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Kia Sedona (2005 and Earlier)

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Comments

  • hokumhokum Member Posts: 26
    A simple question for other Sedona owners: Is your a/c extremely loud? From inside the vehicle, it is not noticeable...but from outside, sounds like a jet when the a/c is engaged. Any similar experiences?

    Other than this (small) concern, I am extremely happy with the van. We bought Houston's first Sedona (so we were told) way back in mid July, EX loaded to the gills. Great price, great van.

    regards

    hokum
  • jondotjondot Member Posts: 63
    Yes Hokum, I've noticed that loud a/c. I think it is just the engine fan which must kick in when the air is on. It is especially noticeable in an enclosed area like the garage but not a problem inside the van. I wouldn't worry about it
  • jondotjondot Member Posts: 63
    This is a pretty good write-up on the Sedona:

    http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2108.shtml
  • iownasedonaiownasedona Member Posts: 8
    Best wishes on your delivery scheduled for today!! I'm sure you've been very excited about the big event. Be sure and to let us know after your "bouncing baby Sedona" arrives and you take a spin.
  • juan_vjuan_v Member Posts: 5
    I did notice the loud a/c when the van is first started in the morning (cold engine), so I decided to check it up, I raised the hood, started the engine set the a/c 75% and noticed that the loud noise came from the compressor and not from the fans, but is you keep the a/c running for a while you will notice that the loud noise goes away (compressor clutch engages and disengage). My conclusion..... I believe that the noise is made during the a/c compressor build-up gas pressure... just my opinion. After a while you hardly notice the fans noise.
  • jimjpsjimjps Member Posts: 146
    Canadian Driver has a quick summary of the Sedona. http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/bm/ccoy02-4.htm

    Interesting - it's braking was just a tiny bit better than Odyssey. Acceleration was 10.8 0-100km. The lead-foots (feet?) at Motorweek managed to get a 9.8 0-60 mph out of it and this is very good indeed for a Minivan. Also note that Motorweek got an average of 19MPG, much better than the 15-20 EPA, and this matches the experience of owners on this Forum - The Sedona gets better MPG than the EPA numbers indicate. I suspect they programmed the engine and transmission for real world driving instead of programming it to do well on the EPA cycle.
  • mom23girlsmom23girls Member Posts: 75
    When my Sedona arrived it was a Sapphire Blue/Platinum 2-tone instead of Beige! I would have been happy with either, but now the color combination is perfect with our football team!

    Iownasedona, it is a gorgeous color isn't it. I hope this baby does last 10 yrs. cause I'm looking forward to driving it that long. It is really pretty. There is not another van out there that has anything up on it for looks, now if the reliability will be there, Fantastic!
  • jlngwrjlngwr Member Posts: 51
    I found some shredded foam rubber under the engine area of the van on the floor of the garage the other day. What is it? We do get occasional problems of chipmunks looking for warm places this time of year and using the engine as storing spots for food (a burning smell in my old Caravan turned out to be a pile of acorns "roasting" on the engine block). Do I need to be worried about something important being destroyed here? More important, will this nullify any warranty?
    I would appreciate responses from you knowledgable folk out there.
  • iownasedonaiownasedona Member Posts: 8
    Mom26,

    The owners manual says the EX seats are equipped with 'universal' safety seat attachments. Additionally, there are floor attachment points behind both 2nd row seats and behind one of the 3rd row seats. The manual also includes instructions on how the seat belts adapt to a 'lock down' mode for saftey seat use. Looks like the EX should be able to handle any type of approved safety seat. Hope this helps.
  • iownasedonaiownasedona Member Posts: 8
    I hope you enjoy your Sedona as much as we are enjoying ours!! I think it is great that you ended up with the sapphire/platinum--it looks great. Certainly turns heads in the small town where I live!
  • jdimicco1jdimicco1 Member Posts: 5
    After researching and driving a number of minivan alternatives, we took the plunge and and replaced our '96 Plymouth Grand Voyager with a Sedona EX with all the bells and whistles - except ABS (sound familiar?). The latter was a bit of a concern, along with the mileage issue (undoubtedly related to the weight of the vehicle) and the fact that no data was available regarding reliability. Paying MSRP irked me a bit, too. Well. we've had it a couple of weeks and couldn't be happier so far. The five speed AT is smooth as silk and I don't think the vehicle's underpowered at all. Also, as with others on the list, we're getting somewhat better than 15 MPG EPA estimate around town - I'll be interested to see what happens on the highway. Only complaint is that my wife loves it so much, I haven't had a chance to drive it since I drove it home from the dealership. My only remaining concern is reliability - and only time will tell there...
    (By the way, ours is ruby red/silky beige - VERY pretty!)
  • mom23girlsmom23girls Member Posts: 75
    That color combo is really pretty too. I would have desired it but my last van (A Plymouth) was red, so I was ready for a change. All of you guys out there, please keep us informed on how your Sedonas are doing. It helps to know what to watch out for. On one of the previous posts someone said they are always finding some little goodie that wasn't included in the manual. If you could share these as you find them it would help me as well. Thanks
  • mom23girlsmom23girls Member Posts: 75
    and thus far it has gotten 19.21 miles to the gallon of purely city driving. Occasionally, I had the air conditioning on. I'm very pleased as I feel this is much better than the predicted 15 miles per gallon. Now, the only thing is reliability. I will be taking it in to see why it veeres off to the right. Other than that I just love it so far.
  • iownasedonaiownasedona Member Posts: 8
    Check # 245 above. Sounds like jondot had the same problem.

    Your mpg sounds great! I haven't been disciplined enough yet to calculate what we are getting in that department. I hope ours is as good as yours.

    We've not experienced the drift to the right. I've taken my hands off the wheel at 80mph with absolutely no problem.

    We are very pleased so far with the quiet ride and solid feel.

    Having to adjust a bit to the smaller cargo space (compared to our extended Aerostar), but folding two or all four rear seats over to create a relatively flat platform is a snap! Those little pulls straps on the back of the 3rd row seats make it so easy to lay them forward while standing behind the vehicle. Laying down the rear bench of the Aerostar from behind was almost impossible.

    Also, as others have stated, I'm really impressed with the quality of the sound system.

    Five days and no 'buyer's remorse' in sight!
  • jondotjondot Member Posts: 63
    Just completed a 500 mile round trip.
    Steering is much better, but still seems to require a little more attention than what I recall in my former van, a '96 Grand Caravan with the 3.3 engine. I suspect a tire problem and will do some more switching. Will keep you posted.
    As stated in 245, the right pull is gone since swapping the front wheels, but the steering seems stiff in the straight ahead position. Still hoping some can explain why the switching helped.
    Gas milage was fine. I averaged 22.5 mpg and that was driving between 75-78 mph most of the way between San Antonio and Houston and back. City milage seems to be about 16
  • mom23girlsmom23girls Member Posts: 75
    When the literature says that the steering wheel and gear shift are leather wrapped, what do you actually get? I either didn't receive this, or I'm expecting something else. The gear shift is black on my van and the texture is more like hard plastic. This is fine, but I wanted to make sure that I got everything that I paid for. Thanks for any response.
  • coop17coop17 Member Posts: 2
    This townhall was very helpful to me in choosing what van to buy, so I thought I'd post our story to possibly help others. About a month ago, after much research, we decided the Sedona was definitely worth checking out. Seemed like a lot for the money. A dealership about an hour or so from us was advertising the Sedonas at $18,995, which, according to their ad, included captain's seats. We travelled up there, test drove the van and really liked it. I was surprised at the acceleration and the roominess. I was thinking Kia, Hyundai, good price. . .no way this thing will move or be comfortable for the 4 of us. All the preconceptions that have been discussed on this townhall. But we were pleasantly surprised. It had better acceleration than the GC we had test driven and my wife felt the seats were more comfortable. Unfortunately, the dealer couldn't sell us one with captain's chairs for $18,995. Only the EX models come with captains chairs and they cost more. "A mistake in the ad and we're not responsible for mistakes in the advertising. That's the advertising companies fault, blah, blah, blah." The sales manager had the attitude that if we didn't want the EX we had just driven (at MSRP) somebody else would come along soon who would, so take it or leave it, pal. He didn't say that but he might as well have. He showed us their newest ad and it listed the LX model for $18,995. But that doesn't include a $595 shipping freight charge not mentioned in the ad so they still can't sell you one for $18,995. So we left "Georgia's Newest and Largest Kia Store" (which I'd be happy to name specifically if it's allowed) with no Sedona, but every intention of finding one, and every intention of calling Kia about our episode with this dealership, which we did.

    We called every Kia dealership in Georgia, and for a couple of weeks couldn't find what we were looking for (a two-tone EX with leather, sunroof, and preferably ABS). We found that some of the dealerships were asking several hundred above MSRP for what they did have. I contacted carsdirect.com and was told these vans are really hard to find and we probably wouldn't end up with exactly what we wanted. But the guy was helpful and said if we could wait, he'd eventually find one for us. Finally, we called the Kia dealership in Augusta (about 2 hours from us) and was told they had just unloaded a shipment of 5 EX's. None of them had ABS, but they were loaded otherwise. They even had one that was Ruby Red and Beige, our favorite color scheme. The salesmen said he'd sell it to us at MSRP, so we decided to make the trip. Everything checked out, we had a good experience at the dealership and we bought the van. And so far we love it. It's getting about 18 mpg but I'm told that may improve after the first few thousand miles. If not, I don't care. It's a nice tight ride and I still can't get over the power. I've been driving 4 cylinders way too long. I'm really impressed with the postings from people who have gotten their vans below MSRP. Get down with your bad selves! But even at MSRP, it's a great deal. The final moral of my story: keep looking and you will find the van you're looking for. And even if you have to look a little further, you can find your van at a dealership who will treat you right. Good luck and sorry for such a long posting.
  • brenicebrenice Member Posts: 21
    Do the Sedona sold in the USA come with the auto wipers? To everyone have a blessed and safe holiday as you travel with your hot new wheels.
  • juan_vjuan_v Member Posts: 5
    My front ashtray cover does not close, anyone has experienced this problem.
  • coop17coop17 Member Posts: 2
    The van we test drove had an ashtray cover that wouldn't close. The salesman riding with us said all of them have that problem, but the one we ended up buying doesn't, so I know that isn't true. It's very annoying, I know.
  • mom23girlsmom23girls Member Posts: 75
    Yes, the manual says the EX has auto wipers (not sure about the LX). I haven't had a chance to use them yet. I like the auto headlights though.

    My ashtray closes with no problems so far.

    For what it's worth, I really like the storage compartment on the top-center of the dash to put my extra money/change/house key in and easily accessible. Also, the way the interior lights up when you unlock the doors at night helps for security reason(a big plus). Another little thing I like is how large the floor mats are, especially in front of the center seats. They cover virtually the entire carpet(great for kids). Has anyone noticed how heavy the hood is when you open it? To me that's good. My husband was in a head-on car crash in an old model volkswagon, need I say that I'm a believer in the more solid the better. I'm very curious to see how the Sedona rates in the crash tests.

    Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!
  • robsmithrobsmith Member Posts: 71
    After reading so much about the Sedona mostly here I decided to take a look at it. For the most part I'm impressed with what you get.

    When I considered that I might have to pay MSRP for it I came away less impressed though.

    I decided to compare a 2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette GL. For an invoice price of $26466 I can get just about all of the features the Sedona is offering and in addition power sliding door(pass. side), rear parking aid, Onstar, rear seat audio controls, traction control, Anti-lock brake, side air-bags, tire inflation kit. The major thing it doesn't have is leather seats and sunroof. You can also add a tow package for less then $200.

    At this point I would say the Kia being fully loaded for $24100 probably still has an edge.

    The Olds also has a $1500 rebate which brings the invoice down to about $25000. I'm sure you can get these pretty close to Invoice. So it could possibly cost you depending on your bargaining skills $1000-$1500 more than the Kia.

    The question is if the pwr sliding door, rear parking aid, traction control and side air bags are worth the difference?

    I think it comes close enough that it could be considered especially if you have to deal with Kia dealers charging over MSRP.

    The Olds is a full size mini-van as which gets better mileage and a longer wheel base.

    The Olds does have a 5/60 warranty but can't match the powertrain warranty.

    I'm not putting down the Sedona but I think when you start factoring in paying MSRP for the Kia and that you can buy most US mini-vans close to invoice I think the price difference becomes a lot closer.

    If nothing else this is something you can bring up to the snooty Kia dealers.
  • mcperrmcperr Member Posts: 74
    The auto wipers seem to work quite well once they are adjusted. For some reason it took me several tries to locate the little ring around the stock that sets the sensitivity of the system to the amount of water on the windshield. Get to see how they react to snow this weekend.
  • DTKWOKDTKWOK Member Posts: 131
    Well, it's hard to say, compared to most other minivans I would say "yes". Keep in mind that the Silo/Venture/Montana aren't exactly top rated in the safety department, even with side airbags, I believe it is better to start with a strong cage first. I'll be surprised if the Sedona didn't do well in the crash test. One would have to also wonder why incentives are given for those vans in the first place. Sure, the cost of a vehicle is not always a direct measure of "how good it is", but it makes you wonder doesn't it?

    Also, how much better is the gas mileage on the Olds? 1-2 mpg better? With a little more aggressive driving, that advantage quickly disappears. Of course, can't youget AWD for these types of vans, so that's a definite plus.
  • mom23girlsmom23girls Member Posts: 75
    One item that I took into consideration when purchasing a Kia Sedona over an Olds Silhouette was actually the power side door issue. This is my reasoning(yes, it is personal opinion and could be flawed). A close friend has a 2001 Silhouette, for the most part she is happy with her purchase except with the power side door. It has failed on two separate occasions resulting in trips to the shop. Her comment was that though the doors could be closed manually they were very heavy. She didn't like that and was very impressed with the light, smooth, ease with which the Sedona's closed. Personally, I prefer easy to close sliding side doors over power doors. However, I'd give up the Universal Garage Door Opener for back-up sensors. Oh, well can't have it all.
  • robsmithrobsmith Member Posts: 71
    I only used the Olds mini-van because of the 5/60K warranty. Both Dodge and Ford have $1500 rebates on their 2002 models.

    My point is that you can't really compare the MSRP of vans that are selling near invoice to the MSRP of the Kia. You really need to compare the actual price they are selling for.

    I would venture to say you can price a Ford or Dodge similarly equipped to the Kia which tops $24K(if you can get one with ABS) and at least be within $1000-$1500.

    The price advantage is not as much when you factor this into it.

    For those who really want leather I give Kia credit because you probably won't find leather in a US van in this price range.

    If a Kia dealer wants MSRP or heaven forbid more than MSRP you might want to look and see how close you can price a Dodge, Ford or GM mini-van. You might be surprised at how close you can actually get to the MSRP of the Kia and still be similarly equipped.

    The nice thing also is you can probably find a US mini-van equipped with the options you want as well.
    For me ABS is important living in Ohio and I'm really disappointed that it's so hard to find on a Sedona.

    I also want to point out that I'm not trying to pump buying US(I own a Toyota) but I think you can buy these closer to invoice as opposed to a Toyota or Honda.
  • wes19wes19 Member Posts: 48
    I purchased my Sedona in August for below MSRP although it was sticker priced above MSRP. I also bought it with 1.9% financing.

    It has performed well. 2 problems have arisen 1) the rear heater is always putting out heat, thus it takes a LONG time for the Air Conditioning to cool the vehicle on a hot day. and very uncomfortable to the legs. AND 2) there is some hesitation on acceleration after the vehicle has been turned off for a period of time (it does not happen on a cold start)

    The KIA factory techs are aware of the problem but have no solution as of yet. They did adjust the rear heat so that it does not blow continuously.

    If anyone else is experiencing these problems I suggest calling the factory.

    ALSO, I read about a steering problem (driving to the right) I took mine in and they adjusted the steering wheel and now no problem at all.
  • jlngwrjlngwr Member Posts: 51
    I have noticed problems with the air system also. All responds well from a cold start, but after driving a while, then re-starting, the air is always warm, not even the temperature of outside. On warm days this is annoying. I need to put on the A/C for a few minutes to "clear" the air system and then the ambient air temperature will come in. I haven't noticed that with the rear vents, I don't use them unless kids are in the car and they want them on.

    My ashtray lid stays closed just fine, but I don't use that either. Maybe if I did, it would end up failing as other post had problems. I have also noticed some hesitation, but not enough to worry about.

    New problem: believe it or not, we just tried out the cruise control for the first time (my husband uses it but I'm the primary driver and don't use it). It didn't work! The rear defrost indicator light came on the dash display. Yet when you push the rear defrost button, no indicator light comes on. I didn't check to see if it actually heated the rear window. The only reason I can think is that when we bought the van, the radio was not working properly. A new radio was installed a few days later, maybe some wiring was fouled up? I'm sure (I think) that the cruise and rear defrost was working properly when we picked up the car initially. But that was 3 months ago, beyond the storage capacity of my memory cells these days. Obviously, I'll be bringing the van in for service but any thoughts?
    Does it seem to anyone else that there seems to be inconsistency in quality of the Sedona? There doesn't seem to be just one problem that people share, but several problems that are hit or miss. Is this normal with cars in general?
  • rwalden5105rwalden5105 Member Posts: 1
    Hello my name is Rick Walden and I sell Kia at a dealership in indiana. I have these hot sedona vans and would love to talk to you about them. Please email me at Rwalden5105@aol.com. Thanks and look forward to hearing from you....
  • seeley5060seeley5060 Member Posts: 25
    Does anyone else out there have a problem with their A/C? Been to the dealer twice. Last time they recharged the system and put some dye in it. The weather became cold outside here in NY and I forgot to check out the A/C. Still no air as of 11-27-2001. There must be a leak in the system, plus I don't here the loud noises from the engine area that many say they here. Somebody tell me that they have had "COLD AIR" during the hot summer months that pasted us in? I need to know if it in other Sedona's. Thanks for the help to all the Sedona buddies out there! Jeff
  • sglissonsglisson Member Posts: 7
    Our ashtray didn't close either, but I called the dealer and they said to bring it in and they would replace. They stated that this was a common problem.
  • mcperrmcperr Member Posts: 74
    We bought our Sedona in August and used it during the hottest weeks of our brief summer (95f). We don't suffer from the same humidity that those of you in the east do, but the A/C worked very well.

    The rear heater is another matter. It blows pure hot from under the 3rd seat and is uncontrollable from the dash temperature control. Given that the upper rear outlets never produce any heat, the choice appears to be between too much rear heat or none.

    I have put it to my dealer as an unacceptable situation. He has forwarded the problem to Kia Canada who are apparently awaiting a response from Korea. I'll keep you all posted.
  • wes19wes19 Member Posts: 48
    This is EXACTLY what our sedona is doing with the rear heater. I took it to the dealer who gave me the same answer.

    Kia is aware of the problem.

    HOWEVER, they were able to do some adjusting and ordered a part and although not resolved it is acceptable for the moment. (No burned legs for the person sitting in the 3rd row.)

    I would suggest your dealer talk to a factory rep personally. Also if you are able to email. I will give you my dealers name and number and your dealer can talk with them.

    As for my AC I found that it takes way too long too cool the van. but once it is cool it does a good job.
  • mom23girlsmom23girls Member Posts: 75
    Well, I hate to add my 2 cents into the pot, but I had a frustrating day at the Kia Dealer. I took my Sedona EX in today for the veering off to the right problem. I thought I had made myself perfectly clear as to what the problem was(pulling to the right at any speed), but I guess I needed to s-p-e-l-l i-t o-u-t. They called and said to come pick it up, that there was nothing they could do. They called the Kia hotline, so they say, and was told that this was normal for "torque steering." I relayed the different situations that were posted here. It was the end of the day and I had to pick it up, so it looks like I'll have to take off work part of another day. The Kia Guy at the dealership repair said that this is normal for it to pull either direction when accelerating. I told him that this isn't what I said, I said that at any speed it pulls to the right not necessarily only when accelerating. His reply was to bring it back in for normal maintenance and they will check the wear on the tires or to schedule another appointment.
    Well, we're supposed to have bitter temperatures here in MO over the next 24 hours I guess I'll atleast find out if my heater is funky like some of yours and take care of two birds with one stone if necessary. Of course they'll probably say that's normal too.
    Aside from this I still love this van.
  • wes19wes19 Member Posts: 48
    Have your dealer adjust the steering wheel. That is what my dealer did and now it drives a straight line.
  • mom23girlsmom23girls Member Posts: 75
    So, adjusting the steering wheel itself (to the left I presume)remedied your problem? That helps, thanks. Now if I can get them to do it is another thing.
  • jondotjondot Member Posts: 63
    Hey Mom23girls, do you have the same dealer as me? Only kidding! I have experienced the same problem, pulling to the right. I took delivery of my Sedona EX early October. Driving around the city I noticed the steering wheel was turned slightly to the right but did not detect a problem driving around the city. A week after getting the van, I headed out on a 5000 mile round trip to the East coast and after a few minutes on the highway I became aware of the slight pull to the right. The defect was annoying but not critical enough to try to find a Kia dealer. It did make for a tireing drive because I had to constantly correct to stay on course. While on the trip, I got a slow leak in my right front tire. I put on the spare and had the pin hole defect in the tire repaired and hung it as a spare until I got home. On return, I went to the selling dealer and he ordered a new tire (at my expense) from the nearest Kumho dealer who was about 50 miles south of my city, San Antonio, TX. He checked the alignment and said it was close enough but that my problem was uneven tire pressure.

    The pulling remained so I made a second trip; this time they said it was the crown in the road, dummy.

    On my third trip to get the replacement for the bad spare tire, I expressed my feelings about their previous findings (I was pretty mad by then) and the checked it again and this time the problem was partially corrected by swapping the two front wheels. Steering improved but does not feel as good as my previous "96 Grand Caravan. Steering is somewhat stiff and now has a slight drift to the left. Suspecting a bad tire, I tried to put my brand new spare on the left front, but couldn't loosen the lug nuts even with my torque wrench which measures uo to 300 pounds! The manual says 90 pounds torque is required with my alloy wheels! I hope my hubs are not distorted! Seeing I had problems with both front tires, I suspect damage was done to the tires before delivery.

    The story was long but it is not over. I'm waiting to hear from the dealer regarding the next step.
  • mom23girlsmom23girls Member Posts: 75
    Have you ever heard of "Torque Steering"? I asked the guy to explain Torque Steering to me. I could see his wheels churning feverishly trying to come up with an answer that sounded logical. He said it was the shift of the engine from one side or the other when accelerating. Please, tell me that I wasn't only naive but stupid to believe that the engines are somehow bolted in these vehicles. I realize that I'm a woman and that we aren't taken seriously with these guys, but good grief(as Charlie Brown says) Now, if someone out there knows for sure that there is such a thing as "Torque Steering" please let me know, because at this point I think I trust you guys more.
    Wouldn't they be somehow liable for some new tires if they wore badly because of this? (I know your thinking, HA,HA good luck!)

    I got a chance to use the windshield wipers with our sleet/rain, they make great contact with the windshield. My Plymouth Voyager always had several inch swipes that they missed.
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    Torque steer is a problem of front wheel drive vehicles with uneven length half shafts. Under acceleration, the vehicle pulls to one side. It only occurs during acceleration and has mostly been engineered out of modern fwd vehicles.
  • cookie22cookie22 Member Posts: 73
    on boats they use what is called a "Torque Equalizer" I don't know if this applies to front wheel drive Vans or not. You might look into it anyway.
  • mom23girlsmom23girls Member Posts: 75
    I'm learning something all the time. Atleast when I go back in I can say,"I'm pretty sure my problem is not the torque steer, being that it pulls to the right even when my foot is off the gas, and when I take my hands off the steering wheel I can see the wheel turn to the right.
    It really doesn't bother me too much cause my other jewel of a van pulled to the right all the time anyway so I'm kinda used to it. It is annoying because I want it to be perfect!!
  • mcperrmcperr Member Posts: 74
    Mom23girls; jondot;
    Perhaps we can do a quick poll on which tires your Sedona was delivered with. Do you have the Kumho or the Hankooks? Anybody else with straight-line steering problems? Which tires do you have?
  • marcoliusmarcolius Member Posts: 69
    Well, I've finally had it with the '92 AWD Aerostar. Not a lemon, really, and I love the AWD in bad weather, but certainly enough problems to sour me on Ford. So, after months of shopping, thinking, looking, and reading, I'm going to take the plunge and try (!) to get myself a Sedona. Very interesting posts here; quite helpful and informative. Every car, it seems, has detractors and defenders, and it's amazing how vehement they sometimes get. (See the Odyssey vs. Caravan discussions.)


    I test drove a Sedona at a dealer here in Northern Virginia last night, and was as impressed as it seems most of you have been. He's only got two LXs, so I'll have to search for my EX/leather/ABS, maybe extensively. Amusingly, I got home and found I'd walked off with the key to the vehicle in my pocket; had to return it this morning. They didn't get too huffy.


    So, having decided, I went to the Kia web site and requested quotes from each of the four dealers in Northern Virginia. Then went to the Costco website....they don't have a Kia dealer as a partner. Then went to CarsDirect.com. They tell me that they can only offer a lease for Virginia shoppers, but "if you want to buy with cash, a representative will call and talk with you". Made me a bit nervous to give them social security number, Master Card number, financial info, children's eye color, etc., etc. just to get a price on a car, and to not be sure they were even going to do that. Now I wait...........we'll see if I have the same problems getting one, at non-gouge price, as some of you have had. I may have to e-mail that dealer in Indiana who posted about twenty messages back.


    Interestingly, while shopping all the vans, I asked the Dodge guy about their limited-time 7 year/100,000 mile warranty. It's non-transferable, AND has a $100 deductible. He was vague about how the $100 is applied. Is it per year? Per specific problem? Per visit to the shop? If you had to bring something in a few times for a persistent difficulties, that could add up pretty quick. Kia has NO deductible.


    And, lastly, here's yet another recent and interesting review:

     http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A59947-2001Oct26


    Wish me luck. I hope the hardest part was convincing my wife........

  • jondotjondot Member Posts: 63
    Re: Nr 292 Good idea mcperr! I have the Kumho tires. Kudos to Marcolius onhis #293-- excellent writing. The Post link was excellent also.
  • nessecanesseca Member Posts: 4
    First post here. My wife and I got our first minivan and we think we made an excellent choice. Time will tell. We got an EX white/silky beige, leather seats, sunroof and ABS. We wanted the spoiler but weren't sure if it was worth it. We bought it the day before thanksgiving and broke it in on a 600+ round trip holiday drive. No problems so far. Does anybody know where rubber floor mats made specifically for the Sedona can be found, or will just any minivan floor mat work? Oh yeah, I've got the Hanhook(?) tires. Never heard of 'em before.
  • mom23girlsmom23girls Member Posts: 75
    I'm not having any luck setting the auto-wipers. If anyone out there has them figured out could you tell me what you did. Thanks.
  • beav3beav3 Member Posts: 14
    First, I'd like to thank all you fine folks for your posts about the Sedona. We bought our first minivan and decided on the Sedona. All of your posts helped convince me my first impressions were probably right. You can't beat the price for all the features you get and the warranty. I picked up my dark emerald green EX last night. Leather and ABS. Our nearest KIA dealer is an hour away, but as luck would have it the had 3 EX and 4 LX. I wanted leather and ABS and was actually indifferent about the other options like sunroof. Well, I'm partial to green and they had one with leather and ABS so I was all set. I took the test drive and was sold. I only got them to come down a few hundred dollars off sticker, but i still think it's a great deal for what you get. Plus they gave me $500 more for my trade than the Chevy dealer wanted to give me when I was looking at the Venture. So, I've had it less than 24 hrs., but love it so far. Will probably take a nice long drive this weekend. Sorry I've rambled, really excited.
    FYI.....Hankook tires.
  • jlngwrjlngwr Member Posts: 51
    I have Hankooks, no problems with steering
  • mcperrmcperr Member Posts: 74
    Well, so much for my theory on why some Sedona'a pull to the right and some don't. Two of our fellow posters have the same steering problem and each have different brands of tires. Thus the problem is not likely to be with the tires.

    Re: Auto Wipers
    There is a small ring around the wiper stalk that adjusts the sensitivity of the wipers. It rotates like the wiper delay adjustment on lesser vehicles. Anybody out there ever see an article on how these automatic wipers work?

    Re: Beav3
    Congradulations on your display of excellent taste in the choice of colours for your Sedona:) Up to now we had the only other green one on the board (that I know of).

    Still looking, as are others, for a good set of floor mats for our van. Any suggestions?
  • beav3beav3 Member Posts: 14
    re: mcperr Thanks. Love that Green.

    The pulling to the right problem, is that something folks who have it noticed right away, like on the drive home from the dealer, or did it take a while to notice it?
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