Spartan-S5

True but many have said Audi's design has soured since Peter Schreyer left for Kia and theirs has taken off. Add in the BMW guy and you have more then enough pedigree there to have a killer car. I don't think anyone should dismiss this car with those 2 high end individuals involved. (both whom are held in high regard by everyone in the industry)

A5SB

Peter and the BMW guy are Designers, not a brand. It's the brand that matters. Kia will take years to get close to the prestige, history and loyalty that Audi commands. You can't just toss in people like them and expect to catapult the brand. They are making cars look like Audis for people that only care about the idea of driving a cheaper Audi. How did Kia leap across Hyundai anyway ? I thought it was the crappy lower brand. Smoke and mirrors. Design transcends generations, nothing Chinese or Korean companies grasp. If its not in your corporate soul its superficial. Sure there will be a market. But for those who understand the difference I think will look and walk away. The amount of time Audi invests in R and D matters

Spartan-S5

Kia/Hyundai are the same brand.

Kia is #5 on most reliable brands now.

THey got there because of Peter Schreyer and his designs & its why Hyundai pulled him over to their brand to fix their image since Kia was beating their sister company in sales/looks.

A5SB

I support good design regardless of price, I don't see people shopping Audi and Kia for same types of car

Spartan-S5

True, but if you haven't been following the Koreans, they are making ground on the Germans & fast. They've snatched top people from those German brands (more then just these 2) to make them copmpetitive. Sure it will take time but they are closing fast. I mean does anyone actually think 8 years ago, you'd put Kia/Hundai in the same name as Toyota/Honda. Now some of their sedans are considered better buys then Audi/BMW & for much better value.

Look at BMW & how much they are falling. They've been lazy for years. Some say Audi has been lazy with design & even their A/S series are too similar.

RE: shopping same types of car.... I'm now shopping this KIA GT vs an A5/S5/Sportback after reading about it. Maybe the issue is most people are not informed of what's out there or most care about a logo on the hood for bragging rights.

N8!

I never thought of Kia as a serious car until a guy I work with brought his '15 Optima over to Germany and that thing is nice. I rode with him on a business trip up to Wiesbaden from Stuttgart and we were cruising at 140 mph as much as we could on the autobahn. He said he has had it up to 160 mph. The ride was plush and the fuel efficiency on the car at normal speeds is great.

The Sitnger looks like a great fit for the blingy/flashy US market and I think Kia will have great sales with it. I personally prefer the design language of the A5 SB vs the Kia Stinger, but not by a lot - and the PRICE is better on the Kia.

However, I'm sticking to the A5 SB (my first non-Toyota in 30 yrs).

JohnEnglish

A lot of people do. Most people just want a "good car" and don't care about brands. That's how Kia and Hyundai have grown so quickly.

N8!

I see Hyundai/Kia cars everyday here in the heart of Germany's automotive city (Stuttgart). I was surprised at how many there are here.

str8line

True, they want a car that meets their budget first, meets their portrayal of themselves to the world second, meets their utilitarian needs third. I bet most people don't even really think about the way a car actually drives when they buy a car. For me it's: 1. The way a car drives 2. Level of utility according to my needs. 3. Budget 4. Styling.

str8line

A car guy wouldn't sacrifice the way a car drives for how stylish a car is. But Kia's are inexpensive and stylish, the two most important criteria for most people.