Don't forget that the $6-8k price difference quoted does not include the "cost" of the Ody's inferior standard warranty. Odysseys can probably be had a bit below MSRP in many areas at this time due to the softening minivan market and (slightly) increased production from previous years. However, Sedonas are also at "giveaway" prices in some areas. In Portland, Oregon recent ads have included Leather/ABS+ EX for $21k, Leather EX for $20k, and LX with CD for $18k.
Of course, there is no comparison in immediate resale value, with the Odyssey holding it's value much better short term. However, I was not surprised to see that Edmunds rated the "True Cost to Own" over 5 years as slightly lower for both Sedona LX and EX than Ody LX/EX. The actual dollar amount of depreciation (much more meaningful than percentage) evens out very closely over 5 years, and any slight benefits to Ody in fuel cost, etc. are offset by financing costs (or however you want to look at cost of having $6-8k price diff tied up for 5 years).
Useful tool. Bears out the analysis I did before buying an Odyssey over Sedona (or anything else). I knew that I would be paying out slightly more for an Odyssey than for a Sedona, for example, but was prepared to do so.
The really interesting thing to me is that Edmunds expects the Odyssey to incur some repair costs in years 4 and 5, but the Sedona is not expected to until year 5.
Still happy to be an Odyssey owner with no intention of defecting to the dark side, but still also happy to read this board.
They are probably figuring year 4 is still under the standard bumper to bumper warranty on the Sedona (isn't on Ody). They are using 15k as an annual mileage basis, so the Sedona would be out of warranty in year 5 (60k exceded). The figure they are using may just be an average "out of warranty" yearly repair cost for that age vehicle or vehicle type.
I have had a dvd system since the first week of owniing the Sedona. I got a 7" flip down but imo, a 5.6" would have been just fine. I too have the sunroof.
Yolo: Is there any reasons that you could think of that a 5'6" screen would be preferable over the 7"? Would all 3 of my kids need to sit in the back seat to view it? The thought of removing the middle seats for luggage room, and all three kids in the back seat, feet propt up on the luggage, watching a movie peacefully on the way to Disney is appealing.
I picked up a gray Audiovox 5" TV/VCP floor console model EZCRG from Sears a couple weeks ago. I think it is being discontinued. It was $299.95. I got it for $199.95. It's probably still available. It is similar to the EZCPG (gray) or EZCPT (tan) on Audiovox's web site . . .
It fits in between the seats nicely and has a cup holder for a front pasenger. It came with a sturdy metal plate that bolts to the floor and you attach the unit to this. I took off my folding tray via the four nuts on the passenger seat and I am going to fabricate thick metal braces to attach this steel plate to these bolts. I just don't want to drill holes into the van's floor for the plate. I'll let you know how it comes out. I would have rather had a flip down monitor from the roof and I still may later but I think this would be just too expensive.
On the matter of the head restraints, I took out the 3rd rows and the passenger side of the 2nd row. We have a car seat here for our youngest which doesn't need one. The one behind the driver stays in because it doesn't really block any view and our oldest needs it with his booster seat. No one sits in the 3rd row on a regular basis. If the 2nd row seat behind the front passenger is occupied some of the time, try leaving the head restraint in but reclining the seat back when not in use.
The 7" is just too big imo. I have 3 kids as well and they haven't complained about not seeing. I personally have not sat in the back to view because I always have to drive while the kids and my wife enjoy the movies. I have briefly watched from the exterior back of the van with the rear door up and the screen was more than adequate. This is when I realized that the smaller screen would have been just fine and less bulky, not to mention less $$$. The good aspect of the 7" is that it is widescreen. I think the smaller screens are square. Whatever you get, I highly recommend 3 cordless headphones. This way, the driver can still listen to the stereo while passengers can listen to different music from the dvd/mp3/svcd player or watch a movie.
The floor mounted tv/vcr combos are not that appealing to me. We have one but the 3rd row passengers always have to look to the side to view. One child sits in the 3rd row right side because that's where the child seat tether anchor is. I suppose if there was an anchor in the middle then the floor mounted would have been fine. I still like the flip down screen instead of a bulky 9" tv/vcr combo between the seats that had to be propped up in the bottom front to have a decent viewing angle. They are quite a bit cheaper than a custom dvd system installed.
Misty Blue first choice but also like Silky Beige, Silver Metallic, Clear White. Least favorite Midnight Black, Blue Sapphire, Ruby Red. Dark Emerald Green pretty but hard to keep clean. Not fond of any Sedona two-tone option at dealer. Most Sedona at dealer are EX with ABS, Leather, Sunroof, two-tone, Homelink, Spoiler for sticker price $24,100. ($590 less than Odyssey LX). Leather at only $850 good price for leather. No option on LX at dealer.
Mom23.. Here's what I have in mine.. its a nice 9" TV/DVD combo that has a built in adapter for use in the van.. I also bought a TV Tote "bag" that mounts the unit between the 2 front seats.. it fits nice and still allows use of the table. Best of all you dont have to use it just in the van.. check it out... its a cheaper alternative... I tried to post a link to the TV but its "too long" just go to Best Buy or Amazon to see it
Toshiba 9" Stereo TV/DVD Player Model MD9DM1 Here's a link with a photo of the TV Tote.. :>)
I just purchased my Sedona yesterday. I asked the sales associate about a second keyless remote and he gave me the same lame excuse as was discussed earlier (can't program 2 into the computer). Unfortunately I didn't read it until I arrived home from the dealership. Has anyone had luck getting a second remote after receiving only one?
Mobilmac, & all others. I've posted many times RE: my A/C problems in the past. This is my fourth time back to the dealer for an attempt at a fixing of the A/C. I've had what I thought was everything done to fix the A/C. Still not blowing cold air from both the front and the rear vents. I feel only outside air coming at me. The dealer said to me on Friday that they have to order a Mode Door for the rear heater area. They say it's not closing all the way causing the air to be not as cold. Heat also comes out of the back P/S bottom with the A/C switch on ( the heater switch is off ). Summer is coming and I would like cold air. I've read the other posts, and everyone has cold air. "MOBILMAC" in your post 1711, what was the problem with your A/C & what did they do to fix it? Do you now have cold air coming out of all the vents? I've E-mail Kia with no reply. Help me out folks... what could be wrong with my system? Is there any tech bulletins about the A/C? The rest of the van is O.K. How many times can I go back, whats wrong! Thanks for any help again.
I just checked out the comparison True Cost to Own on Edmonds sight for the Kia Sedona. One problem - they show the purchase price for a Sedona LX at $21,587 but I only paid $18,595. There doesn't seem to be a way to adjust the calculations to show what I actually paid so it doesn't help much.
Siennas and Odysseys are also readily available at $1000-2500 or more off Edmunds purchase price in my area, so there is likely an adjustment needed off of "TMV" for most minivans at this point.
I spoke with Crown Isuzu in Dublin, OH (Columbus area), during our Sedona search in February. Didn't end up buying from them, but I was pleased with my phone interactions with their Kia sales manager, Randy Landrum.
This weekend I received an email from Crown's internet sales coordinator, Larry Grabinger. He mentioned that Crown is selling "our Sedonas at $300.00 over invoice and offering $1,000 Customer Cash."
I'm not sure if that means the final price is $700 under invoice (excluding tax, title, & license) or if the final price is $300 over invoice AFTER the customer cash. Either way, I just wanted to point this out.
Others have posted positive experiences about Crown on the Sedona board, too.
Crown's phone number is 614-761-2360 local, or Toll Free 1-800-531-6611.
OK, My wife and I recently had 2 new editions to our family so that pretty much killed my idea of getting a sports car. So now we have 4 children and we are looking at minivans and large suvs. Well, since my wife will be at home taking care of the kids, I am doing all the bills and car payments etc. The sedona struck me as a bargain vehicle and after seeing it on the web with the leather etc. it didn't look all that bad. My main concerns are that this vehicle has a V6(absolutely), abs, seven seating capacities, a cd player, and other amenities. My goal is to get a van for under $28,000 dollars. I like the idea of the sedona because you can get leather, a sunroof, nice wheels, a V6, 5-speed auto, cd player, and 2nd row bucket seats. This is quite a bargain. But again this is a Korean vehicle. I am usually buying American or japanese cars and I am kind of unsure about buying a Korean car. For one, I heard about frequent past mechanical troubles with these cars and that they haven't been know for quality. It's just that I want a relatively low priced van that has reliability, reasonable performance, meaning that can haul around a few kids, luggage, and be able to keep up with traffic without getting winded. My wife is also use to cars and she hasn't driven a van because we never needed it before this year. So she wants a van that is easy to maneuver as well. Are there better buys? What do you recommend? I am in the dark and don't know the first thing about minivans and which is good and which ones are bad. Write back please! Thanks!
I hear you. I had to cancel my Viper order, too! I would highly recommend the Sedona to you except for one thing: storage capacity. We have two small kids and I think this is about right for our storage (luggage) needs. If you think you can pack light or strap a storage bag on the luggage rack, you may get by. BTW, the storage rack is limited to only 100 lbs. so a Thule or similar (hard storage box) on top is pretty much out of the question. But you are definitely right; the Sedona is a bargain vehicle. We were leary about Kia, too, given pass performance of their earlier vehicles, but my confidence grows every day from our own experiences and from other folks' from these posts. We made a wise choice. My wife was also used to cars and was nervous at first driving a minivan. She loved her full sized car but now she loves her EX even more. So if you can deal with less luggage space than Grand Caravan or Dimstar, this van is for you.
We've had our Sedona EX since mid-February. Haven't been back to the dealer yet because the van doesn't really have any problems yet, even minor ones. Only issue is a slight left pull, but it's not bad enough to justify a trip just for that.
Our family is me, wife, 1 year-old girl, and rowdy 75-pound chocolate lab. Plenty of room for us. As vanphan noted, storage space might be tight with 4 kids. If you are going somewhere with 2 weeks' worth of luggage, it might be tight. However, for a weekend trip with bags, you should be fine.
Quality/Reliability I too was concerned with quality/reliability but Kia and Hyundai's poor reliability record didn't deter us from buying a Sedona because a) this vehicle has nothing in common mechanically with Kia's other vehicles (all cars, plus the Sportage SUV); b) Kia and parent company Hyundai have shown improved quality/reliability of late; and c) the warranty is outstanding.
Fit and Finish Sedona seems well put-together, to me. The materials seem to be of good quality. The controls are easy to use.
PowerThe Sedona is quite responsive at low throttle levels, so there are no worries about the van keeping up with traffic or even passing people with authority. The 5-speed automatic is smooth and it helps to keep RPMs down at highway speeds. Fuel economy is worse than some minivans, but you'll probably do better than the 15 city / 20 mpg highway ratings from the EPA. We're getting about 18 mpg overall, 21-23 on the highway depending on speed.
Maneuverability I think the van is quite maneuverable, although the turning radius is quite large. This has been a problem for us only in parking lots.
Value You're hoping to get something for < $28,000. You must be talking Canadian dollars? A loaded Sedona EX has an MSRP of just over $24,000 in USA, and it wouldn't surprise me if you could get one for $1,000-2,000 less than that.
Other Choices You can't beat Sedona on value. If you want the features that Sedona offers for $20-22k, you'll have to spend several thousand dollars more to get them on any other minivan.
The Odyssey is a great van and has much more room, but it costs a lot more. It has the foldaway third row seat, which may or may not be of value to you.
The Sienna is probably the only minivan that offers a very high reliability level, but you still have those nagging engine sludge issues that Toyota has finally addressed in recent weeks. Odyssey is not up to the typical Honda reliability standards of the past 15 years or so, although it may be improving of late. Sienna costs a LOT more than Sedona.
The MPV is a good van too, but it also costs more than Sedona. I think it has more room. Has the foldaway third row seat.
Villager and Quest are nice, but fairly small and the engine is really outdated and underpowered.
Personally, I wouldn't consider the other major players-- Ford Windstar, Chrysler/Dodge minivans, etc.
For us, the Sedona was perfect. We don't need a BIG minivan, so the Sedona's medium size was perfect. For just under $23,000, we got a lot of vehicle. So far I have been even more impressed and pleased with our purchase than I expected.
I think Bluedevils and others covered it. I would echo every comment. As for capacities, I believe that some have posted that you can add a hitch mounted luggage carrier. Several posters here can confirm that adding a hitch is easy enough and fairly inexpensive at about ~US$110.
I am also a happy Sedona owner who would highly recommend it to most interested persons. The vehicle build quality feels superior to Ford/Chrysler, in 9+ months now there have been no major problems consistently apparent from the numerous owners on this board, the 5/60, 10/100 warranty, standard trany cooler, etc. are great peace of mind, and the acceleration is more than adequate despite what some reviewers are saying (blows my Windstar off the road).
HOWEVER, I rarely have more than 2-3 passengers. It IS on the small side for a 4-kid family, and things will get cramped as the kids grow or with any amount of luggage.
Another issue - while the NHTSA and IIHS crash tests left me confident about the safety of the vehicle in a frontal or side-impact, unfortunately the IIHS rear bumper test left me with doubts about the safety of the rear seat passengers in a rear-end collision. The solid steel underbody of the Sedona may provide more safety than the test would indicate, but there isn't very much room for "error" between the rear seats and the rear bumper compared to larger vans. I would have had more peace of mind about the van's safety design in this regard if it had fared better in the tests (bumper failed and liftgate was badly dented backing into a pole in 5 mph test).
To be honest, while the Sedona is definitely the most minivan on the market for the money IMO, and I would buy one again today for what I use it for, if I was talking a $28k budget and 4 kids - I would buy an Odyssey without hesitation. Nothing else comes close in combination of space/convenience features for a large family, and overall safety features/ratings (pending the new larger Sienna). In some ways you do get what you pay for.
The next version of "TCO" hopefully will let you put your own numbers in for purchase price, etc. You may want to send Feedback to the data people about TMV pricing. Thanks! Steve Host SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
My husband and I test drove a Sedona EX over the weekend. PROBLEM #1 The first thing we noticed was that one of the second row seats was not attached completely (it was quite obvious). My husband and then the dealer tried to correct it. The dealer claimed that the service shop could fix it. So I thought ok, this is a minor problem. PROBLEM #2 With myself in the driver seat, I tried to start the vehicle, no luck. It would not start!!! The dealer quickly charge the battery and it started. He is not sure why the battery was not holding a charge. Well sure, now I am starting to worry. PROBLEM #3 During the test drive, the entire front end shook, including the steering wheel. It was terrible, and quite noticeable only after 30 mph. After the test drive, I parked the car, went to start it again, of course it did not start. It was only one of two vehicles on the lot. The dealer claimed that the vehicle has not been prepped therefore, they have not corrected any "minor" problems as of yet. Then why offer a test drive? He wanted to negotiate a price, we said "no thank you" and left.
We have had our Sedona EX since July 20, 2001. We currently have over 16k miles on the vehicle.
I was also leary about Kia, but am quite satisfied so far.
My "problems" have been quite minor as well. A summary list follows:
1. Check engine light; 3 times: Each time, the light came on in error. A bit disconcerting, however.
2. Front tires have needed to be balanced and re-balanced 3 times. This has caused a considerable "shimmy" at low speeds (I suspect this was part of the momx problem).
3. Needed a new windshield washer fluid pump the first week. Replaced immediately, no problem since.
As for power and convenience, no issues at all. Without going into detail, I have had one instance where I had to push the vehicle to the limit (emergency trip to hospital...from "middle of nowhere TX" to "nowhere TX"). I can tell you that the van handles admirably at speeds over 100 mph.
Only issue I have is storage/luggage space, as others have mentioned. However, with a bit of planning, this can be managed.
Be sure and check out the Sedona....but also the MPV and Odyssey. Maybe the Sienna. These 3 are good vans, imo.
Personally, I would steer clear of the GM, Ford, and DC vans.
I am a satisfied Sedona owner.....who has an extensive history of being dissatisfied with every other vehicle I ever owned...
RGDS and happy van hunting...hope it works out well for you.
Congratulations on your expanded family. If you or your wife ever need a "getaway" moment from the demands of young children I can vouch for the comfort of the Sedona seats. This is the only car I have ever had that I can fall asleep in. The seats are that comfortable to me.
We have had our Sedona for about 4 months now and I think we made the right choice for our family of five plus two dogs. Our children are older: 19,17 and 12 and I most often drive with two kids and the dogs. I took out the rear seats and installed a crate back there for the rottweiler and the smaller border collie has a pillow beside the crate. With careful placement, I fit all my dog equipment, kids backpacks, my backpack and other stuff and we can still sit in the seats. If the dogs are not with me and I need space, I put stuff in the crate.
With four small children and all the gear they require the Sedona might be to small for you. You might want to wait for the bigger, Sienna to arrive or check out the Honda Odyssey. Regarding price, I don't think you can beat the Sedona.
I can tell you that the Sedona is very peppy on the interstate. I often find myself doing 80 mph without realizing it. The interior cabin is quiet and the instrument panel is well laid out. We have had no problems of any kind and I hope this bodes well for the future as we keep our cars for a long time. It's also got a great warranty, not a "pledge" and that makes me feel more secure should something go wrong.
You owe it to yourself to check all the vans out when you make such a large purchase so you can make sure it meets your needs and still fits into your budget. I wish you well.
I also didn't want to put out the money for overhead console, wife wouldn't let me. I purchased a 9" tv and the tote bag. Have three kids.
some unsolicited advice. I had difficulty putting the Tote in the van. straps were not long enough to go all the way around the seats. Did manage to get it around the headrests. however, didn't like it once it was installed. could not recline passenger seat or move the drivers seat any distance because of tv.
I ended up flipping one of center captain's chairs down and using the straps on tote to strap tv on the folded down seat. This actually worked out well. at first, I had all three kids in backseat so they could see, but when fighting got too bad, moved one to other middle seat. Surprise, he could still see the tv with his seat pushed all the way back, because with other seat flipped down it goes all the way forward.
hope this helps, however if wife would have let me spend the money i would probably have went with the Backseaat Theatre system.
I will have to agree with everyone else here. The Sedona may be a heck of a van and an unbeatable price, but I think it is too small for you. I have three kids ages 1, 3, and 5. We had to buy a new van last year and keep it around 20 grand. The Sedona was really not out yet and we bought a new Chrysler Voyager--roughly the same size. Fortunately the kids are small and we're not hauling their friends and/or teammates yet as we are cramped sometimes. Sure, the 5 of us just going out to eat, to "grandma's house" or to the mall, plenty of room. But, going on a trip is a much different story. We are making plans to buy a larger vehicle in a couple of years when we know are needs for space will be different than they are now. Also, FWIW, don't let the horror stories of the DC vans of a few years ago scare you off from looking at them. You can get a heck of a deal on a Grand Caravan or Town & Country right now. Shoot, I've seen Town & Country Limiteds advertised for under $29k--so you could do well for $28,000. These vans were all new last year and improved again this year. As I said a month or so ago around here, I'm not trying to say anything is better than the Sedona. I bought a Kia Sephia in 1995 and kept it for 6-1/2 years, so I am not against Kia in any way. Just remember that the folks here who say to stay away from DC vans are the same people who would have laughed at the idea of ever owning a Kia product a couple of years ago. Check around and do your homework and you should be fine. Good luck and happy shopping!
This happens A LOT at car dealerships. I don't know exactly why (cars sit for many days without being started?), but I've heard many customers with similar experiences and even a salesman or two acknowledge that the problem is quite common. It has happened to me a couple times. It can be a little disconcerting, but generally it's not a bad sign or anything like that. I even bought a vehicle despite it having a dead battery the time I test drove it. I had the dealer install a new battery just to make sure the battery wasn't bad. Truck was still under factory warranty, so any other electrical problems causing the dead battery would have been covered.
Just to chime in about video screens. I wanted my screens mounted in the headrests. Very pricey to do that. Did some more investigation and found a company that makes a monitor that clamps to the headrest adjuster bars. The DVD or VCR can be bag mounted or hard mounted under a seat or in a center console. My "plan". I've ordered a center console from Steel Horse that gives me 4 cupholders, a concealed storage area where I will mount the DVD player and some additional storage for DVDs or CDs etc.... I will purchase the DVD and the "no-cut headrest monitors" from Mobile Vision and then have a local shop wire it all up. Total cost should be around 800.00. Pretty good price considering I was quoted 1,600.00 for a flip down system with a VCR!!! Just my .02.
I took a test drive today of the Kia sedona today, and luckily, I had the whole family. I was really impressed! The pick up of the engine was really great! I had it on the freeway and I found passing relatively easy. I took the liberty of checking for space/storage spots. It seemed adequate but yet we didn't have luggage and other supplies etc. But I think that this might be a wise choice and the warranty of this vehicle is unlike anything else! I was really shocked. Plus my dealer is giving great cash back on all kias now, so this might be our vehicle! But I have scheduled a test drive of the chrysler voyager, mazda mpv, and honda odyssey at my local dealers. However, I actually like the design of the sedona. The others seem like basic transportation to me upon viewing them over the internet. Oh, I have 2 other questions. I drove a black sedona with all the goodies and I saw that it had hankook tires? Are these some kind of Korean brand? I would much rather have michelin or goodyears on there. Is it something to complain about? They seemed okay, but not excellent. We also plan to take trips up to the mountains and such and I noticed that this doesn't have traction control, just basic front wheel drive with abs. And believe me traction control makes a difference in the snow and ice. Do you recommend snow tires or will the all-seasons prove adequate. I probably shouldn't buy the snow tires because we don't live in wintery weather all the time. Thanks again for the input. Your messages have really helped! Thanks!
Not sure why you had a problem with the straps that go around the seats .. there's plenty of extra strap on mine... its true that you cant put the passenger seat back but if someone needs to stretch out they can always go in the back.. I actually adjusted the straps so that the tv is angled up for easier viewing from the middle seats.. plus it much easier for the kids to just handle the dvd's when they want to watch a different one.. and also a dual jack for the headphone jack allows two headsets for quiet driving... it's working for us... only cost about $450.. and we also have an extra tv when its needed .... :>)
The hankooks are fine for wet and dry. I have yet to test them in thew white stuff. Others here could probably give you some idea of what to expect. I expect I will change out the hankooks for something a bit more mainstream when the time comes. My experience is that if you are doing a good bit of hilly, snowy driving, you will want snow tires, even if you have traction control. Given the immediate low end torque of the Sedona, snow tires seem all the more wiser.
I have a 9" tv/vcr combo that we put in the car. There is a cool little velcro wedge thing that the TV sits on. This makes the angle perfect for the little ones in the back. It fits snuggly in between the front seats of our 2002 Grand Caravan Sport and will try it out this weekend in our Sedona EX. I like this thing cause I hook up a headset and the kids are all set. I can control it while I drive with the remote control.
The Hankooks are working fine for us, though most of our driving has been in dry weather, with some rainy weather and no snow or ice. They seem quiet.
The specs on the Hankook RA07 in 215/70/15 size (as on Sedona) are actually pretty good: they are speed-rated to 122 mph, which I think is "H" on the scale; 440 treadwear rating, which is better than many tires; A traction; and B temperature. Also, the tires are rated at 44 psi maximum, if I remember correctly, which is more air than many tires are rated to hold.
I would prefer Michelins or some other high-rated model from a more mainstream manufacturer (BF Goodrich, Dunlop, Yokohama, etc.), but I am not going to just throw these tires away and replace them. We'll use them until they are done, then replace with something else.
FYI I believe there was a discussion about the tires way,way back if you want to try and find it - sorry I can't remember the post #'s. It would give you more info about the quality of the Hankooks.
I recently had to have the windshield replace on my 2002 Sedona, the dealer didn't seem surprised when I told him that there was no stone chips or any visible damage to the glass. It was replaced, no problem. To my amazement I was driving this weekend and noticed another crack in the same location in the brand new wind shield. Has anyone else had this problem? My concern is with the dealer service manager's reaction that he wasn't surprised when the first one cracked. I hope this is just some weird pressure crack and that I'm not going into a larger issue with some sort of frame flexing or something ???
$1,600 is outrageous. Mine cost $900 installed. Came with the dvd and remote, 7" flipdown widescreen with dome lights and remote, fm modulator, 3 cordless headphones and a game port. Maybe you went to Circuit City or Best Buy but independent stereo shops probably have better pricing. Use my price as a baseline. I am in Los Angeles and there are stereo shops all over so maybe their pricing has to be more competitive but your quoted $1,600 is just way too high. I think I even paid a little too much but got tired of going to all the shops to get quotes.
Hi, I live in Orange county and looking into installing flip down monitor, VCP.... (My Sedona has sunroof.) Could you tell me where you installed DVD, monitor?
We have the Hankooks as well. Very good grip in the snow and ice. This van is heavy enough that traction control is likely not much benefit. Very good winter vehicle. The tires are quiet, but I find the sidewalls quite stiff, resulting in a harsher ride (even at 34psi) than the van deserves. I will replace them with softer sidewall tires when they wear out. Based upon my past experience with Hankooks, however, that could be be a while yet. FYI, Hankooks are a very popular tire for ralley car racers.
Has anyone tried to remove the cross rails from the roof rack on a EX? It looks like you have to remove the ends of the side rails to slid them off. I was thinking of removing the cross rails since I may never use them to carry luggage.
Just curious to discuss a little useless information. Today we achieved a max DTE trip computer + trip odometer number of 470. We had traveled about 110 miles on the trip odometer on the current tank of gas, and the DTE readout still showed about 360.
It's funny how much better the computer thinks your fuel economy will be on the highway vs. city. When we got on the highway today, the trip odo was 14 miles and the DTE said 334, for a total estimated mileage from the tank of 348. The DTE climbed for many miles as we drove on the highway at 75mph, and the total peaked at 470. We drove a few city miles afterwards, and the total is already down to about 400.
It is a Boss dvd player with remote and infrared eye, XO-Vision 7" screen with dome lights and remote (2 channel screen, one for the dvd and the other for the game port), 3 Audiovox cordless headphones, Audiovox fm modulator and a game port. I'm curious what this system or comparable system goes for elsewhere. Mine was $900 installed. I could have gotten the tv antenna included but where I live, the reception is not good and it would have been useless. Plus it mounts to the window and is visible. I figured why have it as an eyesore if it won't get any tv stations anyway.
I decided to take the floor mat issue into my own hands. I picked up a 6x9 grey indoor/outdoor rubber-backed carpet from Cosco and custom trimmed the thing to fit from just behind the front seats all the way to the rear. It looks good and should be a snap to take out and clean. -dwh.
I made a short trip to desert area last week. During the trip, I noticed that the rear A/C alone cannot be turned on. (I can adjust fan speed for rear A/C.) Is there other way to turn on Rear A/C only?
Also noticed the DTE(Distance To Empty) using recent driving data, maybe less than 5 minutes, makes the DTE figure going up and down a lot. I believe DTE figure should be based on at least 1 hour driving data, not 5 minutes. Or this function should be replaced with MPG(Mile per Gallon) which GM mini-van has.
Can turn heater on to warm front air with rear A/C on but compressor must be on to run rear A/C. Kia Sedona nice van, low price, big V6 standard engine. Sedona trip computer not real trip computer like GM with 6 or 7 function GM vehicle have. Impossible to include all feature for $10,000 less purchase price in Sedona.
It's definitely a little weird. With straight highway driving, the DTE + miles driven starts out low, much lower than you will actually get if you drive to empty. As you put on the miles, the DTE actually increases until you reach the max DTE + miles driven. Mine typically tops out between 450 and 470-- usually after 100 miles or so driven, the DTE says 350-370. Then it gradually drops, tapering off to the low 400s which is representative of the actual fuel economy I'd get if I drove an entire tank at highway speeds (21-24 mpg depending on how much above or below 75 mph I'm doing).
I wish the DTE was more realistic throughout the tank, but at least on our Sedona it isn't.
On a recent trip across Michigan, our Sedona EX returned about 22.3 MPG. I was pretty pleased with this. Here is all the relevant information I can think of:
A/C was not used Windows were up (I've read that windows down can be a fairly significant hit on fuel economy) 420 total miles 70% highway miles, at a pretty constant 75 mph Non-highway miles included lots of 60 mph cruising and not much stop-and-go 15 engine starts Tires inflated to 35-36 psi each Air temp ranged from 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit 2 adults Approximately 400 pounds of gear
I was very happy to get 22.3 MPG from this trip (it was spread over 2 tanks). This experience agrees with others who have noted that the EPA estimates of 15 city, 20 highway are pretty pessimistic.
Overall, our Sedona is at 19.1 MPG for the first 3,970 miles, which I'm pretty happy with. That is with very little A/C usage and approximately 55% city miles, 45% highway miles (@ 75mph on average). The first 4,000 miles includes a high percentage of break-in miles (probably the first 1,000-2,000 miles), so I fully expect things to improve.
On the trip, I noticed plenty of road noise at concrete pavements, compare to other cars. (I currently driving Hyundai XG 300, with Michelin tires, produce less than average road noise.) Road noise at asphalt paved road is low and pleasant, though. I checked tire pressure, is around 35 psi, recommended.
Comments
Of course, there is no comparison in immediate resale value, with the Odyssey holding it's value much better short term. However, I was not surprised to see that Edmunds rated the "True Cost to Own" over 5 years as slightly lower for both Sedona LX and EX than Ody LX/EX. The actual dollar amount of depreciation (much more meaningful than percentage) evens out very closely over 5 years, and any slight benefits to Ody in fuel cost, etc. are offset by financing costs (or however you want to look at cost of having $6-8k price diff tied up for 5 years).
The new "TCO" tool is at -
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/specialreports/articles/59897/article.html?id=lin9126
The minivan TCO champ right is the Sienna, although the Sedona isn't that far behind, and is a superior vehicle in many ways.
The really interesting thing to me is that Edmunds expects the Odyssey to incur some repair costs in years 4 and 5, but the Sedona is not expected to until year 5.
Still happy to be an Odyssey owner with no intention of defecting to the dark side, but still also happy to read this board.
The thought of removing the middle seats for luggage room, and all three kids in the back seat, feet propt up on the luggage, watching a movie peacefully on the way to Disney is appealing.
http://www.audiovox.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/catalog_mv_floorConsoles.d2w/input?cat=612
It fits in between the seats nicely and has a cup holder for a front pasenger. It came with a sturdy metal plate that bolts to the floor and you attach the unit to this. I took off my folding tray via the four nuts on the passenger seat and I am going to fabricate thick metal braces to attach this steel plate to these bolts. I just don't want to drill holes into the van's floor for the plate. I'll let you know how it comes out. I would have rather had a flip down monitor from the roof and I still may later but I think this would be just too expensive.
On the matter of the head restraints, I took out the 3rd rows and the passenger side of the 2nd row. We have a car seat here for our youngest which doesn't need one. The one behind the driver stays in because it doesn't really block any view and our oldest needs it with his booster seat. No one sits in the 3rd row on a regular basis. If the 2nd row seat behind the front passenger is occupied some of the time, try leaving the head restraint in but reclining the seat back when not in use.
The floor mounted tv/vcr combos are not that appealing to me. We have one but the 3rd row passengers always have to look to the side to view. One child sits in the 3rd row right side because that's where the child seat tether anchor is. I suppose if there was an anchor in the middle then the floor mounted would have been fine. I still like the flip down screen instead of a bulky 9" tv/vcr combo between the seats that had to be propped up in the bottom front to have a decent viewing angle. They are quite a bit cheaper than a custom dvd system installed.
Most Sedona at dealer are EX with ABS, Leather, Sunroof, two-tone, Homelink, Spoiler for sticker price $24,100. ($590 less than Odyssey LX). Leather at only $850 good price for leather. No option on LX at dealer.
Best of all you dont have to use it just in the van.. check it out... its a cheaper alternative...
I tried to post a link to the TV but its "too long" just go to Best Buy or Amazon to see it
Toshiba 9" Stereo TV/DVD Player Model MD9DM1
Here's a link with a photo of the TV Tote.. :>)
http://www.truckstuffusa.com/portvtotfor9.html
This weekend I received an email from Crown's internet sales coordinator, Larry Grabinger. He mentioned that Crown is selling "our Sedonas at $300.00 over invoice and offering $1,000
Customer Cash."
I'm not sure if that means the final price is $700 under invoice (excluding tax, title, & license) or if the final price is $300 over invoice AFTER the customer cash. Either way, I just wanted to point this out.
Others have posted positive experiences about Crown on the Sedona board, too.
Crown's phone number is 614-761-2360 local, or Toll Free 1-800-531-6611.
Hope this helps.
It's just that I want a relatively low priced van that has reliability, reasonable performance, meaning that can haul around a few kids, luggage, and be able to keep up with traffic without getting winded. My wife is also use to cars and she hasn't driven a van because we never needed it before this year. So she wants a van that is easy to maneuver as well.
Are there better buys? What do you recommend? I am in the dark and don't know the first thing about minivans and which is good and which ones are bad. Write back please! Thanks!
Our family is me, wife, 1 year-old girl, and rowdy 75-pound chocolate lab. Plenty of room for us. As vanphan noted, storage space might be tight with 4 kids. If you are going somewhere with 2 weeks' worth of luggage, it might be tight. However, for a weekend trip with bags, you should be fine.
Quality/Reliability
I too was concerned with quality/reliability but Kia and Hyundai's poor reliability record didn't deter us from buying a Sedona because a) this vehicle has nothing in common mechanically with Kia's other vehicles (all cars, plus the Sportage SUV); b) Kia and parent company Hyundai have shown improved quality/reliability of late; and c) the warranty is outstanding.
Fit and Finish
Sedona seems well put-together, to me. The materials seem to be of good quality. The controls are easy to use.
PowerThe Sedona is quite responsive at low throttle levels, so there are no worries about the van keeping up with traffic or even passing people with authority. The 5-speed automatic is smooth and it helps to keep RPMs down at highway speeds. Fuel economy is worse than some minivans, but you'll probably do better than the 15 city / 20 mpg highway ratings from the EPA. We're getting about 18 mpg overall, 21-23 on the highway depending on speed.
Maneuverability
I think the van is quite maneuverable, although the turning radius is quite large. This has been a problem for us only in parking lots.
Value
You're hoping to get something for < $28,000. You must be talking Canadian dollars? A loaded Sedona EX has an MSRP of just over $24,000 in USA, and it wouldn't surprise me if you could get one for $1,000-2,000 less than that.
Other Choices
You can't beat Sedona on value. If you want the features that Sedona offers for $20-22k, you'll have to spend several thousand dollars more to get them on any other minivan.
The Odyssey is a great van and has much more room, but it costs a lot more. It has the foldaway third row seat, which may or may not be of value to you.
The Sienna is probably the only minivan that offers a very high reliability level, but you still have those nagging engine sludge issues that Toyota has finally addressed in recent weeks. Odyssey is not up to the typical Honda reliability standards of the past 15 years or so, although it may be improving of late. Sienna costs a LOT more than Sedona.
The MPV is a good van too, but it also costs more than Sedona. I think it has more room. Has the foldaway third row seat.
Villager and Quest are nice, but fairly small and the engine is really outdated and underpowered.
Personally, I wouldn't consider the other major players-- Ford Windstar, Chrysler/Dodge minivans, etc.
For us, the Sedona was perfect. We don't need a BIG minivan, so the Sedona's medium size was perfect. For just under $23,000, we got a lot of vehicle. So far I have been even more impressed and pleased with our purchase than I expected.
Hope this helps.
Good luck - and not just with the van!
HOWEVER, I rarely have more than 2-3 passengers. It IS on the small side for a 4-kid family, and things will get cramped as the kids grow or with any amount of luggage.
Another issue - while the NHTSA and IIHS crash tests left me confident about the safety of the vehicle in a frontal or side-impact, unfortunately the IIHS rear bumper test left me with doubts about the safety of the rear seat passengers in a rear-end collision. The solid steel underbody of the Sedona may provide more safety than the test would indicate, but there isn't very much room for "error" between the rear seats and the rear bumper compared to larger vans. I would have had more peace of mind about the van's safety design in this regard if it had fared better in the tests (bumper failed and liftgate was badly dented backing into a pole in 5 mph test).
To be honest, while the Sedona is definitely the most minivan on the market for the money IMO, and I would buy one again today for what I use it for, if I was talking a $28k budget and 4 kids - I would buy an Odyssey without hesitation. Nothing else comes close in combination of space/convenience features for a large family, and overall safety features/ratings (pending the new larger Sienna). In some ways you do get what you pay for.
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
PROBLEM #2 With myself in the driver seat, I tried to start the vehicle, no luck. It would not start!!! The dealer quickly charge the battery and it started. He is not sure why the battery was not holding a charge. Well sure, now I am starting to worry. PROBLEM #3 During the test drive, the entire front end shook, including the steering wheel. It was terrible, and quite noticeable only after 30 mph. After the test drive, I parked the car, went to start it again, of course it did not start. It was only one of two vehicles on the lot. The dealer claimed that the vehicle has not been prepped therefore, they have not corrected any "minor" problems as of yet. Then why offer a test drive? He wanted to negotiate a price, we said "no thank you" and left.
I was also leary about Kia, but am quite satisfied so far.
My "problems" have been quite minor as well. A summary list follows:
1. Check engine light; 3 times: Each time, the light came on in error. A bit disconcerting, however.
2. Front tires have needed to be balanced and re-balanced 3 times. This has caused a considerable "shimmy" at low speeds (I suspect this was part of the momx problem).
3. Needed a new windshield washer fluid pump the first week. Replaced immediately, no problem since.
As for power and convenience, no issues at all. Without going into detail, I have had one instance where I had to push the vehicle to the limit (emergency trip to hospital...from "middle of nowhere TX" to "nowhere TX"). I can tell you that the van handles admirably at speeds over 100 mph.
Only issue I have is storage/luggage space, as others have mentioned. However, with a bit of planning, this can be managed.
Be sure and check out the Sedona....but also the MPV and Odyssey. Maybe the Sienna. These 3 are good vans, imo.
Personally, I would steer clear of the GM, Ford, and DC vans.
I am a satisfied Sedona owner.....who has an extensive history of being dissatisfied with every other vehicle I ever owned...
RGDS and happy van hunting...hope it works out well for you.
Hokum
We have had our Sedona for about 4 months now and I think we made the right choice for our family of five plus two dogs. Our children are older: 19,17 and 12 and I most often drive with two kids and the dogs. I took out the rear seats and installed a crate back there for the rottweiler and the smaller border collie has a pillow beside the crate. With careful placement, I fit all my dog equipment, kids backpacks, my backpack and other stuff and we can still sit in the seats. If the dogs are not with me and I need space, I put stuff in the crate.
With four small children and all the gear they require the Sedona might be to small for you. You might want to wait for the bigger, Sienna to arrive or check out the Honda Odyssey. Regarding price, I don't think you can beat the Sedona.
I can tell you that the Sedona is very peppy on the interstate. I often find myself doing 80 mph without realizing it. The interior cabin is quiet and the instrument panel is well laid out. We have had no problems of any kind and I hope this bodes well for the future as we keep our cars for a long time. It's also got a great warranty, not a "pledge" and that makes me feel more secure should something go wrong.
You owe it to yourself to check all the vans out when you make such a large purchase so you can make sure it meets your needs and still fits into your budget. I wish you well.
some unsolicited advice. I had difficulty putting the Tote in the van. straps were not long enough to go all the way around the seats. Did manage to get it around the headrests. however, didn't like it once it was installed. could not recline passenger seat or move the drivers seat any distance because of tv.
I ended up flipping one of center captain's chairs down and using the straps on tote to strap tv on the folded down seat. This actually worked out well. at first, I had all three kids in backseat so they could see, but when fighting got too bad, moved one to other middle seat. Surprise, he could still see the tv with his seat pushed all the way back, because with other seat flipped down it goes all the way forward.
hope this helps, however if wife would have let me spend the money i would probably have went with the Backseaat Theatre system.
Total cost should be around 800.00. Pretty good price considering I was quoted 1,600.00 for a flip down system with a VCR!!! Just my .02.
Oh, I have 2 other questions. I drove a black sedona with all the goodies and I saw that it had hankook tires? Are these some kind of Korean brand? I would much rather have michelin or goodyears on there. Is it something to complain about? They seemed okay, but not excellent. We also plan to take trips up to the mountains and such and I noticed that this doesn't have traction control, just basic front wheel drive with abs. And believe me traction control makes a difference in the snow and ice. Do you recommend snow tires or will the all-seasons prove adequate. I probably shouldn't buy the snow tires because we don't live in wintery weather all the time.
Thanks again for the input. Your messages have really helped! Thanks!
The specs on the Hankook RA07 in 215/70/15 size (as on Sedona) are actually pretty good: they are speed-rated to 122 mph, which I think is "H" on the scale; 440 treadwear rating, which is better than many tires; A traction; and B temperature. Also, the tires are rated at 44 psi maximum, if I remember correctly, which is more air than many tires are rated to hold.
I would prefer Michelins or some other high-rated model from a more mainstream manufacturer (BF Goodrich, Dunlop, Yokohama, etc.), but I am not going to just throw these tires away and replace them. We'll use them until they are done, then replace with something else.
I live in Orange county and looking into installing flip down monitor, VCP.... (My Sedona has sunroof.)
Could you tell me where you installed DVD, monitor?
It's funny how much better the computer thinks your fuel economy will be on the highway vs. city. When we got on the highway today, the trip odo was 14 miles and the DTE said 334, for a total estimated mileage from the tank of 348. The DTE climbed for many miles as we drove on the highway at 75mph, and the total peaked at 470. We drove a few city miles afterwards, and the total is already down to about 400.
Why EPA estimate so low with Sedona with 5 speed AT? Suspect EPA test not accurate.
Also noticed the DTE(Distance To Empty) using recent driving data, maybe less than 5 minutes, makes the DTE figure going up and down a lot. I believe DTE figure should be based on at least 1 hour driving data, not 5 minutes. Or this function should be replaced with MPG(Mile per Gallon) which GM mini-van has.
Kia Sedona nice van, low price, big V6 standard engine. Sedona trip computer not real trip computer like GM with 6 or 7 function GM vehicle have.
Impossible to include all feature for $10,000 less purchase price in Sedona.
I wish the DTE was more realistic throughout the tank, but at least on our Sedona it isn't.
A/C was not used
Windows were up (I've read that windows down can be a fairly significant hit on fuel economy)
420 total miles
70% highway miles, at a pretty constant 75 mph
Non-highway miles included lots of 60 mph cruising and not much stop-and-go
15 engine starts
Tires inflated to 35-36 psi each
Air temp ranged from 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit
2 adults
Approximately 400 pounds of gear
I was very happy to get 22.3 MPG from this trip (it was spread over 2 tanks). This experience agrees with others who have noted that the EPA estimates of 15 city, 20 highway are pretty pessimistic.
Overall, our Sedona is at 19.1 MPG for the first 3,970 miles, which I'm pretty happy with. That is with very little A/C usage and approximately 55% city miles, 45% highway miles (@ 75mph on average). The first 4,000 miles includes a high percentage of break-in miles (probably the first 1,000-2,000 miles), so I fully expect things to improve.
On the trip, I noticed plenty of road noise at concrete pavements, compare to other cars. (I currently driving Hyundai XG 300, with Michelin tires, produce less than average road noise.) Road noise at asphalt paved road is low and pleasant, though.
I checked tire pressure, is around 35 psi, recommended.
Is it because of Hankook tire?