Battle of the Midsize Liftback Sedans

Kinja'd!!! "Bryan doesn't drive a 1M" (bryantakespictures)
03/05/2018 at 10:30 • Filed to: None

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I’m a fan of this newly popular body style. It’s a similar idea to the CUV, except not lifted, not too fat, and I don’t vomit in my mouth whenever I look at one. The three competitors I could think of are the Kia Stinger, the BMW 4 series Gran Coupe, and the Audi A5/S5 sportback.

Kia:

Base: 2.0L, RWD - $32,800

Base model with the big engine: 3.3L Twin Turbo V6, RWD - $39,250

Fully Loaded: AWD - $52,300

BMW:

Base: 2.0L, RWD - $43,530

Base model with the big engine: 3.0L Twin-scroll I6, RWD - $51,930

Fully Loaded: AWD - $63,340

Audi:

Base: 2.0L, AWD - $42,600

Base model with the big engine: 3.0L Turbo V6, AWD - $54,400

Fully Loaded: $65,300

The Kia comes with way more options at every trim level, but the fully loaded GT2 comes dangerously close to well-equipped German territory. If you absolutely need to stay under $50k, then the Kia is going to be the one to get. On the high end, I’d go with the BMW, but without AWD and some of the options in the “fully loaded” configuration. On the low end, I think the base Stinger is an amazing bargain. The Audi is pretty and tempting, though...

Yes, wagons are available in these price ranges, but only in AWD and only with the smaller engine. How about a sedan? Sweet spot for me would be an M-Sport 330i with a few choice options including a manual transmission, which trumps the liftback and makes this whole exercise pointless. The cost for that one is $48,000. New cars are so expensive.

Or (ignore the wagon in the background), how about a used Mazda6 liftback? Probably less than $10k, if you can find one. And it even came with a manual transmission, which none of the above offer.

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DISCUSSION (11)


Kinja'd!!! CKeffer > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
03/05/2018 at 11:05

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I really wish Mazda would bring back the 6 hatchback trim, because I absolutely loved my gen1 hatch and would buy one in the current body style in a heartbeat (preferably the upcoming turbo version).


Kinja'd!!! KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
03/05/2018 at 11:23

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Did you check out the Car and Driver comparison?

https://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2018-audi-a5-sportback-vs-bmw-430i-gran-coupe-kia-stinger-comparison-test

Also, I would definitely compare the 250HP/290 Lb/ft Buick Regal Sportback AWD with the Stinger 2.0T


Kinja'd!!! RT > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
03/05/2018 at 11:27

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Newly popular?

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Not quite.

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Kinja'd!!! duurtlang > RT
03/05/2018 at 11:31

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Newly popular in the US . In Europe they never went out of fashion.


Kinja'd!!! Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > RT
03/05/2018 at 11:34

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Those aren’t sedans. I don’t even know what’s popular anyway, it just seems like a few more car-makers are trying out the liftback sedan thing right now.


Kinja'd!!! Textured Soy Protein > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
03/05/2018 at 11:35

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The Buick Regal is also a liftback and cheaper than the Stinger. A fully loaded Regal GS is about $46k before accessories.


Kinja'd!!! MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
03/05/2018 at 11:38

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You forgot the Buick, but I can understand why as Buick forgot a big motor when building it.

I think a big part of this discussion is price tag vs required options. If the big motor is key the Kia puts it in your driveway for roughly 12k less. People who buy BMW and Audi typically aren’t as concerned with the price tag. Especially when prices are floating above 50k. The Kia is a big win for people who want the BMW and Audi type of car but can’t afford it. Kia was smart to offer this for all the “dreamers” who can’t afford the 63-65k price of the fast Germans.


Kinja'd!!! Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > Textured Soy Protein
03/05/2018 at 11:43

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I didn’t know that one was a liftback. Not a bad looking thing, now that I know it exists.


Kinja'd!!! BahamaTodd > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
03/05/2018 at 12:42

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There’s also the VW Arteon coming to the US later this year:

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Kinja'd!!! BahamaTodd > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
03/05/2018 at 12:48

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Buick Regal:

Base: 2.0L, FWD - $24,990

Base model with the big engine: 3.6L V6, AWD - $39,070

Fully Loaded: AWD - $45,110


Kinja'd!!! Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > BahamaTodd
03/05/2018 at 13:03

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That makes the Kia look a tad expensive.