Compare the2023 Kia StingerVS 2023 Lexus ES

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
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 ES 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 ES doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Stinger and the ES 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Lexus ES:

	Stinger	ES
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	18.3%	24%
Neck Stress	137 lbs.	239 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	97/355 lbs.	524/628 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	220	319
Neck Compression	32 lbs.	62 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	53/25 lbs.	473/518 lbs.

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

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 Lexus ES:

	Stinger	ES
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	252 lbs.	264 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	263	300
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	310	326
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	36 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, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 1.8% less likely to roll over than the ES, which received a four-star rating.

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

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Stinger 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the ES. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the ES ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Stinger’s warranty.

Reliability

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 ES’ battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

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 Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

Engine

The Stinger has more powerful engines than the ES:

	Horsepower	Torque
Stinger GT-Line 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder	300 HP	311 lbs.-ft.
Stinger GT2 3.3 turbo V6	368 HP	376 lbs.-ft.
ES 250 AWD 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	203 HP	184 lbs.-ft.
ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid	215 HP
ES 350 3.5 DOHC V6	302 HP	267 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the Stinger GT-Line 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid:

	Stinger	ES
Zero to 60 MPH	5.7 sec	7.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	101.8 MPH	90.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Stinger 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder RWD gets better fuel mileage than the ES 350 F Sport (22 city/32 hwy vs. 22 city/31 hwy).

Regardless of its engine, the Stinger’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the ES Hybrid.

The Stinger has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (15.9 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

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 ES doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Stinger GT-Line	Stinger GT2	ES
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	13.8 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13.4 inches	11.1 inches

The Stinger GT2’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the ES are solid, not vented.

The Stinger stops much shorter than the ES:

	Stinger	ES
60 to 0 MPH	104 feet	140 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Stinger has larger standard tires than the ES (225/45R18 vs. 215/55R17).

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 ES’ standard 55 series tires. The Stinger GT2’s 255/35R19 rear tires have a lower 35 series profile than the ES F Sport’s 40 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 ES.

Suspension and Handling

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Stinger’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the ES (114.4 inches vs. 113 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Stinger is .1 inches wider in the front and 1 inch wider in the rear than the average track on the ES.

The Stinger’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51.9% to 48.1%) than the ES’ (57.4% to 42.6%). This gives the Stinger more stable handling and braking.

The Stinger GT2 handles at .91 G’s, while the ES 300h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Stinger executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.6 seconds quicker than the ES 300h (24.8 seconds @ .79 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Stinger’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the ES’ (36.7 feet vs. 38 feet).

Chassis

The Stinger is 5.7 inches shorter than the ES, making the Stinger easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Stinger has .8 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.8 inches more rear hip room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the ES.

Cargo Capacity

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Stinger’s hatch uses gas strut supported hinges that don’t intrude into the cargo area. The ES’ useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

The Stinger’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The ES doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Stinger is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the ES. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

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 ES’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Stinger has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the ES. The Stinger GT2 also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the ES.

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. Wireless charging costs extra on the ES.

Recommendations

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