Review: 2015 Kia Sedona SX-L

For hauling lots of people or cargo – or a road trip-ready mix of the two – no type of vehicle is as inherently well-designed as a minivan. The minivan is a packaging marvel, a function-over-form bus that leaves high-riding long-nosed SUVs and crossovers in the dust. There's abundant space in three rows of seats, and abundant space behind them.

The 2015 Kia Sedona is redesigned and transformed from a budget alternative to a luxury leader in the minivan segment.

Anyway, that's what's inherent to the minivan, what's found in each of the vans that have survived the onslaught of less versatile but more stylish, luxurious crossovers. Just Chrysler, Dodge (selling the same car as Chrysler with slightly different styling), Honda, Kia, Nissan, and Toyota are selling conventional minivans these days, along with much smaller models from Ford and Mazda.

And the segment's malaise is at least in part the fault of the current crop of vans. They remain outstanding for functionality, but failed to chase after crossovers' appeal. Nothing intrinsic to a minivan says it can't have a luxurious cabin and sophisticated driving dynamics like a growing number of similarly priced crossovers. Today's vans just weren't doing that.

Enter the redesigned 2015 Kia Sedona. Abandoning previous generations' focus on low prices, the new model successfully attacks the competition's complacent inattention to luxury while striving – with nearly as much success – to match the class leaders for traditional virtues of versatility, comfort, and value.

The new Sedona has the best front seats in its class. It has the best interior quality. It has the most advanced and best-sorted in-dash infotainment system. It feels the most solid and confident on the road. And in the eyes of many, it's the looker of its class, both inside and out. It has a number of features that various leading competitors lack. In short, from the driver's seat, the Sedona is the best minivan on the market.

Of course, minivans exist for more than the driver. Such considerations provide a few reasons that some competitors are still in the game.

First of all, the Honda Odyssey still reigns supreme for eight-passenger comfort. The Sedona offers great accommodations for four adults, adequate third-row seating for two, and two small center-rear positions. The Honda is comparatively cushy and spacious throughout. The Honda also has a little more cargo room and requires less muscle for seat adjustments, and offers a class-exclusive built-in vacuum cleaner.

The Toyota Sienna also beats out the Sedona for maximum interior volume while also keeping the ride quality a little more smooth and quiet, and while offering class-exclusive all-wheel-drive. Recent updates for 2015 cleaned up last year's curious dashboard styling and ergonomics.

And the Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country twins, the best-selling minivans on the market, excel for the flexibility of their Stow 'N Go interiors – the middle-row seats fold into the floor – and steadily increasing discounts. (Importantly, Chrysler is due to unveil a fully redesigned minivan for the 2016 model year that will likely up the luxury ante and dial back the discounts.)

All three, plus the generally uncompetitive Nissan Quest, also beat at least some Sedona versions for fuel economy. Most Sedonas are rated by the EPA for 20 miles per gallon in mixed driving, compared to 21 mpg from the Sienna and 22 mpg for the Odyssey and Quest. (The Chryslers get 20 mpg; the tested Sedona SX-L model is rated for 19 mpg.)

But compared to the Sedona and the best crossovers, the other leading vans have the feel of utilitarian buses from the front seat. Even luxury amenities don't make them feel like luxury cars. It's the Kia that pulls that off, and at prices generally below Honda's and Toyota's at that. It also matches the Odyssey as a safety leader, edging out the Sienna and crushing – literally – the Chryslers and Nissan in a demanding Insurance Institute for Highway Safety small-offset crash test.

If you loved the old Sedona for undercutting the competition by as much as five figures after rebates, the new 2015 model may not be to your tastes. Certainly not the fully-optioned $43,295 model tested for this review. But there weren't enough of you buying Sedonas even at fire-sale prices before. Accordingly, Kia can't feel too guilty about abandoning the van's budget roots.

Give this van a long look for all your passenger-hauling needs, all the way up from its $26,100 base price up to beyond $40,000. The Sedona has the goods to compete in all those price segments.

To look at

Generally, styling is not the most important factor to a minivan buyer. Then again, there are a lot fewer minivan buyers than there used to be.

The front end of the new 2015 Sedona adopts a bold stance, with a large wide vertical grille between the large headlights. Clean, straight lines lend it a handsome, aggressive look compared to more rounded competitors. Head-on, it looks like the front fascia of a midsize sedan raised up higher. This front-end styling has a shot at turning the heads of some buyers who'd otherwise not consider a minivan.

The rest of the Sedona is pretty much minivan norm, though. The exception is that the windowline abruptly jogs up at the end of the rear door. (Contrast that to the Honda Odyssey's, which actually jumps down there, giving the third-row passengers a little more window instead of less.) But at least from the outside, the Sedona otherwise has few styling flourishes visible from the rear – it doesn't call attention to itself, except by avoiding the word “overwrought” that some critics readily apply to the Odyssey.

Inside is where the Sedona makes perhaps its strongest impression. If you haven't noticed, Kia has built a lot of upscale interiors lately, and this van's follows their example. The 2015 Sedona is laid out like a modern premium sedan rather than like a van, with a fixed center console and horizontally instead of vertically oriented controls. The shifter is on the console rather than up on the instrument panel, dashboard, or steering column. Two-tone leather seats are available.

It's not just the looks that are upscale. Kia also went all-out with the materials and assembly quality, continuing the coddling ambiance. Competitors are serviceable; the Sedona breaks new ground. Of course, plenty of buyers of $40,000-plus crossovers are used to this sort of treatment, but it's new to minivan buyers.

Toyota once similarly shocked the minivan market, when it put a Lexus-grade cabin in the 2004 Sienna. The current Sienna's interior, though, did not continue to pursue the premium trends in style or materials quality – pleasant, yes, but it won't be confused for a Lexus. The Nissan Quest, meanwhile, has a fancy-looking dashboard, but other key aspects of the cabin fall short, and its five-year-old design has begun to get a little dated. The Chrysler vans have scattered upscale touches but are mostly basic and dated as well; this perhaps explains why the Town & Country's photo gallery on the Chrysler website includes a close-up of the headlight switch but no images of the dashboard. And the Odyssey, despite some welcome 2014-model updates, still has mostly basic-feeling trim and some dated displays.

The Sedona's dashboard isn't just upscale – it's user-friendly as well. The instrument panel on the Sedona SX and SX-L features Kia's excellent Uvo touchscreen infotainment system plus a well-organized set of buttons and knobs. One annoyance, though, is that there's no dedicated display for the climate information, so you can't tell at a glance what you've already set the system to do.

The Sedona L, LX, and EX models have only a small touchscreen that looks out of place in the big and luxurious instrument panel. The former two models, without automatic climate control, do avoid the aforementioned issue of needing a display screen.

To be in

As noted, the 2015 Sedona has great front seats that are well-shaped, supportive, and comfortable. Drivers of the tested SX-L model (also called, in various places, the SXL, Limited, or SX Limited) benefit further from rich Nappa leather trim, heated and cooled front seating, and a heated steering wheel.

Other vans have more basic seating, with seats that you sit on while you drive your van-bus but that don't really strive to coddle. The Odyssey's are the best of the rest – big and cushy – but they don't hold the driver in place like a good car seat, and even $45,000 doesn't buy very plush-feeling leather.

The second row is a mixed bag in the Sedona. The SX-L has “first-class lounge seats” with a pop-up footrest, but it's not the easiest to make use of them. The middle row seats must be slid closer together and far back, two processes requiring an unexpected amount of force. The footrests are also reluctant to go back down, and the feature removes other Sedona's far handier seat-folding system for cargo space and third-row access.

In its normal position, the Sedona's second row has a comfortable cushion but merely adequate legroom. Sliding the fore-aft adjustable seat back very far makes it collide unceremoniously with trim behind the door. You can also slide the seats a little closer together, which gives access to the full fore-aft range.

The EX and SX models offer eight-passenger seating (unlike the Chryslers or Nissan), and although this reviewer hasn't sampled the seat, it appears more full-sized than in the Sienna (though less so than in the Odyssey).

The third row is adequately spacious unless the middle seats are very far back, but the cushion is lower and less cushy than the Odyssey's. The low seat and high window threaten kids' enjoyment of the third row. Both the second and third rows do benefit from retractable window shades. There's also an available second-row sunroof, and second-row passengers get their own USB port and even three-prong power outlet in some high-end models.

In most Sedonas, a simple handle lets the middle-row seat collapse itself forward against the front seatbacks for improved cargo space and third-row access. This feature – along with heated rear seats – was apparently incompatible with the lounge seating, however, which is a good reason to pass on the SX-L despite its other nice features. Hopefully Kia chooses to make the seat an option rather than standard on any version of the van; it's a neat trick but forces too many important compromises to necessarily count as an upgrade.

As in most recent vans, the Sedona's third row seat flips backward to disappear into a deep cargo well behind it. The Kia's operation isn't as smooth as the brilliantly executed Odyssey's – the Sedona seat does fold in a single motion, but it requires two hands to push it down. Once down, it's not quite level with the cargo floor, and exposed hooks also could make it harder to slide heavy items along the van's floor. The middle-row seats, on models where they do spring forward, operate very nicely and does leave a flat cargo floor. They can't be removed to eke out a few remaining cubic feet, though.

The Sedona's cargo volume trails the Odyssey's and Sienna's by up to 10 percent, but that's still tons of space and far more than a crossover or SUV. A Chevrolet Suburban, fully two feet longer than this Kia, still has just 121 cubic feet of total cargo space compared to the Sedona's 142, thanks to its high cargo floor (which also makes it more of a pain to load in that cargo).

To drive

The driving dynamics of the Sedona aren't quite as outstanding as its interior luxury. The Sedona's ride quality could stand to be a little less bumpy at times, the Sienna is quicker and quieter, and the Odyssey and the Chryslers are a little more agile.

That said, the whole is quite a bit greater than the sum of its parts. The Sedona stands out for a smooth, solid-feeling overall operation, a level of confident poise that furthers its premium ambiance. It feels very natural to drive the Sedona, easy and comfortable. It never feels ponderous or clumsy, and even if it doesn't lead for cabin isolation, it's still a thoroughly pleasant family car.

One exception is the tuning of the accelerator. You have to dig deep to get normal acceleration, an overcorrection from the touchy throttle on the previous Sedona. This combines with a smooth but loud roar from the engine that makes you feel like an irresponsible hooligan even when you're barely keeping up with traffic. The outstanding Hyundai Santa Fe crossover, using the same engine, does a much better job at responding smoothly to a normal amount of throttle pressure.

The Sedona's 3.3-liter V6 is one of the performance leaders on paper, with 276 horsepower. The tested SX-L in particular is rather heavy, though, which mutes acceleration somewhat. As noted earlier, this also takes its toll on fuel efficiency. The SX-L is rated for 17 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway, for a total of 19 mpg in mixed driving – the worst in the class.

However, other Sedona models do better. Base models – the L, LX, and EX – are less weighed down with heavy goodies – which gives them a 20-mpg average. And the SX weighs less than the SX-L but has a more fuel-efficient electric steering rack, giving it a competitive 21-mpg EPA rating.

The tested Sedona SX-L slightly beat its EPA rating during a weeklong test, achieving 20.2 mpg in mixed driving. A pair of tested Odysseys (a 2011 and a 2014) also slightly beat out their 22-mpg EPA ratings.

To buy

The Sedona is a competitive value at any feature grade. The base L, $26,100, will be off most buyers' shopping lists for lacking power sliding doors, and it's also missing a useful rearview camera and it seats only seven. Standard features do include 17-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth connectivity, rear air conditioning, and 12 cup holders.

The next level up, the LX, starts at $28,300, adds a power driver's seat, the backup camera, automatic headlights, and power-folding outside mirrors. Those features alone hardly justify the $2,000 price increase, so if you don't need them, stick to the L. However, if you want power sliding doors, you need to upgrade your LX further with the $1,800 convenience package. That cost also adds heated front seats, an eighth seat (located at the center of the middle row), a cooled glovebox, and window shades for the second and third rows.

This van, at $30,995 including the destination charge, could turn out to be the line's best seller. It's roughly comparable to a $33,155 Odyssey EX, $32,215 Sienna LE, and a $28,390 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT.

The $32,300 EX model adds leather seats, a power liftgate, a proximity key, automatic climate control, 18-inch wheels, fog lights, and various minor features. It also includes the features from the LX convenience package except for the heated seats. The $1,750 premium plus package on the EX has heated seats for the first and second rows of seats, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, a power passenger seat, and a fancier instrument cluster display, coming to $34,945.

The SX model, starting at $36,300 ($37,195 with destination), adds the features from the EX premium package plus a navigation system with an 8-inch touchscreen, an Infinity sound system, the 110-volt three-prong power outlet, ventilated front seats, and a memory function for the power driver's seat. Given those extras, it's overall a better deal than the EX if you already want heated leather seats, especially given that gas mileage also improves on the SX.

Roughly comparable models would be a $38,655 Odyssey EX-L, a $37,450 Town & Country Touring L, and a $37,155 Sienna XLE.

Truecar.com estimates that you can haggle about $2,300 off the sticker price of the Sedona SX compared to $3,500 off a comparably equipped Odyssey, and $4,500 off a Sienna or Town & Country. That will likely equalize as the Kia's newness wears off. (Expect the amount of the discount to depend on the total sticker price of the car, with cheaper models staying closer to MSRP and dealers being more flexible with pricier trims.)

The tested SX-L has a number of exclusive features that could win some families to load their van to the gills if price isn't a top consideration. It's the only Sedona with a sunroof (though it does include two), front parking assist sensors, the lounge-style second-row seats, and a heated steering wheel. It also adds 19-inch wheels, upgraded Nappa leather seat trim, and some upgraded cabin trim.

The tested car also includes the $2,700 technology package: xenon headlights, a lane-departure warning system, radar-based cruise control, a forward-collision alert, and a “surround view” camera system that renders the van from the air in relation to surrounding obstacles. That brought the total price to $43,295.

Note that even if you want some of these SX-L features, you're still stuck with the less convenient lounge seats whether you want them or not – a pity.

Overall

Kia may no longer have the title of best-value minivan in terms of simple pricing, but that may not be the best way to judge the new 2015 Sedona. Rather, it's a van that delivers a luxury experience without demanding a price premium for it. If that's at all a priority to you, be sure to shop the Sedona.

And even if it's not, with so few minivans on the market, you'd do well to add the Sedona to your shopping list. It's a safe, roomy, comfortable vehicle that deserves the same top-tier consideration as the established competition.

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