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Comments
Or one with the ABS, moonroof and leather for $21834 including rebate before tax, tag, etc., etc., etc.
Are these good prices???? Thanks for your input.
Since that is more than $ 2,000 off the price from last year , this is good news for people looking for a good van loaded with value.
The company is called LIA KIA, or Lia Autogroup.
Happy Shopping
One could argue - without diagnostic proof but in my experience - that the computer believes that there is an 18.5 gallon tank, instead of the ~19.5 that it's supposed to be.
I guess that is a real good price. Seems that dealers are willing to go far below invoice. Take care of the doc fees though, they try to rip you off there. Mine is charging $300 (ridiculous), but I only care about the total payment incl. Sales tax.
http://www.vision-inc.com/
The Sedona placed third, not bad for the new kid on the block.
The Sorento did even better, beating the Pilot and only trailing the 4runner slightly.
My confidence in the Kia brand has increased. I guess others have seen the value of the Kia as well.
Steve, Host
Steve, Host
I drove my parents' '03 EX for 50 miles today and was reminded of some of the improvements in the '03 such as the remote fuel door release and the gas cap holder.
I was at the top of a long hill when it cam on.
I coasted into a mobil station with the motor still running.
The gas pump let me load in about 18.5 gallons before it started shutting off.
I tried filling a little more but was near the top and was spitting a little.
It does indeed seem that the fuel light is set to go off at 18.5 gallons.
I just got 23.1 mpg on a medium speed intestate run Friday with A/C running.
I am switching back to Premium Gas , Synthetic oil and re-testing to see if I can pop up to 26 MPG again.
I have been getting a pretty steady 23 on 20-500 conventional oil and 87 octane gas.
The out-the-door price was $22,258.36 This includes Florida state sales tax of 6% as well as all other fees and charges. The dealer keeps the rebate. Is this a fair price for a cash deal or is this just a good starting point for negotiations? This is the first time I've talked with them and I doubt that their first price is their lowest price, but I don't really know. What do you think of the price? Thanks.
They had the LX for 16,700 in the paper.
Sedona
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Sedona is best - with rebates, I can get the EX for under 20K. Headroom is a little worse on the Sedona. With sunroof I have about 2 inches above my head. Seats on the EX have high headrests and they interfere with visibility. Has anyone tried to swap out the captains chairs with the bench seat? Rear (3rd row) seats have the best legroom. This is because the last seat sit up almost against the glass. I don't like climbing over the middle seats to get in, but maybe we would take out one of the middle seats. Does anyone else do this with theirs? Does anyone have problems with snow dropping down on the back seat in the winter?
I don't like the plastic gas filler door. How many times has that broken for you? The dealer tells me that the drivers side van door stops if the filler door is open. Has this been a problem on older models? Ride is much stiffer on the Sedona, which I like. I node the back virbrates in the chassis more than the others. Put your hand on the top of the window frame when driving over rough road and compare to the others. I suspect the EX will handle much better when pulling a load.
Roof rack is made of plastic. I haven't looked at new cars for a while, but this seems a little cheap. I tried to slide the roof rack to another position and the rail got jammed. Is this what you all experience, and do you have to learn a "technique" to make it work right?
Concerned about the chrome flashing on the plastic parts. Has anyone had problems with the chrome chipping off the handles?
Lots of leg room in the front seat - I could cross my legs in both directions in the passenger seat with the seat belt fastened.
Mazda MPV
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Mazda MPV is OK too. We currently own an MPV (1989) with 195K miles and we would like to get back into one. The thing I liked about the old MPV was the 3rd door. They took that off a couple years ago and the new sliding door doesn't open far enough to get to the back seat without rubbing on the frame. Front of vehicle was hard to judge, but is shorter than Odyssey. About the same as the Sedona. Nice amenities and high quality feel to the interior.
Toyota Sienna
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Sienna seems to be a much more solid car. Much more headroom. Lack of availability at dealers limits the comaprison of features. Engine seems to rev really high under high acceleration. Hard braking seemed a little soft. Very smooth ride in front, back and middle. Lots of room in the second row, third row had no legroom with middle seats all the way back. Price was 28K seemed a little high for what we could get elsewhere.
Honda Odyssey
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Odyssey way biggest of the cars we test drove. Handles very well, good turning radius and good breaking. Difficult to see where the front end stopped, but very good visability in all directions. Shifter knob blocked one of the dashboard controls. This is simular to the MPV which blocks the radio selection buttons.
Summary
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I guess I'm leaning toward the Kia, but since I tend to buy a car and keep it until the wheels fall off, I'm concerned about the Kia quality reputation. I haven't found any serious issues so far on these message boards and we're willing to take a few risks in that area. We bought the MPV after the first production year and have been happy with it, but the value of the Kia seems to be better. Any comments are welcome.
Thanks!
Honda dealers were very arrogant, and wanted to add extra fees on top of MSRP...Odyssey is a good van, but also has several well documented problems (electric doors and transmission) and only a 3/36k warantee.
Didn't like the Toyota's handling, but then it was last year's model, not the new larger one. Liked the Expedition, but not the external size.
I bought 2 DVD players at Target for $500 total, and now have portable systems for all our vehicles...saved on the permanent installation. Still looking at a Nav system.
Roof rack: use two people to move it, one on each side.
Headrests...I usually take the headrests off of non-occupied seats (2 kids, easy to predict when friends ride, store headrests in a laundry bag in back.) Yes, occasionally we take out a seat for easier access, but kids don't seem to mind scrambling in between seats.
My current is a 2003 with all the options (except stock hitch, I bought a hidden hitch class 3) We have 6000 trouble relatively trouble free miles...bought it in late Nov, just before the rebates were announced. Only one minor complaint...a/c compressor has become noisy at idle but works fine...going in to the dealer for that tomorrow and for routine service.
Only minor improvements I'd make to the Sedona would be: 1. Offer a front console option, vice table. 2. Add a floor or under hood compartment for a small tool kit and jumper cables (mine sits permanently under the table now) 3. Add a second row glove box compartment like there is in the 3rd row. (Kid's keep their junk in there)
6" more behind rear seat would be great, but probably would drive cost up as it would require retooling.
My brother is on his 2nd MPV and 4th Mazda...happy with the van, but has had very poor results with a couple of dealers...parts left off on reassembly, basic mechanical miscues (replacing one side's wheel bearings and not inspecting/repacking other side...even a rookie mechanic should know that), etc.
I don't trade cars very often, either.
this has some benefits-
MORE HEADROOM- ( no sunroof issue)
LOWER PRICE - ( LIA KIA in Albany has them in the paper for $16,975
NO CHROME FLASHING on parts.
RE: SEATS- seats- yes you can take headrests off.
yes the middle seat can stay out for weeks at a time. however - the middle seat is much safer in a wreck situation- the rear seat of any van is a death chair in a rear end collision.
RE: roof rack- have not used yet. My Chevy Caprice Wagon 1991, my 1990 Ford Taurus wagon and my 1999 GMC Safari Van all had plastic rook rack systems.
RE: durability- I have 22,000 mile on my 2002 unit. It has not had an special service. There was a updated set of seat belt anchors offered so I had that done.
SOME ( about 3500 units ) of the 2002 model year with ABS brakes lost their computer software and stopped working. People lost power braking function and had trouble stopping. They then had to get new software loaded and that fixed it. I do not have ABS and my brakes have worked fine.
Also the A/C works great , and the heavy duty plate type oil cooler under the hood keeps the engine temmp very steady no matter what the weather. I even had a passenger lock our keys in the van WITH the A/C Running , on a 97 deg day for an HOUR before the AAA guy came to let us back in. The van temperature was stillhad thenormal mark.!!!
Plus the car was REALLY COOL inside !
I run themaximum tire pressure shown on the side wall ( 44 PSI ) and get about 23 MPG on 87 OCtane fuel. There are people who sayu I am crazy to do this and so far my tires are wearing evenly accros the tread. My front tires are wearing faster than my rear. I think this is normal.
I am going to rotate soon. I only have about 10,000 miles on the tires.
I bought a full set of Winter snow tires which I run at lower pressure of 35 PSI and I put about 10,000 miles on those tire. They worked out great in the snow. We had a rough winter and the van worked swell.
The battery is a known weak link. I is working great now , but it is only a standard type and will most likely be replaced in the fall with the most powerful one I can locate for the available space.
I have owned about 30 cars in my life and I am very pleased with the Sedona.
I would buy it again , fro the same place and with the same features. I feel for the value in the LX it is not worth the trouble of the EX issues you mentioned.
Kia Motors Corporation Models: Kia Sedona Year: 2003 Number Potentially Involved: 3,434 Dates of Manufacture: November 2002 – March 2003 Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, there was a programming error in the anti-lock braking system (ABS) electronic control module logic. The programming error could reduce braking force at speeds below 25 mph, which could result in increased stopping distances. Such increased stopping distances could result in a crash. Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the control module. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-222-5500.
"If your tires are overinflated by 6 psi, they could be damaged more easily when running over potholes or debris in the road. Higher inflated tires cannot isolate road irregularities well causing them to ride harsher." (Exceptions apply for rally participants, etc., but even then 40 psi is the max recommended for the rears).
"Using higher tire pressures than recommended by the vehicle manufacturer for your driving conditions will unnecessarily stiffen the tire and make it even more willing to cause tramlining."
Tire Rack also recommends rotating tires every 5,000 miles (or even more often for high performance tires).
Tire Tech
Steve, Host
Hitch - I got the Draw-tite Class III and it was very hard to install. The right tools help, though. I could not remove the bolts under the van without a long extension bar from my neighbor (I am a bit of neophite with this stuff). I have only installed the four bolts provided for under the van and not the drilled bolts - I do not plan on hauling big items, but if I do I will install those last bolts on each side. I am only planning to use bike hitch to move 5 bikes - so far so good. I have not installed the wiring that I ordered on-line yet, but I do have all the instructions.
Tire Pressure - are you saying we should NOT inflate to 44 psi as the tires recommend? I did that before our recent trip to Michigan - is there a problem with this? Just curious.
Smulvey is entitled to his opinion, but I don't think it's a safe or practical idea.
Steve, Host
a) a good idea
b) going to result in a dramatic improvement in fuel consumption
I think they would, but they don't, so what does that tell you? It tells me it's not a good idea.
the trade is a 1996 Jaguar XJR with Ridiculoulsly low mileage (4 digit) one dealer gave me an initial trade in value of 15k, i know by looking at KBB and NADA that the car is worth 19-25 for trade depending on which book you look at...(reason for trading jag... no warranty)
The best approach is definitely to go with the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation, which in Sedona's case is 35 psi.
Also - I am taking my van in today to have them look at the rust forming on the tailgate above the license. I will provide an update for you when I know more.
I check the Kia chats on occasion because we almost bought a Sedona. I apologize if I'm saying something you already know but regarding that rust you mentioned (on your tailgate), I know I've seen previous chats somewhere about very similar issues.
Have you looked in the Kia Problems chats for info? I think people were having problems with rust in a couple of places and these issues were very well known or seemed rather common. (And to be honest, it was one of the things we considered when we were deciding on a van.)
Anyway, sorry if I'm repeating something you already know, but if not, I'd suggest looking at past chats and I think you'll get lots of insight on your rust.
Sharon
I posted my one message to you and then decided to do some quick looking under the Problems chat when I found your posting about your rust....I think it was post #173?
So, I guess you do know all about the rust etc....yours must have been one of the postings we'd read about when we were researching vans!
Good luck with your rust....How aggravating!!
Sharon
This is a KNOWN problem with the Sedona and anyone who receives problems from their dealer on this should take it to a higher level. I am scheduled to have it repainted on Wednesday of next week. I hope to get some touch-up paint too for some other nicks.
Apart from this issue - we are quite pleased with the van and it performance so far - 7 months and 8000 miles.
and also, comments on my prior post about the 21300 loaded sedona ex? (NO tow package)
it's the ex, sunroof, abs and leather...hth. dawn.
If nothing else is wrong - e.g., oil level, no sounds, odd vibrations, inexplicable RPM variation, etc - wait about a week.
The light will just not come on one day when you start it up. (It took about ten days in my case, just fyi.)
Just take a deep breath, let it out, and turn the radio up...all will be well.
about 4200 out of pocket...picking it up wednesday... hope all goes well till then... not the best deal but a fair deal... edmunds tmv is off on the sunroof option its supposed to be a 700 option... not 575...
carsdirect.com offer was 21141 (ex sedona, leather, abs, sunroof, spoiler) never actually trusted online stuff enuff to go throught with it...now all i've got to do is find a good deal on a LCD screen and stick my playstation2 in the van...
2.) pulling to one side- my van has plenty of driving on it and it never pulls to the side. even with my 44 psi tire.
3.) tire pressure- my pressure at 44 PSI is working very well. the tires are wearing very evenly accross the tread on the front tires. the back tires have worn very little. that is what i normally see on front wheel drive cars.
SInce I am such a nice guy I am going to keep my tires at the pressure maximum shown on the sidewall ( 44 PSI ) and record my results here at Edmunds.com. If I experience any problems , other than stiffer response from the road surface , I will let you know. I will be using my new KIA hitch this weekend to haul a light trailer for about 800 miles round trip. I will post my gas milage and handling experience.
Its , Ok , no need to clap , I just am a civic minded guy.
Eventually , you may all come to adopt higher tire pressure , based on scinetific fact, instead of FUD. Fear , Uncertainty and Doubt.
I looked at the goodyear wrangler truck tires for Ford F250 pickups and saw where they have a number of tires with 2500 LB load range and tire pressures of , --- 65 PSI ,
Thats a lot higher than 44 PSI , ( Steve FYI)