VW Arteon vs. Kia Stinger: Really cool cars that aren’t in the clique

2020 Volkswagen Arteon 4Motion 2.0T Premium R-Line vs. 2020 Kia Stinger GT2 AWD: Battle of the vehicles you’d really love but probably won’t ever consider, and that makes me sad.

Price: The Arteon costs $46,710 as tested (no options on test vehicle) while the Stinger was $54,015 as tested, with $495 for the silver paint and $125 for cargo mat.

Conventional wisdom: Motor Trend calls the Arteon “eye-catching, spacious and well balanced.”

Car and Driver likes the Stinger for its “gutsy optional V-6 engine, flashy exterior styling, big time bang for the buck,” but not its “nervous handling at the edge of its envelope, won’t satisfy badge snobs, less than posh interior.”

Marketer’s pitch: Volkswagen calls its “the premium sports sedan.” Kia says, “It’s a stunner.”

Reality: No, when the back window pops up as part of the trunk, that’s a hatchback, not a sports sedan. Why can’t that still be a stunner?

Uneven comparison: I had the Arteon on my schedule and had even planned the comparison, but never appreciated how perfect a match it was to the Stinger — price wise, size wise, and even the hatchback rear opening — until it landed in my driveway.

While I enjoyed the Stinger during my usual commute in early February (usually more than 300 miles a week, far more when university is in session), I used barely half a tank during 90 miles with the Arteon. It arrived during the first full week of social distancing in March, when I started working from home and classes were canceled.

On the plus side, the driving I did do was far more focused — for one, there’s far less traffic to hamper me these days, so the driving experience involves more actual driving.

This week, we’ll settle in and play with the controls a little bit. Next week, we’ll take them out on the road.

Continuity: Outside of the miles accumulated report, though, Driver’s Seat will remain mainly a corona-free zone (as long as I can still get the New York-based cars). People need to keep enjoying some of the simple things in life, and Mr. Driver’s Seat is among the simplest. Er, well, uh —

What’s new (or newish): Both the Arteon and Stinger tested were 2019 models. Manufacturers have no qualms about using them to showcase the latest models, which is why they were in the fleets as late as spring 2020. Even most automotive media have begun referring to the vehicles by their generation than by the model year these days.

That said, the Stinger revamps its brand a bit, with a GT-Line version that separates the popular V-6 from the 2.0-liter four version. Buyers can get in for the bargain price of $33,090, or $35,290 for all-wheel drive. Fortunately for Mr. Driver’s Seat, that wasn’t the test version.

The 2020 Arteon does offer more trim levels than the 2019, although SEL remains at the top of the heap, and the prices are comparable to the Stinger.

Driver’s Seat: Though cockpits have come a long way in the last 10 years, some automakers have gotten it right from the start.

Volkswagen is one of them. The display, levers, and buttons have the same serious design and typeface that feel like a welcome home. The leather seat cradled without cramping, and everything seemed intuitive.

The Arteon offers an upright seating position and not such a “low-to-the-ground” feel as the Stinger.

The Stinger makes me think very fondly of the old Mazda RX-8. Much more fondly, in fact, because it’s not as low or tight as that rough old sports car. And the seat is nowhere near as hard. We had the Stinger during the Auto Show, and while the Lovely Mrs. Passenger Seat complained about the hard seats in Audis, she never once complained about the Stinger as we rode on the way.

Friends and stuff: We’re riding in big hatch– er, sedans here, so legroom in the Arteon is premium. Even Sturgis Kid 4.0 could stretch his stilts out in comfort.

The downside of the Arteon’s sporty profile comes in headroom. Mr. Driver’s head almost reached the ceiling, so it goes without saying that my giraffe-like offspring had to duck down during car rides.

Similarly, the rear seat in the Stinger did not have long, tall Sturgis Kid 4.0 whining on the way to the Auto Show either. He did mention that his head was up against the rear window there as well.

Cargo space is 27.2 cubic feet in the Arteon rear space, and 23.3 cubic feet in the Stinger.

Fuel economy: For the Stinger, I averaged about 24 mpg in a raucous mix of highway and country road speedi–, er, driving. It drinks the cheap stuff happily.

In the Arteon, I averaged about 20 mpg in a bit of country and highway driving close to home, none of it patient or restrained. VW recommends premium for the Arteon.

Where they’re built: Emden, Germany, and Sohari, South Korea. Don’t be daft. You know which is which.

How they’re built: Both vehicles received a predicted reliability of 3 out of 5 from Consumer Reports.

Next week: We take them for a spin.