2010 Kia Sedona reviews

[mtnbkr]

Does anyone here have a recent model Kia Sedona?  We've been looking at minivans and the Sedona keeps percolating to the top of the list (along with the Honda Odyssey).  We test drove a 2010 Sedona LX yesterday and loved it.  We're considering a new one since they have the 10yr/100k warranty.  If we got the Honda, we would be buying a used one (2-3yo with 40-50k miles).

Chris

[TechMan]

Chris,
A co-worker of mine got a 2007 Kia Sedona and has had multiple electrical problems with it.  He has taken it back to the dealer several times and has been throughly frustrated with it.
-Andy

[mtnbkr]

Do you happen to know the nature of the problems?

Chris

[TechMan]

IIRC it was with the radio, mostly.  I do remember him constantly complaining and he was not one to overly complain.

I will send him an email and see what he says.

[Gewehr98]

Hand in your man card, Chris.

It's a minivan.   

[Boomhauer]

Hand in your man card, Chris.

It's a minivan.   

Married Man...Married Man
Drives Around In A Minivan
Got A Wife And Some Kids
His Whole Life's On The Skids
Hey There...
There Goes The Married Man

How's He Feel? Listen Dude
This Poor Guy's Really Screwed
Hangin' On By A Thread
Quart Of Milk Loaf Of Bread
Hey There...
There Goes The Married Man

Got A Big Gas Grill
Buys His Clothes At The Gap
And He's Just About
Had Enough Of This Crap

Married Man...Married Man
Friendly Neighborhood Married Man
Life For Him Has No Zing
Wife Won't Let Him Do A Thing
She Says...
It's About Time He Grew Up
Wherever There's A Screw-Up
You'll Find The Married Man!!!!!

[Ryan in Maine]

There has to be an alternative to a minivan in this price range. Don't do it.

What are the specs you need that are making a minivan the front runner?

[Scout26]

I could never own a car whose name stands for "Killed In Action"....  just bad juju....

[Declaration Day]

We have a 2009 Sedona LX.


What I like about it:

Engine has plenty of power, nearly twice that of our last Chrysler minivan
Oil filter is under the hood, which is nice if you change your own oil
Tons of storage room in the far back with the seats upright
Perfect dashboard design IMO, instrumentation is large, not too cluttered, controls intuitive and within easy reach
Each rear passenger gets their own ceiling vent w/ separate climate controls for front and rear.

What I don't like:

Carpet holds on to dirt and lint for dear life.  Seat fabric does too.
Lack of trim, aluminum accents, chrome etc., but that's fair since the van is $8,000 less than the competition


We've had our Sedona for 8 months and have driven approximately 7,700 miles.  We haven't had a single problem with it.  FWIW I did my homework on this van and it seems they have the electrical gremlins that plagued the '06 and '07s worked out.

We shopped the competition, and while the Honda and Toyota were slightly more refined, they simply weren't worth the price difference.  We think the Sedona's styling is much better than any other minivan on the market, and the warranty can't be beat.

We looked at what the American companies had to offer.

The Chevy Traverse starts at $30,000.  It has less room than a traditional minivan, and lacks the open floor plan of a minivan too.  I like to be able to get up out of a front seat and walk to the far back if I need to.

The Chrysler  / Dodge minivan redefines the terms cheap, boring, and undesirable.

The Ford Flex?  Sorry, I intend to take only one ride in a hearse.  That monstrosity is overpriced, too.

We paid $22,500 for our Kia and we're very happy with it!  BTW I don't care if it's cool to drive a minivan or not.  I'm not 16 any more.  

[Jamisjockey]

We paid $22,500 for our Kia and are very happy with it! I don't care if it's cool to drive a minivan or not.  I'm not 16 any more. 

Hear hear!

Just because I didn't go the minivan route, doesn't mean I wouldn't.  I'm secure enough in my manhood to drive around whatever I damn well please.
Most modern minivans are pretty darn tootin nice on the inside, specially when there's kids involved.

[Declaration Day]

Most modern minivans are pretty darn tootin nice on the inside, specially when there's kids involved.

Yep, they're probably the most practical vehicles on the road, especially if you have kids.  This will be our last minivan, since our kids are 13 and 15.

[mtnbkr]

There has to be an alternative to a minivan in this price range. Don't do it.

What are the specs you need that are making a minivan the front runner?

We have two kids in car seats and a dog.  When we travel, our Camry or our 4Runner is packed to the gills.  We can't get a normal sized adult in the back seat with the two car seats.  We take a lot of road trips.

We're planning on having the third bench seat of a minivan to offset the loss of seating from the kids' seats.  The space around the seats will give us plenty of space so we don't feel like we're packed in like sardines. 

DD, great info, thanks!  I too liked the layout and such.  I need to take a closer look at the Odyssey, but we really liked what we saw with the Sedona.  Also, I change my own oil, so having easy access to the filter will be nice.

BTW I don't care if it's cool to drive a minivan or not.  I'm not 16 any more. 

Same here.  Function over form any day!

Chris

[mtnbkr]

I like to be able to get up out of a front seat and walk to the far back if I need to.

This is something else I'm looking forward to.  With a car or SUV, if the kids need something in the back, one of us has to twist around and contort ourselves to reach back to them.  With a minivan, the passenger can walk back there and assist.

Chris

[mtnbkr]

Hand in your man card, Chris.

It's a minivan.   

It'll be SWMBO's daily driver.  I'll be driving the Camry or 4Runner.  Of course, when it's all 4 of us, we'll be in the van.  With sliding doors and lots of floor space, it'll be so much easier to get the kids in while running errands.

Chris

[mtnbkr]

Declaration Day, do you have the power sliding doors?  If so, do you know if the doors can be opened or closed without power, ie a dead battery?

Chris

[Declaration Day]

I do not have the power sliding doors.

Since you change your own oil, here's a useful bit of info.  While the Sedona has been virtually unchanged since 2006, the oil filter size was changed for 2009.  However, as of last summer, all of the aftermarket filter manufacturers still listed the larger filter that fits the '06-'08 as the proper filter for '09.

Also, this is a paper cartridge type filter, not the enclosed metal canister type that 99% of cars use.  You unscrew a cap under the hood, toss the old paper filter, slip the new one on and screw the cap back on.  It's a bit odd at first, but no big deal.

I ended up buying several filters from the dealer,  as they were seemingly proprietary at the time.

The aftermarket filter manufacturers have probably corrected this error by now.  I won't know for a while because I still have a year's worth of filters sitting in my garage.

[mtnbkr]

Good to know, thanks. 

Is the paper filter messy to remove?  Seems like it would be. 

SWMBO wants the power doors because they'll be handy when schlepping kids and stuff to and from the vehicle.  Just press a button on the key fob...

Chris

[Declaration Day]

Is the paper filter messy to remove?  Seems like it would be.  

Only if you do the oil change shortly after shutting the engine off.  If you let the oil settle, there is virtually no mess.  

In a typical canister filter, which hangs off the bottom of the engine, oil settles down into the filter and makes a mess when you remove it.  With the paper cartridge, the oil drains away from it, because it's on top of the engine.

[Gewehr98]

Also, this is a paper cartridge type filter, not the enclosed metal canister type that 99% of cars use.  You unscrew a cap under the hood, toss the old paper filter, slip the new one on and screw the cap back on.  It's a bit odd at first, but no big deal.

Odd maybe to some people who don't remember that type of oil filter operation from way back in the day...   

Hell, who doesn't remember the oil strainer screen in air-cooled VWs?   

[mtnbkr]

Cool.  Thanks!

Chris

[Jamisjockey]

What'd you decide to do with the other vehicles? 

[mtnbkr]

Keeping the 4Runner.  We may trade in the Camry if they offer enough.  My commute is short enough now that I can tolerate the 4Runner's lack of fuel economy.  If I go that route, I'll drive the 4Runner for a year or so and then buy a little gas sipper for myself.

If we keep the Camry, then we'll have 3 vehicles until the Camry wears out.  The 4Runner isn't going anywhere as long as it's safe to drive.

Chris

[Declaration Day]

I was planning on changing the oil sometime in the next few days, but I did it just now so I could snap a few pics for you.  This was done about 1/2 hour after the van was shut off.  Note just a few drops of oil from the filter.

[mtnbkr]

Oh man that looks easy.  +1 to the Kia.

Chris

[Declaration Day]

And if you have relatively long arms like me, the oil drain plug can be reached without jacking up the van.