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Eric's Autos: Reviewing the 2009 2009 Kia Sedona
Eric Peters
The minivan craze is officially over. Once hugely popular, traditional
minivans have become (as the French say) declasse. Which is an
elegant-sounding way of saying less-than-hip. People have been
switching over to "crossovers" - which are really nothing more than
minivans gussied up to look like sportwagons or SUVs. And priced
accordingly.
But that doesn't mean you shouldn't at least consider an out-of-the-closet, old-school minivan - especially if you need a a practical (and more to the point, affordable) kid-carrier. Like the Kia Sedona
WHAT IT IS
The Sedona is a full-size, seven passenger traditional minivan similar to others like it in size, layout, features and equipment - but considerably less expensive than any of them.
Base price is only $20,695 - vs. $21,540 for the Chevy Uplander, 22,475 for the base Dodge Grand Caravan, $24,550 for the base Toyota Sienna, $25,950 for the Nissan Quest, and a whopping $26,255 for the base model Honda Odyssey. Even the Hyundai Entourage - built by Kia's corporate partner and basically a gussied up twin of the Sedona - costs $23,995 to start, or nearly $3,000 more than the Kia.
WHAT'S GOOD
Family-friendly price; standard V-6. Solid buy with a good track record
WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD
More boring than reruns of "Murder, She Wrote."
ENGINES & PERFORMANCE
A Sedona strong suit is its standard 250 horsepower, 3.8 liter V-6. This is one of the most muscular engines you'll find in a minivan. Especially as standard equipment.
For example, the Dodge Grand Caravan comes standard with a smaller and much weaker 3.3 liter, 175 hp V-6. The Dodge also uses an obsolescent 4-speed automatic while the Kia comes standard with a 5-speed automatic. The standard Caravan's max towing capacity is also puny - just 2,000 lbs. - vs. the Kia's 3,500 lb. rating. Dodge does offer a larger 3.8 liter V-6 (and six-speed automatic) in the Caravan, but only in the $28,325 SXT. Even then, this engine still only delivers 197 hp.
The Caravan's top engine - an optional 4 liter V-6 - only manages dead even with the Kia's base engine at 251 hp. And by now, you're looking at nearly at $30,000. (Now you know why Chrysler's in deep do doo.)
Check some of the other competitors: Nissan's Quest - ostensibly the "sportiest" minivan out there - comes standard with a 3.5 liter V-6 rated at 230 hp (20 less than the Sedona). The hugely expensive Honda Odyssey comes with a 3.5 liter, 244 hp V-6 (6 hp less than the Sedona). The weird-looking Chevy Uplander is packing 240 hp from its 3.9 liter V-6.
The Hyundai Entourage, meanwhile, has the same engine as the Sedona, with the same power rating. It just comes with a three-grand-higher MSRP. Toyota's Sienna is one of the few minivans that matches the Sedona on standard power - but just barely. Its 3.5 liter V-6 is rated at 266 hp.
RIDE & HANDLING
It is virtually impossible to tell the difference between one minivan and another in terms of ride quality.
They're all intended to be comfortable family-movers, so the ride is typically soft and mellow. The main noticeable differences come down to steering feel (the Honda Odyssey probably has the lightest/most precise steering) and the van's overall sense of bigness as transmitted to the driver.
The Sedona is as pleasant and easy to maneuver as any other current van - and actually feels less floaty and enormous than the Toyota Sienna.
No minivan is built to be a corner burner, but the Sedona's body lean when pushed is minimal. It can keep up comfortably with other traffic on winding roads and turns, too - without imparting sea-sickness to driver or passengers.
STYLING & UTILITY
Unlike some others in this segment, Kia offers the Sedona in regular and extended wheelbase forms. Both have three-row, seven-passenger seating, but extended versions have considerably more total cargo capacity - 142 cubic feet vs. 121 - as well as more room behind the third seat when it's up (32.2 cubic feet vs. 12.9 cubic feet).
The point, though, is you have a choice. Not everyone needs 142 cubic feet of cargo capacity. And many buyers will like the fact that the short wheelbase version is a full foot shorter overall than the extended version - and therefore easier to maneuver in tight places and also fits into parking spots its longer brother would have to pass by.
The Sedona looks like your standard minivan; everyone knows the basic shape. There's no attempt to make it appear sporty, like the Nissan Quest. But, so what? Why pretend to be something you're not? The Quest isn't foolin' anyone.
And the Sedona isn't weird-looking like the Chevy Uplander, which was clumsily styled to imitate an SUV. Please.
The base model Sedona comes with dual sliding doors (manual actuation), second-row captain's chairs and a removable third row bench. Power door sliders can be ordered, as well as a powered rear liftgate - par for the minivan course.
One of the nicer features of the as-it-sits base Sedona is standard triple-zone AC. This is an extra-cost feature on some other vans, which already start out with higher base MSRPs.
It also comes standard with remote keyless entry, cruise control, power windows and locks, a perfectly serviceable eight-speaker stereo with CD player and privacy glass.
The up-trim LX and EX come with things like 17-inch aluminum rims and fog lights - but c'mon. This is a minivan. Does a kid-carrier need 17-inch rims and fog lights? It's nice - but also kinda like serving a Quarter Pounder with Cheese on your finest china.
QUALITY & SAFETY
It's hard to knock this thing from any angle. The Sedona's much less expensive than its competition, yet comes with just about everything anyone looking for a solid family-mobile could want (with the sole exception of a video/DVD entertainment system - which is optional. But let the kids read a book instead of gaping at some vacuous Pixar garbage. Maybe they'll learn something - and not still be living with you when they're 28).
All versions - including the $20k base trim - come with standard stability control, traction control, ABS brakes and side curtain air bags, plus "active" front headrests to prevent whiplash in the event someone rear-ends you. The Sedona achieved top scores in both insurance industry and government crash testing.
Also: don't forget that industry-best warranty coverage. (And also the fact that Toyota's quality has been slipping lately - and that neither Toyota nor Honda offer even half the warranty coverage that Kia does.)
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
The Sedona is surprisingly forceful - for a minivan. That big V-6 pulls hard, without any sense of strain. It'll get you to 60 mph in about 8.7 seconds - respectable performance for a 4,000 lb. seven passenger van - and has the guts to pass slow-moving traffic comfortably. Normally, I hate minivans - in part because they are typically over-heavy and under-powered, which renders them gratingly slow. But the Sedona had no trouble keeping up with my lead-footed driving habits and by that standard, I assure you, it will very likely be more than sufficient for the typical buyer.
The biggest impression it made on me was how much van you can get for your money from Kia. By this measure, the Sedona is in a class by itself.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Kia, like its Hyundai corporate partner, has been on a consistent upward trajectory for several years - earning praise from consumers and a growing rep for offering high quality for not much money. If you give the Sedona a look, you'll understand why.
========
www.ericpetersautos.com or EPeters952@aol.com for comments.
This news arrived on: 05/21/2009
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