Are you a current Michigan-based car shopper? A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/2 for details.
I found a part number for a WIX airfilter for the Sedona on their internet site. Its WIX # 42086. Also found Champion spark plug number # RC12PYP Platium plugs NAPA should also stock the airfilter since I think WIX makes NAPA's filters. I found the name Carival on the filter when I pulled it out, part # 0010723 but havent been able to cross referance it to an American filter. Found some sites that handle that brand but they seem to be overseas.
Speaking of Documentation Fees, I did pay it because the dealer wasn't going to budge on this one. Every time I visited the Kia showroom, it was AMAZINGLY busy. I don't imagine the dealer was going to worry (the salesman knew that we had made our decision on the van and if we walked we'd eventually return- after all, look at the value to the purchaser vs. other brands!!).
One thing that did anger me, was the fact that after signing the offer, putting a downpayment on the vehicle, and returning to sign the financing documents, the dealer had the (insert your word here) to tell me that she wanted anothe $6 per month over the 60 month term because they had used "the wrong computer program" to figure out the financing. She admitted that it "happens all of the time" to which I said I'd take my deposit back, tear up the contract and walk. Principle is a big thing, especially after signing an offer. SO, the dealer backed down and gave me the vehicle at the agreed price. Not sure if this is typical, but it is just a warning to others that this may be a way of the dealer leveraging another $360 out of you at the moment of closure. Other than this, I am very happy with my purchase.
As a side note, I've been reading the Odessy / Sedona bulletins. Catty people! My only worry when buying the Sedona was the "namebrand recognition". Yes, I had a little more comfort in buying a more familiar brandname. "You bought a WHAT? Who makes them?" But after 2 months of research (prior to my purchase) I've realized that name does not equate quality or hassle-free honoring of the vehicle warranty. Furthermore, Kia's advertising practice seems a whole lot more forthright than any of the other makers' ads. No hidden fees, no "balloon payments", no $950 Dealer Fees, and no $375 Documentation Fees.
Face it... Honda/Nissan/Toyota all started at the same spot in North America as Kia is, and look at them now.
I dealt with Robert Thomas at Southpoint Kia in Austin. We talked a few times over email and overall he was an easy sales guy to deal with. I bought a Sedona from him in April when they were not offering the 1K rebate. The model I bought was an EX with all options except the spoiler and the final price was 22.7K, which was about $1200 less than the MSRP.
Funny.. the same thing (kinda) happened to me when I went in to sign all of the financing papers. The "business manager" was giving me some excuse about "amount fields" not being able to go over whatever the value was (I dont remember) but when I looked at the document he gave me to sign my amount to finance had increased by a little over $200.. that actually was the amount the sales manager had said I should have paid, he said his manager told him he let the van go for "too little". I did tell the business manager that was NOT the amount I had agreed to finance and he drew up the documents again and fixed it.. looks like ya gotta be careful when you get ready to sign the papers... interesting... :>)
Just bought EX with everything but ABS from Shawnee Mission KIA. Paid $21,850 (Edmunds TMV). Thanks to all for the insight and information you have shared. Made our purchase a lot easier.
Many Sedona sold. Sedona best price V6 engine, 5 speed automatic, best warranty, many feature. Concern low EPA rating until owners report much better mileage. Think mistake on low 15/20 rating, next year 2003 Sedona rating more accurate.
The warranty is good as long as there is access to the service department. I purchased a Sedona in Feb 02. I love it. It handles well and is versatile in its seating configuration. Travel is comfortable and it can really drive smooth at high speeds on the highway. But....even though the warranty is good, the servicing center here is terrible. The people who work there are OK but the volume of cars is way over their capacity. These cars break down. Even for small things your car is there for 2 days....no rentals given. This is KIA policy. We just returned from a 2000 mile road trip and the transmission went out.. I mean it has to have a complete new one @ 9,000 miles.We will be approximately 2 weeks without a car with no rental per KIA representative at home office. We have no other car.They will replace the transmission, fix the cd player and the cigarette lights for TV power supply for free. But at $481 per month I just lost $240.50 (loss of transportation X 2 weeks) plus inconvience, extra transportation costs and getting stranded when the transmission went out. I would not buy another KIA due to the servicing even though it has a 10 year warranty, how many times will it break down? NO rental and how long will your car have to sit just to be looked at(ours was 4 days) at a overworked, understaffed service department that has a backup of KIA products to fix.
Same post on three boards? Like I said on "Your thoughts about Kia" try adding Loss of Use on your insurance policy. MUCH cheaper than paying for a rental car yourself. Good luck.
I see a few on the road; but, this morning I saw three or four myself. It was odd to see so many today. I saw one that was a two-tone EX in a maroon-like color with the small spoiler in the back--definately the best looking one I've ever seen.
When I first turn on the A/C it has an odor of really stale, foul air. I know it is not the car or my housekeeping. It really smells, then goes away. What is this, what do I do.
***One of my fog lights is burned out. Will this be replaced under warranty? I have 7000 miles.
Signing in for mconnect. Thanks claywaterfill I will check my insurance policy. I duplicate posted the prior message because I feel it is a significant issue not just for me but for people making a disicion about purchase. I like my Sedona and I liked my Kia Sportage 4x4 I had before. The servicing and no rental is a dilema.
a sedona for my mother. Haven't read all the posts or done all the research but still wondering how hot are the Sedonas in the marketplace (Pacific NW)? selling for msrp? thanks,
There seem to be several parts of the country in which you can get a Sedona for $1,000-$1,500 off MSRP, perhaps even more if you bargain really hard and find the right situation (salesperson or dealer on the cusp of achieving a big monthly bonus milestone, etc.). On top of that, there's currently a $1,000 rebate. So you should be shooting for at least $2,000 off MSRP.
Just bought, brochure with radio has appendix with instructions on how to set the clock? I don't seem to have a "clock" button on my radio. Where the "clock" button should be, I have a "scan" button. Is there a trick to seeing the clock or does it just not exist and the manuals are wrong??? Any comments??
thanks for the input. did a little research yesterday and i agree that you get the best bang for your buck with the sedona. 2k off msrp sounds pretty good to me. i'm going to test drive it this week to see how it feels and compares to my mother's '97 nissan quest.
Hi, Was looking at DC products and GM vans till I read their message boards, was shocked at the number of problems they have. Sedona seems to have much fewer than other vans on the market. I have read most of the posts on this board, and MPG jumps out as major concern, but with the heaver weight ,18 to 22 mpg is about right compared with lighter vans. Now here is my question: dealer gave me a quote of $20,970 on an EX with everything but 2 tone paint and sunroof. Price quoted includes $1000 rebate but seems pretty good to me. What do you all think? Thanks in advance for your input. Val
Just took delivery on a new Silver EX Sedona yesterday. I think it looks great. For those asking what kind of deals are out there I paid for the EX with leather and all options except 2 tone and abs, 21,100 (including rebate). Paid $175 "conveyance fee" (whatever that is).
Haven't been on for a while. As one of the Sedona "Plank Owners" (bought the second one in Tulsa last Jul 27), thought I'd add my "long term test results".
Problems/complaints are: 1. Stereo was replaced the first month. Tweeters still sound tinny on FM, not bad w/the CD. 2. Paint on the plastic body molding chips VERY EASILY. The touch-up paint is a perfect match, however (ours is white top/beige(??)bottom). 3. TIRE NOISE, especially on Concrete. Will swap for Michelins in the near future.
Maintenance: 1. Oil changes every 5K. I've used KIA and Bosch filters. Castrol 10-30 ONLY. 2. 5-tire rotation every 10K. 3. New front wipers (hey, things dry out REAL BAD here). 4. Had the computer reprogrammed per the Tech bulletin and it makes a REAL difference (early Sedonas only, check with Kia).
Events: 1. Road trip to Pike's Peak in August. First Sedona to the top!! (about 2K miles/4days) 2. NUMEROUS road trips to Branson, Kansas City, OKC. 3. Road trip to Phoenix over July 4th via Taos, Albuquerque, Heber AZ (saw the fire aftermath - HORRIBLE), Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tuba City, Monument Valley, Farmingdale NM, Taos(again) then home through the OK panhandle. Over 3.5K miles/4 days. 4. Daily commute driver 40mi round trip.
Dealer: Dean Bailey in Tulsa. EXCELLENT service and sales staff. No complaints AT ALL.
Other comments: This van is a dream to live with. Always sure-footed, even in snow. The air conditioner almost froze us out in Arizona, even at 105d outside, and the heaters are fast to respond and HOT in winter. Power and response, even on steep upgrades and at VERY high altitudes, are excellent. The transmission always always seems to find the right gear without effort and when shifted out of OD was terriffic in the mountains. Braking is great. LOVE the "flame-thrower" lights. Will NOT buy leather again. Look great, but gets hard on the long hauls and DON'T WEAR SHORTS . Gas milage is 20-21 overall (run 89 octane). We live way out in the country at the end of a long dirt road and drive the van HARD. NO rattles, NO squeaks, NO groans.
We've carried a lot of people the last year and have received very positive comments on the comfort and quality. The van still gets looked at a LOT in parking lots and at stop lights. People seem to confuse it for a Lexus or Accura. I just grin....
Conclusion: Buy one. Drive it hard, but maintain it well. One excellent vehicle. BTW - We're on the list for a Sorento as soon as they come out.
Nice report Kia Sedona. Many tire noise concrete road. Michelin tires noisy my 2001 Ody EX concrete road. Mileage report show EPA estimate too low. Glad Sedona better mileage. Hope 2003 EPA estimate more accurate.
When I first started reading the Kia Sedona posts I was surprised at all of the "Opinions" that were not based on facts or first hand experience. A lot of these "opinions" were based what someone heard, a friend who once owned a Kia, a Kia that was owned a few years ago, another model of Kia, I just don't like Kia's look, sound, country of origin or my brand of car is the best in the world so everyone elses car is crap. What I wanted to hear and the reason that I started the "True comparison to Kia" discussion was to hear from current owners, mechanics, automotive writers and anyone who had actual first hand experience with a Kia Sedona. If you just have an "Opinion" not based on facts please keep it to your self.
I live in the Atlanta area and stated before I had only seen one Sedona.Which doesn't bother me at all,I'm still interested in purchasing one when I get back there since I currently am still up north.
On my way up here I saw only 1 in NC.And I'm really looking for them too.
Now I come to find out my next door neighbors just got one! Shucks,I wanted to be the first! LOL! Oh well.We will have to start the trend.
Where are the majority of you with Sedonas? Are they bigger out west?
In reference to previous posts about non-permanently installed video systems, here is how I've approached it in the past: About four years ago, bought a 13" TV (Zenith) with built-in VCR and DC input. Used the TV secured with bungee cord in our 94 Aerostar and also hooked Super Nintendo using a universal DC adapter available at Radio Shack. The movies and games always kept the kids happy & quiet on the frequent 2 plus hour drives to Grandma's house and the two or three longer trips we would take over the course of a year.
Since the beginning of the year, our system has undergone some dramatic changes. Because our video collection was changing rapidly from VHS to DVD, we bought a Lasonic portable DVD player with DC input, which let us, play DVDs through the TV. When we bought our Sedona in late April, we noticed on our first trip that the TV seemed to take up a lot more space in the smaller confines of the Sedona, also started becoming concerned about how well the bungee cord would hold the relatively heavy TV in place in the event of an accident. To rectify the situation we bought a PYLE 7" LCD monitor which are available on E-bay and on-line electronic stores for about $200 (even a little less if you look real hard). The monitor has worked great with both the DVD player and Super Nintendo. Clear sharp picture and the monitor, which only weighs a few ounces, is a snap to temporarily mount, although it could be permanently mounted in the headrest if I were so inclined. The only disadvantage of replacing the TV with the LCD monitor is that we can no longer play VHS tapes. Not a big deal since all our video purchases in the last two years have been DVD.
The latest change to the system is in the gaming. The kids have had a Playstation 2 since Christmas, and were always bugging me to hook it up in the van, however the PS 2 could not be made to run off a 12v DC input. Last week I bought a power inverter at Radio Shack, which gave us 120v AC power in the van. In our latest trip this past weekend, we had Playstation running and the kids thought I was a hero. Also used the DVD playback function on the PS 2, which worked well and means we won't need a separate DVD player any longer. Only downside to PS 2 hookup is that we now have a portable DVD player we no longer need. Have listed the DVD player on E-bay since it is no longer needed. Link below if anyone interested:
My wife and I drove from NY to Florida (Lady Lake) and back. The Sedona behaved perfectly. My LX with cloth seats was very comfortable in spite of riding for hours and hours. I got 26 mpg on strictly highway driving; 22 mpg mixed driving; only 16 mpg around town. On the other hand, the gas down there was only $1.39 gal. compared to the $1.66 I'm paying here - so it wasn't that bad.
I only got to try the cruise control for brief periods as the traffic was just too heavy most of the time. It did work quite well though.
We were stuck in slow moving traffic (2 hours to go 50 miles) in 90 degrees in Virginia. I noticed several cars pulled over due to over heating but the needle on the Sedona temperature gauge never moved - even running the air conditioning. Another thing I noticed - In my other cars I'm used to the compressor of the air conditioner noticeably sucking power from the engine when it comes on but this never happened with the Sedona. You never feel the compressor kick in at all.
I kept saying to my wife, "Honey, we made the right decision to buy this van." It is nice to be right once in a while.
Hi all. After doing a lot of research I think my wife and I are going to dump our '96 Windstar (not going to get another one of those) and buy a Sedona EX. The local dealer near us has about 35 on the lot, but all the ones with ABS have leather, moonroof, and the homelink options. Has anyone seen an EX with just ABS and cloth interior? Otherwise we may end up getting the 'loaded' EX with all the bells and whistles. A few people snicked when I mentioned buying a Kia, but after all the problems I have had with Ford, Chrysler and GM products, the Sedona looks like a good deal, plus the great warranty. And I refuse to pay $30,000+ for a Honda van, no matter how good people say they are.
Hello all. I currently have 12k miles on my EX since I purchased it in January. I have done my own oil changes and maintenance since then. I am extremely happy with my van. Many of you that have been following this board know that I purchased my Sedona mainly for it's towing ability, as I am an RV dealer that specializes in V-6 towables. I can tell you that I have towed over 50 different trailers now with my Sedona and this van has performed flawlesslly. Power is not even a question. Transmission is silky smooth. The truck/ladder design body never even remotely suggests any body flexing. I have towed 22' travel trailers that weigh over 3500Lbs with no difficulty, over 100 miles one way. I do use a class II weight distribution hitch to offset the tongue weight. The temperature gauge never moves, even in 95 degree heat, under load. This is a very impressive van. No squeaks, rattles or shakes. I did crunch my front bumper, after a rather mild bump on a protruding stump and it seemed to crack easily. The paint on the bumpers seems to scratch easily, as mentioned by others on this board. The brakes perform very well under twoing conditions. My air conditioner works to perfection also, I have yet to set the cold temperature setting to its coldest because it delivers so well. I am very impressed with this van, and feel I got a bargain. I will be watching for the new Toyota van which is due out in February of 2003. I am a former Previa owner, and believe the new Toyota will be the Americanized version of the Estima/Previa which has been in the overseas markets for some time now. It will certainly butt heads with the overpriced Honda Oddysey. As long as my Sedona continues to perform this flawlessly, I will have no reason to change. I plan on driving this vehicle for every mile that I can get out it. I average about 24 mpg hwy when not towing, so much for EPA statements. It will be interesting to see whats in store for the new '03 Sedonas coming out soon. This van has made me alot of money since I purchased it as my primary work vehicle, it's nice to go in style, with no hassles!
I have twins. I am using Graco baby seats. When I buckle the bases into the second row seats (separate captains on an EX), they flop all over the place. Also, the "Stop button" on the seat belt that prevents the seat belt from sliding through the bracket is also in a different position on the passenger side than on the driver's This makes the passenger side much looser.
Any body else experience this or have an recommendations?
We had all sorts of trouble with Graco car seats in my wife's bosses Mercedes 420 -- they would slide all over the leather seats -- never did sit still unitl we put a towel under them.
We've had no issue with our Sedona EX (leather seats) but we put seat covers over their seats before putting them in -- I did not note the locking problem you mention when we did it though...
I can say that the one on the drivers side (used by our 2 year old) is very firm -- no issues. The one on the passengers side is used by our 7 year old (in a booster) and locking is not a problem on that either.
You could try a Mighty Tite, which tightens the seat even tighter than with just the regular seat belt. Some people have damaged their seat belts by overtightening the Mighty Tite, but I've not had any problems.
Also, you could try one of the $25 straps that attach to the 2 metal bars on each side of the seat, where the seatback and seat cushion meet. I think this is called the LATCH system. The regular seat belt is not used in this setup. Works great for us - we recently switched to this setup from the seatbelt + Mighty Tite setup.
Definitely put a towel and/or padding on the seat, to increase grip and to protect the seat. We have pieces of very dense foam on both the seatback and seat cushion, to prevent permanent indentations in the Sedona seat.
Any one looking for a Air Filter for your Sedona, I purchased one today at NAPA auto parts. It wasn't in stock at the local store but they got it in one day. Its made in south Korea for Wix corp. who makes NAPA's filters. The part number is 2086 and I paid $13.14+ tax which was a bit of discount. A WIX filter dealer should have the same filter under part # 42086.
Couturr, we also had Graco carseat, but I am sure it would be the same problem with any brand... either you have to scoot the front seats up so far the people in the front eat their knees so that you can scoot the middle seat up and avoid that button stop problem, or you have to stop using the bases. Our infant seat buckled in just fine and sturdy without the base.
I posted about this quite some time back, (we are in the Britax roundabout now) but our resolution was to quit using the base and just buckle the seat in and out every time... kind of a waste since the reason we picked the seat we did was because we wanted the convenience of the click in click out base... rrrrrr. We complained about this to Kia. The button where it is seems like a design error for use with American infant car seat bases... and people with legs of a reasonable length in the front... kind of makes you wonder if Kia tested car infant seats with bases in the Sedona? Anita
Couturr, we have a Century infant seat (Century is now owned by Graco) that has the stay-in-car base. I couldn't get the base tight in our Sedona EX with just the seat belt. We purchased a LATCH retrofit kit at BabiesRUs. It's basically a tether strap with a metal clip on both ends. It was $25 and works great. We did still have to place a couple of rolled up towels under the base at the back of the seat. We have the cloth seats. Not sure if that makes a difference.
I read all the posts on the Kia Sedona & decided to purchase one. My wife & I paid $21.8K(after rebate), "out-the-door"(no taxes/title), for a white/platinum EX with everything but spoiler. Dealer had to "buy", not "swap", the car from another dealer who was 240 mi. away. I would like to recommend Hagerstown Kia, in west central Maryland & especially their salesman, David Ainsworth. This was THE BEST car purchase I have ever transacted. No pressure, friendly, informative & w/mutual trust. And the Sedona EX? Fantastic value. And that's coming from a 33yr. GM employee. Hope we still feel this way 5yrs. down the road!
My wife and I are looking at trading in our '96 Plymouth Grand Caravan for a new - or newer - minivan. Our '96 has been "ok" but I can just hear little things that I know are going to start costing me. We average 20,000 miles/year on the van with bi-monthly trips of anywhere from 15-26 hours round-trip, so we need something VERY reliable (but I'm cheap!).
I read through several hundred of these Kia posts and came to the conclusion I should check out a Sedona (our other option is looking like buying a shorter/less loaded Dodge Caravan or buying a used Grand Caravan, though it would kill me to have the warranty run out at 36,000 miles when they JUST upped their warranty to 7 years/70k miles). So I stopped by the local Kia dealership to take one for a test drive. It was two in the afternoon and they had two salespeople working and they were "incredibly" busy with two customers...and they were out of Sedona brochures. The detail/car wash attendant had to fire one up for me and let me take it for a drive. Without benefit of having a salesman take me through all the bells and whistles here were my initial impressions:
Positive: - nice ride - nicely appointed for the money (I drove an EX w/sunroof/ABS/leather) - good stereo and controls - really like the looks of the van - plenty of engine for the weight it's pulling - the seat layout seemed appropriate for our family of four - the air worked fine at the low setting and it was about 90F and humid today
Negative: - I couldn't believe it but this van (w/1000 miles on it) had a fairly loud engine rattle. I asked the car wash guy if he could hear it (he'd have to be deaf not to) and he said "yeah, not sure what that is". We both shrugged our shoulders (as guys do when they have no clue how to fix something but realize the machine will still "operate") and I drove off. It didn't seem to affect the performance of the van but still... - The door handles feel like they're going to break the first time the weather dips below 20F (as it sometimes does in Southeast MI where we live and where it DEFINITELY does in Wisconsin where we visit often). They just feel like they're made of very cheap plastic. Perhaps I need to compare them to other vans handles. - I too heard a slight rattle (soon to be loud?) coming from the back seats.
I'm going to go back and take the family for a ride and see how the wife likes it - this time in a van w/out a rattle hopefully. 90% of me feels like this is a good value and all you intelligent people couldn't be wrong about this van. But the other 10% of me wonders about it's long-term reliability...and that no one can help me with I realize.
I'd love to save the money but I'm worried that my wife will be stranded w/out a vehicle while our van sits in the shop getting serviced. Even at our local Ford dealership (I own a '00 Taurus) the car is in there for a WHOLE day regardless of what they're doing to it. Sure I can buy insurance to have a rental car at the ready but do I really want to worry about taking time out of my busy day (I'm starting a company in 6 weeks that will have me working my tail off) to get the wife/kids into a driveable car? Does this worry anyone else?
I've boiled it down to two options (IF they wife likes the Kia and she does like the looks of it): 1) buy a used Dodge G.C., with low miles, for ~$18,000-$20,000 and then hope our business is doing well enough in a few years that we can get rid of it before it "possibly" starts to fall apart (60-70,000 miles is when we had the majority of our problems) or 2) buy the Sedona and "hope" she holds up well and we don't spend much time in the shop. I just don't want to be kicking myself 6-12 months down the road (because my wife would also be kicking me so it would be doubly painful).
Yes, which dealer? I'm in SE Mich. We bought our EX from Dick Scott Kia in Canton.
Reliability was a big concern for me too, but in the end I decided the vehicle probably was going to hold up, and the long warranty eased my concerns. If it's that big a deal, perhaps you should consider something like a used Toyota Sienna. I like the Odyssey, but it hasn't had Honda-like reliability.
Make sure the Sedona will be big enough for your needs.
Just had to sign on. My wife and I just purchased a new Sedona on July 26th. We love this mini. The ride is great, nice options (we bought the EX with sunroof/abs/homelink). We paid 22K out the door with rebate and taxes. Traded in a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and so far do not regret it. Has anyone replaced the tires yet if so what did you go with?
I understand your concerns. But all else being equal, buying the used Caravan for that money vs buying a NEW Sedona for essentially the same money (my LX was 19K out the door), you are getting the early mileage in before problems occur (IF they occur). My Caravan started having problems at 55K miles and got rid of it at 70K miles to forstall more bloodletting of my wallet. I don't know about you, but I like my cars to last a lot longer than that! I'm hoping that the Sedona will go longer, but saw nothing in the competition to assure me of a better product. BTW I've had my Sedona for 11 months, never been in the shop and no problems that "I'm living with." Hope this helps make up your mind.
Any of you new owners (or prospective owners) have a clock readout on your radio? If you do, how did you get it to show up?? Mine only shows the station number.
I am going to be purchasing a minivan at the end of the year. Our suv lease is up and we need more room.
We have about 22k to spend (including tax. etc.) and are strongly considering the Sedona. We really want a van with leather and some other extra's so the only other option is something used, probably a Sienna.
My biggest concern (as I'm sure is everyone else's who looked at the Kia) is reliability. I would like the car to last at least six years and we put on more then 15k miles per year, so if we go with the Sedona we would probably hold it for 100,000 miles. If we buy a Sienna with 30,000 miles on it, we will hold it until it has 130,000 miles. Of course, the Sedona will have a much longer initial warranty.
Like I said, I'm sure everyone who bought the Sedona went through pretty much the same thought process. I've been lurking here the last few months, and will continue to monitor to see how the vans are holding up as time goes by.
P.S.- Is it fair to say that, in general, minivans are less reliable then other cars? It seems like an Accord will hold up better then an Odyssey, a Maxima will hold up better then a Quest, and a Camry will hold up better then a Sienna. Do most people find this to be true? I know most people that purchase cars and (reasonably) expect them to last 150,000 miles without major problems, but I don't know that many people who have the same expectations with regard to minivans.
I just got rid of my 96 Grand Caravan, for a Kia Sedona. 1 month and 3000kms later I know I did the right thing.
The Kia is not as roomy as a Grand Caravan, but the seats weigh about the same, a split back bench is much easier to remove. (That rattle you heard in the back during your test drive is probably a seat that was not locked into its track, happened to me)
The mileage on the Kia is about the same as the old van, and the ride is like the old van, but I find the Kia is smoother on the highway.
I'm about to take it in to get some adjustments made, I've got belts that are noisy when the air conditioning is cranked up. I live further north than MI and expect that the plastic components will hold up OK. I got to test out the heater last week when temperatures went down into the low 50's in the evening, lots of heat. And the rear air is a vast improvement over the rear sauna we had in the Grand Caravan.
So far the wife has not kicked my backside for picking this van. And my backside has been comfortably placed on a leather seat with power controls that I would not have considered if I had to purchase any other van on the market.
Expect to see that your are a Kia owner in the near future.
The other big concern we have with the Sedona is the amount of room behind the third row. It seemed surprisingly cramped. I'm trying to imagine a large stroller, two big bags (my wife does therapy at people's homes and leaves her work stuff in the car), and then any other stuff we need to add (like grocery bags) and I'm a little worried. Also, I know we pack out SUV to the hilt when traveling and I'm not so sure there is more room in the Sedona. The Honda obviously blows it away when it comes to cargo space because when the magic seat is up, there is a cavern to put things in, but even the Sienna seemed to have a lot more room in the back.
If you have the trip computer, the clock is there. It is not in the stereo nor accessible in the stereo. The LX has it in the stereo but no trip computer. I thought I saw this printed in the owner's manual? If you have an LX, it should be in the stereo?
I've had my Sedona now for approx. 3 weeks and (for the most part) my wife and I are happy with it.
A couple of small things have come up (the front passenger seat seems to stick and is hard to move forward or back; a front mud flap that seems a bit loose, but i'll have the dealer fix it).
The air conditioner makes some noise when the engine is idling (a quiet groan), but my Chev did something similar when the a/c was turned on. Despite the noise, it is very efficient at keeping the passenger areas cool.
Fuel economy is slightly disappointing (approximately 12.5l/100km, or 19 mpg on mountain roads, with four adults, two children, 120km/h, air conditioning running); the numbers don't change much when the seats are empty. I'm hoping that this changes as the engine breaks in - perhaps this is quite normal, as a friend owns a new Montana and says that his van's economy is nowhere near what the advertisers claim (and it's unfair to even make comparisons between the Sedona and our Honda Civic's fuel use!).
One previous post mentions the plastic door handles and wonders whether they will stand up to cold weather. I've noticed that the other brands have similar "quality" of handles, so I think that they will be ok. I hope that this is true, as Alberta winters can be harsh.
Aren't you folks a quick-response bunch!? Thank you very much! I guess the answers you gave have bumped me up to a 95/5 split (in terms of confidence) instead of the 90/10 I was at. I'm going to take the family back to the dealership soon to learn all about the Sedona and we'll see if we can't build up some more confidence.
After reading your posts here are some answers/thoughts:
- Someone asked what dealer we dealt with. I'd prefer not to say because I'm not a big fan of knocking businesses unless they're REALLY bad (like Comerica bank?...ohhhhhh just kiddin' there Comerica! Your customer service is just superb - I just choose to bank somewhere else!). I'll give them another try and hope it was a fluke.
- How in the heck are you folks getting OUT THE DOOR pricing, on a EX w/all the goodies, for just $22k WITH taxes?! On that model I'm showing Kia invoice at $21,150 (including two tone paint). Assuming a $300 profit for the dealer, and 6% Michigan sales tax, I come up with $22,737. Oh wait...you're including the $1000 rebate aren't you? Man-oh-man, after seeing these prices, with those options, maybe my confidence level is up to 96/4%?
- I'm worried about my trade-in, that seems to be the only anchor around my neck. We owe ~$6300 but wholesale trade value is only about $5200. But, as my wife points out, if our G.C. transmission goes out we'll be looking at a whopper of a bill at a time when we really don't need one (business start-up). So the extra $100/month in Kia payments vs. what we pay now might be cheap insurance. And I must admit I kind of like the idea of a sunroof in our minivan!
- To "Amyshubby" re: storage. From what I understand the Sedona is roomier than a Caravan but not quite as roomy as a G.C. - which we currently own. I will admit that the G.C. is nice to have on our long trips. However it's extremely rare that we totally pack it to the gills. Maybe twice in the last three years we had the back seat out (a bear to carry, and I'm in good shape), the back loaded to the ceiling AND a roof-rack bag carrier up on top. But as I see it you only lose about 8" of space on the Sedona vs. the G.C. Take a ruler out and see how much 8" is, not that much. My wife can pack more efficiently if necessary. On daily drives or local trips we too carry mucho stuff: a DOUBLE stroller, a single stroller, a potty chair (hey, when a kids gotta go a kids gotta go), blankets, jumper cables, basket with toys, etc. But the thing that's always worried me about our G.C. is that, to gain more room, I remove the rear seat and slide it up against the back of the second seat. I KNOW that's not safe if we were to get hit and it seems with the Kia it will a) be a little easier to remove and store the rear seat and b) allow us more flexibility w/the split bench. I owned a midsize SUV similar to the Cherokee and believe me "Amyshubby", just about anything will feel more roomier than what you're driving now.
Well, thanks again folks. If my local dealer can find a fully functional Sedona to test drive I'll let you know how it turns out...
Comments
Also found Champion spark plug number # RC12PYP Platium plugs
NAPA should also stock the airfilter since I think WIX makes NAPA's filters.
I found the name Carival on the filter when I pulled it out, part # 0010723 but havent been able to cross referance it to an American filter. Found some sites that handle that brand but they seem to be overseas.
One thing that did anger me, was the fact that after signing the offer, putting a downpayment on the vehicle, and returning to sign the financing documents, the dealer had the (insert your word here) to tell me that she wanted anothe $6 per month over the 60 month term because they had used "the wrong computer program" to figure out the financing. She admitted that it "happens all of the time" to which I said I'd take my deposit back, tear up the contract and walk. Principle is a big thing, especially after signing an offer. SO, the dealer backed down and gave me the vehicle at the agreed price. Not sure if this is typical, but it is just a warning to others that this may be a way of the dealer leveraging another $360 out of you at the moment of closure. Other than this, I am very happy with my purchase.
As a side note, I've been reading the Odessy / Sedona bulletins. Catty people! My only worry when buying the Sedona was the "namebrand recognition". Yes, I had a little more comfort in buying a more familiar brandname. "You bought a WHAT? Who makes them?" But after 2 months of research (prior to my purchase) I've realized that name does not equate quality or hassle-free honoring of the vehicle warranty. Furthermore, Kia's advertising practice seems a whole lot more forthright than any of the other makers' ads. No hidden fees, no "balloon payments", no $950 Dealer Fees, and no $375 Documentation Fees.
Face it... Honda/Nissan/Toyota all started at the same spot in North America as Kia is, and look at them now.
I did tell the business manager that was NOT the amount I had agreed to finance and he drew up the documents again and fixed it.. looks like ya gotta be careful when you get ready to sign the papers... interesting... :>)
Thanks to all for the insight and information you have shared. Made our purchase a lot easier.
Concern low EPA rating until owners report much better mileage. Think mistake on low 15/20 rating, next year 2003 Sedona rating more accurate.
***One of my fog lights is burned out. Will this be replaced under warranty? I have 7000 miles.
thanks,
-nobee
-nobee
Problems/complaints are:
1. Stereo was replaced the first month. Tweeters still sound tinny on FM, not bad w/the CD.
2. Paint on the plastic body molding chips VERY EASILY. The touch-up paint is a perfect match, however (ours is white top/beige(??)bottom).
3. TIRE NOISE, especially on Concrete. Will swap for Michelins in the near future.
Maintenance:
1. Oil changes every 5K. I've used KIA and Bosch filters. Castrol 10-30 ONLY.
2. 5-tire rotation every 10K.
3. New front wipers (hey, things dry out REAL BAD here).
4. Had the computer reprogrammed per the Tech bulletin and it makes a REAL difference (early Sedonas only, check with Kia).
Events:
1. Road trip to Pike's Peak in August. First Sedona to the top!! (about 2K miles/4days)
2. NUMEROUS road trips to Branson, Kansas City, OKC.
3. Road trip to Phoenix over July 4th via Taos, Albuquerque, Heber AZ (saw the fire aftermath - HORRIBLE), Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tuba City, Monument Valley, Farmingdale NM, Taos(again) then home through the OK panhandle. Over 3.5K miles/4 days.
4. Daily commute driver 40mi round trip.
Dealer:
Dean Bailey in Tulsa. EXCELLENT service and sales staff. No complaints AT ALL.
Other comments:
This van is a dream to live with. Always sure-footed, even in snow. The air conditioner almost froze us out in Arizona, even at 105d outside, and the heaters are fast to respond and HOT in winter. Power and response, even on steep upgrades and at VERY high altitudes, are excellent. The transmission always always seems to find the right gear without effort and when shifted out of OD was terriffic in the mountains. Braking is great. LOVE the "flame-thrower" lights. Will NOT buy leather again. Look great, but gets hard on the long hauls and DON'T WEAR SHORTS . Gas milage is 20-21 overall (run 89 octane).
We live way out in the country at the end of a long dirt road and drive the van HARD. NO rattles, NO squeaks, NO groans.
We've carried a lot of people the last year and have received very positive comments on the comfort and quality. The van still gets looked at a LOT in parking lots and at stop lights. People seem to confuse it for a Lexus or Accura. I just grin....
Conclusion:
Buy one. Drive it hard, but maintain it well. One excellent vehicle. BTW - We're on the list for a Sorento as soon as they come out.
Luv our Kia!
Mileage report show EPA estimate too low. Glad Sedona better mileage. Hope 2003 EPA estimate more accurate.
On my way up here I saw only 1 in NC.And I'm really looking for them too.
Now I come to find out my next door neighbors just got one! Shucks,I wanted to be the first! LOL! Oh well.We will have to start the trend.
Where are the majority of you with Sedonas? Are they bigger out west?
Natalie
Since the beginning of the year, our system has undergone some dramatic changes. Because our video collection was changing rapidly from VHS to DVD, we bought a Lasonic portable DVD player with DC input, which let us, play DVDs through the TV. When we bought our Sedona in late April, we noticed on our first trip that the TV seemed to take up a lot more space in the smaller confines of the Sedona, also started becoming concerned about how well the bungee cord would hold the relatively heavy TV in place in the event of an accident. To rectify the situation we bought a PYLE 7" LCD monitor which are available on E-bay and on-line electronic stores for about $200 (even a little less if you look real hard). The monitor has worked great with both the DVD player and Super Nintendo. Clear sharp picture and the monitor, which only weighs a few ounces, is a snap to temporarily mount, although it could be permanently mounted in the headrest if I were so inclined. The only disadvantage of replacing the TV with the LCD monitor is that we can no longer play VHS tapes. Not a big deal since all our video purchases in the last two years have been DVD.
The latest change to the system is in the gaming. The kids have had a Playstation 2 since Christmas, and were always bugging me to hook it up in the van, however the PS 2 could not be made to run off a 12v DC input. Last week I bought a power inverter at Radio Shack, which gave us 120v AC power in the van. In our latest trip this past weekend, we had Playstation running and the kids thought I was a hero. Also used the DVD playback function on the PS 2, which worked well and means we won't need a separate DVD player any longer. Only downside to PS 2 hookup is that we now have a portable DVD player we no longer need. Have listed the DVD player on E-bay since it is no longer needed. Link below if anyone interested:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1368258844
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
I only got to try the cruise control for brief periods as the traffic was just too heavy most of the time. It did work quite well though.
We were stuck in slow moving traffic (2 hours to go 50 miles) in 90 degrees in Virginia. I noticed several cars pulled over due to over heating but the needle on the Sedona temperature gauge never moved - even running the air conditioning. Another thing I noticed - In my other cars I'm used to the compressor of the air conditioner noticeably sucking power from the engine when it comes on but this never happened with the Sedona. You never feel the compressor kick in at all.
I kept saying to my wife, "Honey, we made the right decision to buy this van." It is nice to be right once in a while.
Any body else experience this or have an recommendations?
We've had no issue with our Sedona EX (leather seats) but we put seat covers over their seats before putting them in -- I did not note the locking problem you mention when we did it though...
I can say that the one on the drivers side (used by our 2 year old) is very firm -- no issues. The one on the passengers side is used by our 7 year old (in a booster) and locking is not a problem on that either.
Also, you could try one of the $25 straps that attach to the 2 metal bars on each side of the seat, where the seatback and seat cushion meet. I think this is called the LATCH system. The regular seat belt is not used in this setup. Works great for us - we recently switched to this setup from the seatbelt + Mighty Tite setup.
Definitely put a towel and/or padding on the seat, to increase grip and to protect the seat. We have pieces of very dense foam on both the seatback and seat cushion, to prevent permanent indentations in the Sedona seat.
I posted about this quite some time back, (we are in the Britax roundabout now) but our resolution was to quit using the base and just buckle the seat in and out every time... kind of a waste since the reason we picked the seat we did was because we wanted the convenience of the click in click out base... rrrrrr. We complained about this to Kia. The button where it is seems like a design error for use with American infant car seat bases... and people with legs of a reasonable length in the front... kind of makes you wonder if Kia tested car infant seats with bases in the Sedona?
Anita
Good luck!
A.H.
I read through several hundred of these Kia posts and came to the conclusion I should check out a Sedona (our other option is looking like buying a shorter/less loaded Dodge Caravan or buying a used Grand Caravan, though it would kill me to have the warranty run out at 36,000 miles when they JUST upped their warranty to 7 years/70k miles). So I stopped by the local Kia dealership to take one for a test drive. It was two in the afternoon and they had two salespeople working and they were "incredibly" busy with two customers...and they were out of Sedona brochures. The detail/car wash attendant had to fire one up for me and let me take it for a drive. Without benefit of having a salesman take me through all the bells and whistles here were my initial impressions:
Positive:
- nice ride
- nicely appointed for the money (I drove an EX w/sunroof/ABS/leather)
- good stereo and controls
- really like the looks of the van
- plenty of engine for the weight it's pulling
- the seat layout seemed appropriate for our family of four
- the air worked fine at the low setting and it was about 90F and humid today
Negative:
- I couldn't believe it but this van (w/1000 miles on it) had a fairly loud engine rattle. I asked the car wash guy if he could hear it (he'd have to be deaf not to) and he said "yeah, not sure what that is". We both shrugged our shoulders (as guys do when they have no clue how to fix something but realize the machine will still "operate") and I drove off. It didn't seem to affect the performance of the van but still...
- The door handles feel like they're going to break the first time the weather dips below 20F (as it sometimes does in Southeast MI where we live and where it DEFINITELY does in Wisconsin where we visit often). They just feel like they're made of very cheap plastic. Perhaps I need to compare them to other vans handles.
- I too heard a slight rattle (soon to be loud?) coming from the back seats.
I'm going to go back and take the family for a ride and see how the wife likes it - this time in a van w/out a rattle hopefully. 90% of me feels like this is a good value and all you intelligent people couldn't be wrong about this van. But the other 10% of me wonders about it's long-term reliability...and that no one can help me with I realize.
I'd love to save the money but I'm worried that my wife will be stranded w/out a vehicle while our van sits in the shop getting serviced. Even at our local Ford dealership (I own a '00 Taurus) the car is in there for a WHOLE day regardless of what they're doing to it. Sure I can buy insurance to have a rental car at the ready but do I really want to worry about taking time out of my busy day (I'm starting a company in 6 weeks that will have me working my tail off) to get the wife/kids into a driveable car? Does this worry anyone else?
I've boiled it down to two options (IF they wife likes the Kia and she does like the looks of it): 1) buy a used Dodge G.C., with low miles, for ~$18,000-$20,000 and then hope our business is doing well enough in a few years that we can get rid of it before it "possibly" starts to fall apart (60-70,000 miles is when we had the majority of our problems) or 2) buy the Sedona and "hope" she holds up well and we don't spend much time in the shop. I just don't want to be kicking myself 6-12 months down the road (because my wife would also be kicking me so it would be doubly painful).
Any thoughts? Sorry for the long post!
- Rob
Monty
Reliability was a big concern for me too, but in the end I decided the vehicle probably was going to hold up, and the long warranty eased my concerns. If it's that big a deal, perhaps you should consider something like a used Toyota Sienna. I like the Odyssey, but it hasn't had Honda-like reliability.
Make sure the Sedona will be big enough for your needs.
I am going to be purchasing a minivan at the end of the year. Our suv lease is up and we need more room.
We have about 22k to spend (including tax. etc.) and are strongly considering the Sedona. We really want a van with leather and some other extra's so the only other option is something used, probably a Sienna.
My biggest concern (as I'm sure is everyone else's who looked at the Kia) is reliability. I would like the car to last at least six years and we put on more then 15k miles per year, so if we go with the Sedona we would probably hold it for 100,000 miles. If we buy a Sienna with 30,000 miles on it, we will hold it until it has 130,000 miles. Of course, the Sedona will have a much longer initial warranty.
Like I said, I'm sure everyone who bought the Sedona went through pretty much the same thought process. I've been lurking here the last few months, and will continue to monitor to see how the vans are holding up as time goes by.
P.S.- Is it fair to say that, in general, minivans are less reliable then other cars? It seems like an Accord will hold up better then an Odyssey, a Maxima will hold up better then a Quest, and a Camry will hold up better then a Sienna. Do most people find this to be true? I know most people that purchase cars and (reasonably) expect them to last 150,000 miles without major problems, but I don't know that many people who have the same expectations with regard to minivans.
The Kia is not as roomy as a Grand Caravan, but the seats weigh about the same, a split back bench is much easier to remove. (That rattle you heard in the back during your test drive is probably a seat that was not locked into its track, happened to me)
The mileage on the Kia is about the same as the old van, and the ride is like the old van, but I find the Kia is smoother on the highway.
I'm about to take it in to get some adjustments made, I've got belts that are noisy when the air conditioning is cranked up. I live further north than MI and expect that the plastic components will hold up OK. I got to test out the heater last week when temperatures went down into the low 50's in the evening, lots of heat. And the rear air is a vast improvement over the rear sauna we had in the Grand Caravan.
So far the wife has not kicked my backside for picking this van. And my backside has been comfortably placed on a leather seat with power controls that I would not have considered if I had to purchase any other van on the market.
Expect to see that your are a Kia owner in the near future.
A couple of small things have come up (the front passenger seat seems to stick and is hard to move forward or back; a front mud flap that seems a bit loose, but i'll have the dealer fix it).
The air conditioner makes some noise when the engine is idling (a quiet groan), but my Chev did something similar when the a/c was turned on. Despite the noise, it is very efficient at keeping the passenger areas cool.
Fuel economy is slightly disappointing (approximately 12.5l/100km, or 19 mpg on mountain roads, with four adults, two children, 120km/h, air conditioning running); the numbers don't change much when the seats are empty. I'm hoping that this changes as the engine breaks in - perhaps this is quite normal, as a friend owns a new Montana and says that his van's economy is nowhere near what the advertisers claim (and it's unfair to even make comparisons between the Sedona and our Honda Civic's fuel use!).
One previous post mentions the plastic door handles and wonders whether they will stand up to cold weather. I've noticed that the other brands have similar "quality" of handles, so I think that they will be ok. I hope that this is true, as Alberta winters can be harsh.
I'll keep you posted of future happenings.
After reading your posts here are some answers/thoughts:
- Someone asked what dealer we dealt with. I'd prefer not to say because I'm not a big fan of knocking businesses unless they're REALLY bad (like Comerica bank?...ohhhhhh just kiddin' there Comerica! Your customer service is just superb - I just choose to bank somewhere else!). I'll give them another try and hope it was a fluke.
- How in the heck are you folks getting OUT THE DOOR pricing, on a EX w/all the goodies, for just $22k WITH taxes?! On that model I'm showing Kia invoice at $21,150 (including two tone paint). Assuming a $300 profit for the dealer, and 6% Michigan sales tax, I come up with $22,737. Oh wait...you're including the $1000 rebate aren't you? Man-oh-man, after seeing these prices, with those options, maybe my confidence level is up to 96/4%?
- I'm worried about my trade-in, that seems to be the only anchor around my neck. We owe ~$6300 but wholesale trade value is only about $5200. But, as my wife points out, if our G.C. transmission goes out we'll be looking at a whopper of a bill at a time when we really don't need one (business start-up). So the extra $100/month in Kia payments vs. what we pay now might be cheap insurance. And I must admit I kind of like the idea of a sunroof in our minivan!
- To "Amyshubby" re: storage. From what I understand the Sedona is roomier than a Caravan but not quite as roomy as a G.C. - which we currently own. I will admit that the G.C. is nice to have on our long trips. However it's extremely rare that we totally pack it to the gills. Maybe twice in the last three years we had the back seat out (a bear to carry, and I'm in good shape), the back loaded to the ceiling AND a roof-rack bag carrier up on top. But as I see it you only lose about 8" of space on the Sedona vs. the G.C. Take a ruler out and see how much 8" is, not that much. My wife can pack more efficiently if necessary. On daily drives or local trips we too carry mucho stuff: a DOUBLE stroller, a single stroller, a potty chair (hey, when a kids gotta go a kids gotta go), blankets, jumper cables, basket with toys, etc. But the thing that's always worried me about our G.C. is that, to gain more room, I remove the rear seat and slide it up against the back of the second seat. I KNOW that's not safe if we were to get hit and it seems with the Kia it will a) be a little easier to remove and store the rear seat and b) allow us more flexibility w/the split bench. I owned a midsize SUV similar to the Cherokee and believe me "Amyshubby", just about anything will feel more roomier than what you're driving now.
Well, thanks again folks. If my local dealer can find a fully functional Sedona to test drive I'll let you know how it turns out...
- Rob