Compare the2023 Kia StingerVS 2022 Volkswagen Arteon

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 Arteon doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Stinger has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Arteon doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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 Arteon doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Stinger and the Arteon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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, its standard 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 Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 80 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Arteon has not been fully tested, yet.

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 Arteon’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Stinger 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Arteon. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Arteon ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 21 percent more Kia dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Stinger’s warranty.

The battery on the Stinger is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Stinger’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Arteon’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 66 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 72 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 21st.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 9 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The Stinger GT-Line’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 295) than the Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Stinger GT2’s standard 3.3 turbo V6 produces 68 more horsepower (368 vs. 300) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (376 vs. 295) than the Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Kia Stinger, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Arteon.

The Stinger GT2’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s at 2250 in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Arteon doesn’t offer launch control.

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

The Stinger stops much shorter than the Arteon:

The Stinger has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Arteon’s suspension doesn’t offer front gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Stinger’s wheelbase is 2.5 inches longer than on the Arteon (114.4 inches vs. 111.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Stinger is .3 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Arteon.

The Stinger GT2 handles at .91 G’s, while the Arteon SEL Premium R-Line 4Motion pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Stinger executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the Arteon SEL Premium R-Line 4Motion (24.8 seconds @ .79 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Stinger’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Arteon’s (36.7 feet vs. 39 feet). The Stinger AWD’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Arteon’s (38.4 feet vs. 39 feet).

The Stinger has .4 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front hip room, 9.6 inches more rear hip room and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Arteon.

The engine in the Stinger is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Arteon. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

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 Arteon doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Stinger will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Stinger will retain 45.44% to 46.82% of its original price after five years, while the Arteon only retains 39.15% to 40.07%.

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

The Kia Stinger outsold the Volkswagen Arteon by over two to one during the 2021 model year.