Automotive enthusiasts?

@Flying Pancake  
It’s still a little strange to think that it’s a Kia, isn’t it? The Stinger seems like a very promising car though. The V6 with AWD is how I’d spec it too. Red is nice but I’d like to see if other colors could make those big LED tail lights pop more. British Racing Green would look sharp.
 
The interior is reminiscent of Mercedes, not that that’s a bad thing. I would have ditched the middle vent, pushed the left and right vents farther out, and put the touchscreen in the middle because it does stick out too much on the dash. Oh well. If the screen can be turned off easily I can deal with it.
 
I’m very curious about pricing as well because pricing is what is going to make or break the Stinger. There should be more information tomorrow.
 
By the way, liftback confirmed.
 

@Flying Pancake  
For the price of K900. People rather blow that money on Lexus ES and Merc-Benz S-Class cars. Kia Cadenza are also quite rare, but they are more common than the K900. I liked their 2015 grille more than their current one.
 
I think the Stinger’s direct competition would be VW’s CC Sport sedans.
 
I’m having a hard time telling a Kia car from a German model.
 
Which one would you guys prefer?
 
Lexus IS 250  
BMW 3  
Infiniti Q50?

@kleptomage  
Nice, a liftback like that is the perfect way to do a fastback sedan. And seeing people next to it, that’s a bigger car than I thought it was from the solo pictures. It looks like you could fit a couple large suitcases in the trunk; it ought to be perfect for “Grand Touring.”
 
You’re right, two vents with the screen in the middle would probably have been the best looking way to set the dash up. That way you could have a single, unbroken like going from the guage cluster to the passenger side. The screen as it is isn’t terrible, though.
 
@SeraphimDawn  
If the Stinger’s competition is the CC, then it’s already won. I practically never see those on the road, and the Stinger beats the CC hands down in performance, practicality, and (subjectively) styling.
 
For your list, in descending order:  
3-series (either M3 sedan or the wagon)  
Q50 Red Sport 400 AWD  
IS 250
 
(Assuming money is no object, of course. If we’re being realistic, invert that list.)

@Flying Pancake  
I actually see quite a bit of CC on my road.  
Lots of Golf and Jetta. Barely any Passat.
 
BTW, How is Passat for a midsize car?

@SeraphimDawn  
I’ve only been in a Passat briefly, but I got the impression that it was a decent car. Nothing particularly exciting from either a visual or performance standpoint, but a good car. (The only semi-interesting thing about it was that, at the time, a diesel engine was available. But we all know how that turned out.)
 
Now, if you mean the EU Passat, then I have no idea, but I’d assume it’s a bit better. For whatever reason, VW decided to sell a cheaper, different platform version here, with the CC being basically the EU version.

Dieselgate, the thing that’ll make America hate diesel again.

Ford is going to offer a diesel engine in the 2018 F150. Maybe they will learn from Ram and not make diesel a $3,000+ option.

Does anyone know anything about that new sports sedan FCA is going to release next year to compete with the BMW 3?

@SeraphimDawn  
What, the Alfa?

@kleptomage  
Yeah. 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia  

@SeraphimDawn  
I don’t trust Alfa Romeos or Fiats.

@kleptomage  
They do have sketchy records of reliability. Or the lack of it.
 
FCA has become a shitshow when it comes to reliability in the automotive world.

@kleptomage  
If Ford’s trying to beat Ram, then they’d better be smart enough to undercut them. Speaking of diesels, Chevy’s supposedly trying to get the Cruze diesel up into the 50 highway mpg range. That would be really impressive, considering that VW’s small diesels were rated around 42 (but regularly returned in the high 40s).
 
 
@SeraphimDawn  
Beyond what they have on their website, not much. The Quadrifoil Quadrefoil Quadrifioligio Clover version looks pretty awesome, though. (Albeit unobtainable- $72,000!)  
Actually, on that note, how do you pronounce the name? Ge-oo-lee-uh? Goo-lee-uh? Julia?
 
 
Oh, and remember the Stinger GT? They showed off a blue one, and it looks great:  

@Flying Pancake  
It looks like a hatch from this angle.
 
Also, speaking of Kia. Anyone noticed the Sportage looking like Wishiwashi from Pokemon Sun/Moon in its Schooling form?  

 
And as form minivans. Aside from the common Honda Odysseys, Dodge Grand Caravans, and Toyota Siennas.  
I barely see any Kia Sedona vans. Despite it being one of the best and well priced on the market.
 
Look at the big ass grille!  
 
For a minivan, this thing look kickass.  
Looks a lot like the Nissan Quest, which is also pretty rare.  
I see more Pacificas in fact.

@Flying Pancake  
As small as the Cruze is, squeezing 50 mpg out of it with a smartly tuned diesel shouldn’t be too hard.
 
That Stinger is a beautiful shade of bright blue like lapis lazuli. It’s nice to see colorful cars bucking the monochromatic trend. I wasn’t sure about the dual grill design at first but the look is growing on me and those vents should be fully functional at directing air to the front brakes.

@kleptomage
 
You should see Korea, when it comes to car colours
 
 
On other note. I kinda wish GM would revive their Chevy SS line. There needs to be more sleepers on the road.

@SeraphimDawn  
Hadn’t seen that Pokémon before, but I can see what you mean. A lot of cars are going for a “fish mouth” grille now; personally, I hope that trend dies off soon.
 
 
@kleptomage  
Maybe I’m thinking it’s bigger than it is, how does it compare to the Golf? I’d thought they were about the same size.
 
 
@SeraphimDawn  
Yikes, that’s almost dystopian. You’d never guess it was like that from looking at Hyundai and Kia over here, they’ve got some great colors.
 
The SS was cool in theory, but way too pricey, and I’d argue that it went beyond “sleeper” and into “anonymous” or “boring” by looking too much like the Malibu. (It was also poorly named, but that’s not that big of a deal.)
 
If Chevy were to do something similar, then I’d nominate a civilian version of the Caprice:
 

 
It doesn’t scream “fast car,” but it also looks like it’s own vehicle. And it’s not bad looking, in a simple sort of way.

@Flying Pancake  
The local police force in my area use the 2014 Dodge Charger and Ford Taurus.  
RCMP however, still mostly use those old Crown Vics.
 
Don’t police still use Crown Victorias in the US as well?

@SeraphimDawn  
Cars used to be more colorful.
 

 
And here’s something interesting I learned: Henry Ford only sold black Model T’s for a good reason. Asphalt paint was the only paint at the time that dried fast enough to make mass production feasible and asphalt is obviously black. Brighter colors for cars were made possible by advances in paint technology.
 
I don’t believe Chevrolet ever intended the SS to be successful . If they did, they would have advertised the SS and not priced it above the means of most people. Nobody wants to buy a $50,000 car that looks like a common Malibu unless they really like the Malibu for some reason.
 
 
@Flying Pancake  
Well, I looked it up and the Cruze is 16” longer than a Golf, though you might not believe it from inside. In weight they’re both about the same. There are many factors that effect MPG: wind speed and direction, gear ratios, aerodynamics, tire pressure and rolling resistance, the topography of the land, and of course the driver.

@kleptomage  
I wonder how beige became so popular in the first place. The colour looks bland and dirties easily. Not to mention rental cars in that colour these days often give the cars a somewhat “ghetto” look.

@SeraphimDawn  
Oh, yeah, they still love the old Vics. In fact, when the end of production was announced, some police departments actually bought an excess of them, just to be sure they could keep driving them for years to come.
 
The other main interceptor I’m seeing now is the Tahoe (Not many Caprices, though). Apparently they’re great for storing everything an officer could need, they’re more comfortable than sedans, and I bet they hit like a wrecking ball. They’re oddly good looking, too; Since they’re lowered short bodies with running boards, they almost have a 1930s car profile to them.
 

 
@kleptomage  
The 50s were great decade for car colors. Not only did they have that wide of a selection, but almost everything was available as a two-tone from the factory!
 
If the Cruze and Golf are that close in size and weight, I’m going to guess the big factor will be the transmission being geared differently, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cruze was more aerodynamic, too, or maybe used cylinder deactivation. I hope Chevy isn’t just going to cut power overall in the pursuit of efficiency, though. Much less than a TDI, and it might have trouble getting out of its own way.
 

 
@SeraphimDawn  
I’ve heard that bland colors became popular because people think that cars painted that way will hold their value better than one painted an interesting color. Ironically, the opposite is true.
 
Limited selection of colors is a result of cost cutting, if I remember correctly. Especially for companies that paint cars by immersing them in giant vats, multiple colors can get expensive quick. (Though how they all seem to justify having three grays/silvers and two whites is beyond my comprehension.)

@SeraphimDawn
 
My local police department almost exclusively uses Chargers, Ford Explorers, a couple of Impalas are still out there. The Sheriff Department has one guy that still drives around in a Suburban from the 90’s. Tennessee Highway Patrol uses mostly Explorers, Taurus (or whatever Ford calls the police versions), and I’ve also recently seen a Caprice. They do still have a few Crown Victorias, but I see them less often.

@SeraphimDawn  
We’re getting a Civic Type R that looks like it was designed for 12 year old gamers.