San Francisco: The
Kia Sedona minivan may have an economy-car badge, but it doesn't drive
like one. With 250 horsepower and a refined feel on the road, it drives
more like a well-build Japanese car than the old Korean clunkers you may
remember.
Nice materials and
tight construction make the Sedona's interior seem surprisingly upscale.
It has a roomy, family-friendly cabin that's both comfortable and
convenient for long road trips.
I sometimes wish I
could conduct a blind taste test with cars. You know, like in the cola
commercials. I'd line people up, blindfold them, and then challenge them
to see if they could tell which car was best simply by feel. I'd drive
them around town and on the highway, then let them feel the dash and the
seats to see what they really thought about a car without knowing its
brand or seeing all the marketing hype surrounding it.
And if I put them in
this minivan, the Sedona, I bet they'd think it's a Toyota or Honda.
There's no way they'd think it's a Kia.
It has way too much
power and refinement for that badge, or so you'd think. It makes 250
horsepower from a slick V6 engine and glides down the road with nearly
all the poise and grace of a luxury car.
If you run your hand
along the dash, all the panels line up perfectly and feel far more solid
than you'd expect in a minivan. In fact, the whole experience is like
sitting in a very nice Japanese full-size car, right down to the smell.
Trouble is, it's not a
Japanese car. It's Korean, which means you're probably suspicious. And
for a good reason.
For a long time, Korean
cars had a reputation for being garbage. They were known for their
terrible reliability, perhaps placing them one step, an itty-bitty step,
above the disposable Yugo.
Today, though, the
Korean brands are on the attack and beginning to raise their standards
to match their Japanese and American counterparts. J.D. Power and
Associates, which ranks the quality of new cars and trucks, placed the
overall quality of Hyundai and Kia higher than many well-known makes
like Chrysler, Dodge, Hummer, Jeep, Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi,
Suzuki and Volkswagen. That's quite an accomplishment.
As if that's not
enough, the Sedona earned a prestigious five-star crash safety rating
from the U.S. government for both front and side impact. And when you're
selling a family-friendly minivan, that top rating is more valuable than
gold.
Add it all up, and
you're looking at the very best bang-for-the-buck minivan out there. It
starts at $20,695, which is about $3,500 less than the Toyota Sienna and
$5,000 less than the Honda Odyssey. That’s a lot of saved money!
Based on this vehicle
alone, the Kia Sedona is a real winner. For people who are considering
an Odyssey or Sienna, a trip to the Kia dealer, and a road test, might
be just enough to change your mind and buy one.
What was tested?
The 2007 Kia Sedona with a base price of $20,695. Options: Floor mats
($150). Price as tested including a $700 destination charge: $21,545.
Why avoid it?
Kia's reputation is improving, but it still doesn't have a long-term
track record, not just yet.
Why buy it? It's
the best Asian minivan out there for the money, with a five-star crash
rating, super high marks for quality, and an impressive driving feel,
for such a low-priced minivan. By Derek Price © AutoWire.Net -
San Francisco
Kia Home Page
Byline: Syndicated content provided by Tony
Leopardo © AutoWire.Net
olumn Name: Another pleasant surprise from Kia
Topic: The 2007 Kia Sedona minivan
Word Count: 643
Photo Caption: The 2007 Kia Sedona minivan
Photo Credits: Kia Sedona Internet Media
Series #: 2007 - 59
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the Microsoft Word version here:
2007 Kia Sedona
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