2007 Kia Sedona

Kia Sedona: Hot value, lots of room

Sat, Jul 29th 2006

I decided to bail on Day Two of BlogHer. Too much work to do at home, especially all the outside stuff now that the heat wave has broken. Fourteen days of being stuck inside … the rabbits’ play yard needs work (they, of course, haven’t been in it while the heat has been so bad, and have been playing in a make-shift area in my office) and the parrot’s play stand and cage need to be dragged outside for a thorough scrubbing, long overdue.

Of course, I drove the Infiniti QX56 to San Jose and back, using enough gas to fuel a third-world country for a day. No, I would never have a super-sized SUV, but I will say spending a few days with this one has been eye-opening. Yes, I can now see what people see in these big beasties. This one is so comfortable, luxurious and smooth you almost feel as if it could drive itself. And with the navigation system, it practically does.

Today I will finally answer the question of what’s behind the third seat of the QX56. As an aging baby-boomer, I just can’t see that far away from the front seat, so I’m going to put on my safari gear, open the rear hatch and go exploring …

OK, OK, the Kia Sedona.

If you’ve been picking up on a reluctance to review this vehicle on my part, well, you’re right. In fact, the Kia was the first car I test-drove, and so far, the hardest to review. After all, I loved the Toyota RAV4 into little bitty pieces, and immediately shot it to the top of my Dogmobiles list, both to recommend to others and to consider for myself. The Infiniti QX56 has been the work of the devil, pitting my distaste for oversized gas-guzzlers against my appreciation for a well-made vehicle that’s just dripping with luxury. I’m so conflicted!

But the Sedona … what a challenge! There’s so much to like about this vehicle, from a Dogmobile point of view, but it just didn’t much light my fire.

See, I’ve been driving a minivan for almost a decade with no complaints. Ol’ Forrest Green, the Plymouth Voyager, has taken the dogs and I from Northern California to Florida and back. We’ve been to countless pet events, carried people, dogs and gear in all kinds of combinations and it has been just everything I could ever have asked for, including reliable in the face of all kinds of abuse.

It’s just that I want to drive something more exciting for the next 10 years, and a minivan ain’t it.

The Sedona’s styling is such that you couldn’t pick it out from a parking lot at a kids’ soccer tournament even if you owned it. It’s nice, rounded … and utterly blah. It handles comfortably, smoothly … and utterly blah.

My minivan ennui aside, the Sedona’s a heckuva package. It has everything you could want at far less than you’d expect. All power everything, seats that fold into the floor, good sound system, comfortable seats (except for the arm rests, which I swear are positioned for the average long-armed basketball player, too far down for me to use it comfortably). There’s even a gadget so nifty I couldn’t stop using it: A little mirror that drops from the ceiling with a push, and allows the driver to glance at what’s going on in the seats behind her. (“Hey, Fluffy! Quit chewing on Tiger’s ear! And Max, don’t think I don’t see you sniffing Sadie’s butt!”)

The model I tested was the high-end EX. Great air conditioning from front to back, and with the third-row seats folded into the floor, room for dog crates behind the second row seats with plenty to spare. The sight lines were good, and the van was easy to drive, easy to park and easy to get dogs in and out of, thanks to a relatively low rear deck. “High end” is a relative thing — with a sticker price of around $27,000 for the EX I drove, the Sedona minivan is good value compared to other similar vehicles. (For long-term reliability on all models I review, check out Consumer Reports or other such sources. I don’t have a testing lab, even if I do have retrievers.)

So … paws up for the Kia Sedona. It has lots of room, lots of features, lots of versatility at stunningly reasonable price. If you’re more practical than I am — I really yearn for convertibles — you and your pack can’t go wrong with this one. Dogalicious!

-- Gina Spadafori

Carguy Comments:The Kia Sedona comes in two configurations: the Long Wheel Base (EX and LX) and Short Wheel Base (SWB) – the difference being and extra foot or so in overall length. Both versions feature a 3.8-liter V-6 engine producing 250 horsepower. Cargo capacity is a hefty 141.5 cubic feet (LWB) and 121.3 (SWB). Towing capacity is 3,500 pounds.

-- Keith Turner, The Family Car

Kia Sedona: Everything you’d want in a dogmobile

Barking Lot Banter: The Kia Sedona may not be the flashiest minivan in the parking lot, but when you need space for crates and other training paraphernalia, there’s no better hauler than the Sedona’s wide open space. When low price is a priority, the Sedona is sure to satisfy your bargain basement desires.