CD Article: 2006 Kia Sedona

[CD_Editor]

You may discuss our cover story of the day in this thread....
First Drive:

The all-new, second-generation 2006 Kia Sedona minivan shares no body panels or technology with the outgoing model, reports Paul Williams. It's "bigger in all dimensions when compared with the previous generation," he says, "and longer than a Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna."   More...

[si]

Stereotypes are being broken.  It actually doesn't look like the worst place to be stuck inside actually.

[stickshift]

Am I the only one who thinks its weird that a minivan has six-lug wheels/hubs? 

[stodge]

Ideal except for the fuel economy? 14L/100km/h at best, so increase that fully loaded? I don't think that's too ideal for commuters.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

By all accounts a formitable competitor. There's something about the grille I'm not super fond of, but it's a pleasant design.

Was thinking the price would be $1,000 less, but I guess that space will be occupied by the SWBase version

Why they'd bring it to market without the DVD player I dunno.

[a4_tom]

I always find it amusing that Hyundai/Kia only put active safety features (ABS, stability control) on top GLS models instead of standard across the board.

[mr_meow]

wow its pretty kinda reminds me of renualt from the front - this will shake things up a bit.
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[Shnak]

That's the minivan that Hyundai didn't deem good enough to put their own logo on it, right?   

I think it looks odd personally... the grille, the side, the back... it all looks weird and not cohesive. The Odyssey is still the best looking minivan on the market IMO... well, if you exclude the Mercedes R-Class that is... 

[a4_tom]

Sienna looks better than Odyssey. But debating which is a better minivan is just debating whether Camry or Accord is better.

[tman]

I'm not a fan of the looks on this one either, and I agree with Shnak, the Ody is the best looking minivan on the market. But the value on this one is outstanding. Give this thing 3-4 years and if the quality is up to present Hyundai standards, the Sedona (and cousin Hyundai Entourage) will become 2nd tier minivans, outranking GM and Ford and putting more pressure on Honda & Toyota. The only thing stopping me from recommending the Kia is an unproven quality record. For $30-35k I'ld suggest new minivan buyers stick with a base Sienna for their peace of mind.

Looking forward to seeing what Hyundai's take on the minivan is.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I prefer the Sienna's styling myself - don't like the chunky/blocky rear lights on the Odyssey and squarish rear which doesn't flow. Mind you, I find the Quest most interesting to look at, excluding the Mazda5 

I think this van is a very strong competitor. I would not spend the money on the Honda/Toyota vans and would instead purchase the Hyundai Entourage, dependant upon how long I planned to keep the vehicle.  

[smainville]

Don't like the looks of this van at all, the front reminds of the old Quest/Villager mixed with some Windstar.  Sienna and Odyssey are the best out there, the Honda wins for looks.  The upcoming Quest will be revised, will be interesting to see how Nissan has responded to the problems and criticism.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

As far as I know, only the Quest's interior will be redone. When I sold them, that was just about the only criticism, and the only area I saw flawed. The interior felt cheap, and the ergonomics were terrible. I hope they keep the unique style while making it more passenger friendly.

[Shnak]

As far as I know, only the Quest's interior will be redone. When I sold them, that was just about the only criticism, and the only area I saw flawed. The interior felt cheap, and the ergonomics were terrible. I hope they keep the unique style while making it more passenger friendly.

Isn't the Quest also terribly disapointing in terms of reliability? I'm pretty sure I saw it on more than one list of unreliable vehicles...

[AVToller]

You are correct Shnak. The Quest, while rated highly by Consumer Reports on most characteristics, gets the dreaded "Solid Black Dot" for reliability. 

[a4_tom]

I really hope Nissan can redesign the instrument panel, this is the most turn-off for those who are shopping for a minivan. Sensible > Avantgarde in most minivan buyer's minds.

[smainville]

The interior will be all new, reliability was not so much the problem as stupid little things breaking and a few recalls.  Iif I recall it got a very improved grade in the last JDP ratings if that matters to any of us.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Nissan sent teams of engineers for both the Titan/Armada and Quest immediately after they ranked dead last on initial quality/dependability studies in their segments. Since then they've risen to above average.

The ergonomics are horrible in Quest. I had to take 5 attempts to try and load a CD in the slot once. More than a little embarrassing... you shouldn't have to lean down to eyeball to do such things.

I like the Avantguarde... the piping on the seats, the seat finish and pattern, the little touches... just needs to be integrated better and more logically.