2022 Kia Stinger Review: The Sports Sedan That Punches Way Above Its Price

There are not many vehicles that genuinely surprise people. The 2022 Kia Stinger is one of them. Performance that competes with German sports sedans. An interior that feels genuinely premium. Safety ratings that match the very best in the segment. All at a price point that makes buyers do a double take. Ken Ganley Kia Mentor in Mentor Ohio carries the Stinger and this review covers everything worth knowing before you visit.

The Design Commands Attention Before You Even Start It

The Stinger does not look like a budget car. It does not look like a sedan trying to be sporty. It looks like a proper performance vehicle from every angle.

The fastback silhouette gives it a coupe like profile while keeping four door practicality intact. The tiger nose grille up front is bold and wide. Quad oval exhaust tips at the rear signal the performance underneath. Complex LED headlamps and sculpted body lines complete a design that legitimately turns heads in the Ken Ganley Kia Mentor lot and everywhere else you take it.

The 2022 model year brought subtle but meaningful exterior updates that made an already attractive car look even sharper. For buyers who care how their car looks parked at work or pulled up to a restaurant the Stinger delivers that pride of ownership feeling without requiring a luxury brand premium to achieve it.

Two Engines Both Worth Knowing About

This is where the Stinger separates itself from almost everything else at its price point.

The base engine for 2022 is a new 2.5 liter turbocharged four cylinder producing 300 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. That is not a base engine by most people’s definition. Zero to 60 in 5.2 seconds. For buyers in Mentor Ohio who want a genuinely fast car for daily driving the GT-Line trim with this engine delivers an experience that most competitors simply cannot match at the same price.

Step up to the GT1 or GT2 and you get the 3.3 liter twin turbocharged V6 with 368 horsepower. A governed top speed of 167 mph. Zero to 60 in under 5 seconds. This is where the Stinger becomes a genuine sports car conversation. More power than the Audi S5 Sportback and BMW 440i Gran Coupe at a fraction of the cost. Both engines pair with an 8 speed automatic transmission with 5 individual drive modes. Rear wheel drive is standard and all wheel drive is available for buyers who want the confidence of AWD in Ohio winters.

The Kia GT lineup puts the Stinger in context alongside other performance focused Kia models but the Stinger is clearly the range topper and it shows in everything from the way it accelerates to the way it handles a sweeping on ramp.

The Interior Moved Upmarket for 2022

Kia made meaningful interior improvements for the 2022 Stinger and buyers who have not sat in one recently will notice the difference immediately.

Material quality took a step up. Satin chrome trim, metal ringed gauges, and aircraft style spoked vents give the cabin a driver focused premium feel that legitimately competes with German luxury interiors. Adjustable ambient lighting is new for 2022 and adds to the atmosphere without feeling gimmicky. The larger 10.25 inch center touchscreen with navigation replaced a smaller unit and the improvement in usability is noticeable.

Standard features include leather upholstery, heated front seats, a power adjustable driver seat, wireless charging, and a nine speaker audio system. The GT2 adds ventilated Nappa leather front seats, heated rear seats, and driver seat memory settings. For buyers who want a premium daily driver experience without paying premium daily driver prices the Stinger delivers it convincingly.

Cargo space is one of the surprises. 23.3 cubic feet of trunk space behind the rear seats. More than some SUVs in that price range. The hatchback style opening makes loading genuinely practical which is not always the case in performance sedans.

Safety Ratings That Match Its Ambition

A sports car that also earns serious safety accolades is not something you see often. The 2022 Stinger managed both.

The NHTSA awarded it a five star overall crash safety rating. The IIHS gave it the prestigious TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation. These are not participation awards. They represent the highest levels of recognition in vehicle safety testing and the Stinger earned both.

Standard driver assistance features include navigation based adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic braking, pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keep assist, and front and rear parking sensors. These are features you would expect to pay extra for on a vehicle twice the price.

Why the Stinger Is Worth Considering as a Used Buy

A used 2022 Stinger with reasonable mileage is one of the most interesting value propositions in the used sports sedan market right now.

The 10 year or 100,000 mile Kia powertrain warranty transfers to subsequent owners in meaningful ways meaning a 2022 still carries significant remaining coverage. The build quality holds up well over time and the performance credentials do not diminish with mileage when the vehicle has been properly maintained. For buyers at Ken Ganley Kia Mentor in Mentor Ohio who want something genuinely exciting to drive every day without a German luxury price tag the Stinger makes a compelling case that is hard to ignore.