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The Kia automatic headlights come on at full power when the computer decides that it is dark enough outside. Headlights and taillights come on but not the dash lights until the headlight switch is turned on.
Several of the electronic items on the Kia appear to be user-adjustable. For e.g., Kia Canada advised me that the automatic windshield wipers are adjustable. Perhaps the headlights are as well. Good Luck.
There seems to be some difference between the Canadian Kia's and the U.S. vans. My van is an EX but does not have the auto wipers. In the manual it states that some may have this feature. It is not an option you can have added. Is there other differences?
Seeley - the a/c is very cold, and cools down the van quickly. This is true for the front vents and the rear vents. My son (who should probably move to the North Pole), finds it delicious. BTW, the heat is also strong. My other son (who should probably move to equatorial Africa) finds it comforting after a soccer game played in the rain. For me, the steam that radiates off of him is like being in my personal mobile sauna (just kidding).
BTW, even though C&D notes it is the same length as the Toyota Sienna, the Kia is significantly higher (typical of vehicles made for the worldmarket) and feels like it has greater floor-to-ceiling heigth. The Sienna seems more like a big station wagon to me.
"These were early production cars... probably massaged to showroom perfection." It is not really a new car, they have been manufacturing them in Korea and selling them world wide for about a year. Yes, the doors and latches work great on all of them.
To most reviewers, a minivan is primarily a "CARGO" hauler which happens to be convenient to carry up to 7 passengers. Notice the undue emphasis Edmunds and Consumer Reports place on the ability to carry cargo.
Edmund's Chief Editor states that fun to drive and attractive are not important in a minivan when he trashes the 2001 GC ES while lavishing praise on the spartan 1999 Odyssey EX for the Magic Seat and uses creative math to deceive readers as to the REAL depreciation of the 1999 Odyssey EX.
Funny. To most people the depreciation of a vehicle is the difference between the price actually paid less the amount received when sold. Edmunds paid $29,970 ($3755 OVER MSRP) for the 99 Odd EX and sold it for $22,000 which is a depreciation of $7,970 and NOT the $369 reported in the wrap up.
Using Edmund's Creative Accounting, the 1999 Odyssey EX depreciated only the amount from MSRP less the unreliable Edmund's TMV for a 99 Odd EX. Why not use accurate facts Edmunds?
Edmunds paid ABOVE MSRP and sold for much less than their bloated TMV. The REAL depreciation of the Edmund's 99 Odd Ex was almost $8000 instead of the reported $369.
The computer is indeed limited in functions. I would have appreciated a compass, for example. However the thermometer is handy and the remaining distance has proven useful. I consider the computer a bonus for this money.
Comparing a $22K loaded Sedona with other $30+K minivans option for option is like comparing apples to oranges. The reviewers are basically saying "the Sedona is a good van, but it doesn't have power side doors and a magic hiding third seat". First of all, everyone who has power sliding doors are scared of them or have had them break. Personally I wouldn't want them on my vehicle. And removing modular seats or folding them over is not a big deal.
We evaluated the available vans with such seats extensively before purchasing our Kia. The Mazda seat is light and folds easily by one person. The counterpoint to this functionality is a thin, hard seat that upright is extremely uncomfortable. It also has a very limited range of reclinability. Both my wife and my 4-yr-old quickly vetoed the seat.
The Honda seat is much more comfortable and can actually be occupied by human beings. However, the seat is very heavy and unlikely to be folded flat by just one person.
We briefly looked at a Pontiac van with the fold-flat seat, but the general fit and finish of the interior was very poor and discouraged us from even test driving the vehicle.
The Kia rear seats, in our opinion, are some of the most comfortable in the industry. They are also the only ones that can be removed individually, rather than as one bench. This makes each one much lighter to handle and provides a six-people-plus-cargo flexibility that the Mazda and Honda do not.
With that being said, i think the Sedona has a lot going for it, value-wise. Without competition from other companies, the bigger companies wouldn't really have as much an incentive to improve their line. I'm pretty sure if Kia didn't offer a 5 spd tranny, that Honda wouldn't have stuffed one into their '02 models either, or upped the hp.
But a word of caution, it is best not to get a first year production model for any car. Even though it's been out in other parts of the world for a year or two, changes probably have to be made for the US market (e.g. left hand vs right hand drive), it's usually the little things that cause the most problems. Just a though anyway.
Carlton1, did you get a chance to sit in the '02 Odyssey seats yet? Were they more supportive than the previous years? I remember you saying that you didn't like the side bolstering as much.
Also concur that all buying the Sedona now are guinnea pigs. Recall the Hyundai Pony followed by the Sonata that sold millions basically on price. Turned out to be not the best designed or reliable vehicles (understatement). Not that this is necessarily the case here; I have seen the van and it certainly has potential. I just wouldn't want to be one of the first.
I can assure you that it is NOT because they are using stronger door beams. It is most likely the result of a weaker engineering process. In general, the US, Japan, and German makers have had years of experience in learning how to take weight out (mainly using CAE). The Korean makers are probably not yet caught up - yet.
But the horsepower for XG is 220 horsepower, instead of Sedona's 195HORSEPOWER. I think Hyundai should do the same for Sedona. It would look better on paper, as well as reality.
No independent crash tests have been done that I am aware of. It had to have passed the basic government tests to be sold in the U.S.
The MVP is a nice larger wagon. Don't compare that to this van. The magic seat was not worth the higher cost to me. As long as you haul kids who don't know any better, that seat is fine. Try taking a long trip in the back of a Venture. One inch foam just doesn't cut it for adults or kids over 50 lbs.
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Hankooks have been around for quite some time. I have had them on several vehicles and have never had a quality problem or recall. Their ice and winter tires are especially good and well-known in ralley circles.
Our Sedona came with the Hankooks. Apart from being over-inflated by the dealer, they are a reasonably quiet, good-riding tire. I expect that the tread pattern and compound will be very good on ice this winter.
I have never owner Kumhos, so no opinion.
List of EPA Mileage Best and Worst
Steve
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Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
How does handling around corners or turns in the Sedona eventhough it weighs so much? I'm not talking about "sports car" handling but more of stability and if it is top heavy around corners or turns. I am thinking about buying one but would like to know how the crash test result would be from IIHS first. Great looking van for sure and the price is right.
Thanks in advance.
The weight is only noticeable in sharp corners and turns. That said, I followed my wife driving our Kia accross town last week and observed that the van actually leans very little in corners. Perhaps the high seating position makes it seem worse from the driver's seat.
Handles great on the highway, though. Drove 100km in a strong crosswind last weekend and was glad for a little extra weight to help the vehicle stay planted.
http://bbs1.adwars.com/read.php?table=mildbreeze&no=187
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
http://www.carenthusiast.com/ncar0210/kia_mpv.htm
The Sedona has actaually been around for 2 years and in Europe is called the Kia MPV. I would think most of the chassis bugs have been worked out. I stand corrected - the turbodiesel is a 4-cylinder, not a V6. The other euro engine is a 2.5 V6 gas engine. Manual and automatic
trannys available with both engines.
The next dealership that I visited had no such charges on the invoice...it was fairly straightforward. He did answer my concerns about safety by telling me that Kia had done an independent crash test using the same labs and criteria as NHTSC and that the results were an exceptional rating. Anyone hear anything about this? Is it true?
Hard to decide between a Sedona and an Odyssee right now. About $5000 difference.
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
I just bought on Odyssey and these are major factors in my decision. With three kids I'm not guessing on crash tests and I'd bet you that 5 years down the road (or less) any savings the Kia offers would be gone due to poor resale value.
This isn't meant to bash Kia - I expect them to continue to improve and the Sedona is a nice enough looking, functional van. It just isn't for me yet.
We purchased a MPV in April, Kia wasn't available. Our MPV will take a big hit on resale but we intend to keep it for 8 years. I can't see spennding 5-6K more for an ODY to get a better resale. I believe the Sedona is a great van and you get alot of bang for your buck. Check out the problem boards, the Sedona and MPV have had fewer problems than the ODY. My best friend works at a Honda Dealership, he's a service writer, and told me " the ODY is the most unreliable Honda".