the typical "luxury" brands, I can't help but think that they got duped into paying a lot more for an insignia rather than actual value.

Awesome Beast!

Keith Cruickshank, 03/15/2020

2020 Kia Stinger GT 4dr Sedan AWD (3.3L 6cyl Turbo 8A)

The Kia Stinger GT with its 3.3 liter engine makes 376 lb feet of power. I've had admiring looks everywhere I go! Comfortable seating, lots of power, spacious rear storage and thousands cheaper than Audi S5 and BMW. It nor only best these competitors in power it excels in value. Providing a stellar value proposition . Get yours today! You will be amazed at how awesome this car is!

Perfect!!

dmichael885, 04/29/2020

2020 Kia Stinger GT-Line 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)

I had no intention of buying a Kia when I started looking. I was looking into BMW 5 and Audi A6. The Kia was as fun to drive and the interior caught me off guard with how nice it was. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase and saved money in the process. Win-win

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 Kia Stinger, so we've included reviews for other years of the Stinger since its last redesign.

2021 Stinger Highlights

Trim:

GT-Line

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$33,090
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	25 MPG
Cost to Drive	$177/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	23.3 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	rear wheel drive
Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the Stinger models:

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assistance: Alerts you if a front impact is imminent and applies the brakes if you don't react in time.
Lane Keep Assist: Warns if you are drifting out of your lane and gently nudges you back.
Blind-Spot Collision Warning System: Illuminates a warning light if a car is in your blind spot and beeps if you activate your turn signal in that direction.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover5 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover8.7%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

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2021 Kia Stinger Review

Price & Payment

2021 Kia Stinger Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

For sale near Ashburn, VA

2021 Kia StingerGT-Line Sedan

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

2021 Kia StingerGT-Line Sedan

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

What's it like to live with?

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

2021 Kia Stinger trim level differences

Which Stinger trim does Edmunds recommend?

Cost to Drive

Reliability

Recalls

Warranty

Kia Stinger Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Jack of all Trades, Master of One

Got myself a 2021 Stinger GT2!

Awesome Beast!

Perfect!!

2021 Stinger Highlights

Safety

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2021 Kia Stinger
GT-Line Sedan

2021 Kia Stinger
GT-Line Sedan