Compare the2022 Kia StingerVS 2021 Dodge Charger

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Stinger are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Charger doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kia Stinger has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Charger doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Stinger’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Charger.

The Stinger GT2 has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Charger only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Stinger has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Charger’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Stinger has a standard cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Cross-path warning costs extra on the Charger.

The Stinger’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Charger doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Stinger and the Charger have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Stinger is safer than the Dodge Charger:

	Stinger	Charger
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	18.3%	26%
Neck Stress	137 lbs.	230 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	97/355 lbs.	582/440 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Compression	32 lbs.	42 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	53/25 lbs.	267/469 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Kia Stinger is safer than the Charger:

	Stinger	Charger
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	9 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Femur Force R/L	1.6/1 kN	3.7/3 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	1%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.66/.7	1.21/.58
Tibia forces R/L	2.9/2.4 kN	3/4.7 kN

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Stinger is safer than the Dodge Charger:

	Stinger	Charger
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	119	138
Chest Movement	1.1 inches	1.4 inches
Abdominal Force	197 G’s	212 G’s
Hip Force	252 lbs.	372 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	15 inches
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	48 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Stinger is 1.4% less likely to roll over than the Charger.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Stinger its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 68 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Charger is not even a standard “Top Pick.”

Warranty

The Stinger comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Charger’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Stinger 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Dodge covers the Charger. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Charger ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Stinger have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Charger.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 17th.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Stinger gets better mileage than the Charger:

			MPG
Stinger
	RWD	3.3 turbo V6	18 city/25 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy
Charger
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/30 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	16 city/25 hwy
		6.4 OHV V8	15 city/24 hwy
	AWD	3.6 V6	18 city/27 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Stinger’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The Charger doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Stinger uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Charger Scat Pack requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Stinger’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Charger:

	Stinger	Charger
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.6 inches

The Stinger stops shorter than the Charger:

	Stinger	Charger
60 to 0 MPH	104 feet	106 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Stinger has larger standard tires than the Charger (225/45R18 vs. 215/65R17).

The Stinger GT-Line’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Charger SXT’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Stinger GT-Line has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Charger SXT.

Suspension and Handling

The Stinger executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Charger Scat Pack (24.8 seconds @ .79 average G’s vs. 25.3 seconds @ .8 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Stinger’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Charger Scat Pack’s (36.7 feet vs. 37.5 feet). The Stinger AWD’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Charger Scat Pack Widebody’s (38.4 feet vs. 39 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Stinger may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 pounds less than the Dodge Charger.

The Stinger is 8.2 inches shorter than the Charger SXT, making the Stinger easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Kia Stinger amounts to more than styling. The Stinger has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .3 Cd. That is lower than the Charger (.304 to .38) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Stinger get better fuel mileage.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Stinger is quieter than the Charger Scat Pack:

	Stinger	Charger
At idle	37 dB	52 dB
Full-Throttle	78 dB	87 dB
70 MPH Cruising	70 dB	71 dB

Passenger Space

The Stinger has .8 inches more front legroom and .4 inches more rear headroom than the Charger.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Stinger easier. The Stinger’s trunk lift-over height is 27.5 inches, while the Charger’s liftover is 30.1 inches.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Stinger GT2’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Stinger’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Charger doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Ergonomics

The Stinger GT2 has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Charger doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Stinger’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Charger’s parking brake has to released manually.

The Stinger’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Charger’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Stinger’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Charger’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Stinger’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Charger’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Stinger GT2 has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Charger doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Stinger’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Dodge charges extra for heated mirrors on the Charger.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Stinger has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Charger doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Stinger and the Dodge Charger, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its October 2019 issue and the Kia Stinger won out over the Dodge Charger Scat Pack.