2016 Kia Sedona: A hip 'multi-purpose' minivan

I remember driving the first Kia Sedona to come to the U.S. in the trendy town of Sedona - its Arizona namesake. That was more than a decade ago and the family-ferrying model impressed me with its practicality and utility, plus it represented coolness in a minivan, a class of vehicle typically considered somewhat boring and bland. Kia has continued to find ways to make Sedona hip; it was completely transformed when it entered its third generation in 2015, right down to its nomenclature: while some might call it a minivan, Kia eschews that title and has dubbed it a Multi-Purpose Vehicle to attract more customers to the brand and vehicle - and because, let's face it - sport utility and crossover utility vehicle just sounds more sophisticated and "made for an active lifestyle buyer" than minivan. Regardless of what you call it, the three-row 2016 Kia Sedona offers generous and flexible capacity for up to eight passengers and their cargo.

For 2016, Sedona receives additional content, including a standard rearview camera system, improved seat fabrics, heated front seats (on the EX), with room for eight riders on SX and SXL trims, with the optional Technology package. It's available in five trim levels starting with the entry-level L ($26,400); LX ($28,500); EX ($32,700); SX ($36,400), and top-of-the-line SXL at $39,900. (Plus a $895 destination charge.) Winner of the best new-car design at the 2014 New York Auto Show, Kia fully redesigned the front of the Sedona last year giving it a deeply-raked windshield and a grill that looks more at home on a CUV, hoping that this will set it apart from its competitors like the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, and Dodge Grand Caravan, some of the mainstays from this once robust vehicle segment.

From the front, the Sedona's wide stance gives a modern appearance highlighted by a muscular-looking fascia. Kia's signature grille and a cab-forward design project an air of confidence and strength. The side profile shows off its reduced front and rear overhangs and deeply swept windshield. The rear design layout, with LED taillights, integrated bumper guard, and standard roof spoiler presents a broad and stable bearing.

Safety systems

Sedona is equipped with a variety of safety systems that monitor your driving environment and protect you and your passengers while en route. Standard active safety features include electronic stability control, traction control, brake assist, hill start assist control, electronic brake force distribution, antilock brakes, rollover mitigation, and cornering brake control.

Innovative available features include a 360-degree surround view monitor, smart cruise control, forward collision warning system, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot detection with lane-change assist, which utilizes a radar system to detect vehicles in the driver's blind spot and recognize those approaching from behind. The 2016 Sedona has earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) 5-Star overall vehicle safety rating.

Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with sporty manual shifting, Sedona's 3.3-liter V-6 engine boasts 276 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and is tuned for enhanced mid-range torque, offering 248 lb.-ft. at 5,200 rpm and a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. Available Drive Mode Select adjusts electronic steering for different weight of steering feel and modifies powertrain and shift points to suit your style of driving with a choice of normal, ECO, or comfort settings.

Fuel economy varies depending on the vehicle's trim level; more luxurious models have more content and weigh more, so they get slightly fewer miles per gallon. As such, L, LX, and EX models are rated at 18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined; the SX achieves 18/25/21; while the SXL gets 17/ 22/19.

Interior features

The interior is especially quiet, thanks to extensive wheel-house padding, double-seal sliding doors, and expanded use of sound-deadening foam in the engine compartment. It's also luxurious, with top-notch materials, including YES Essentials anti-soiling fabrics on L, LX, and EX trims, and first-class lounge seating with retractable leg rests and airplane-style winged headrests swathed in premium Nappa leather on the SXL. Passengers will appreciate increased front shoulder room and greater leg room in all three rows. Sedona seats seven with second-row captain's chairs, eight with second-row bench seat, and offers standard second-row Slide-N-Stow seating that slides and folds upright to allow for on-the-go cargo hauling, as well as a 60/40-split third row that folds flat into the floor.

Sedona has Kia's UVO infotainment and telematics system, and is the brand's first vehicle to offer such parent-friendly features as geo-fencing, speed alert, curfew alert, and driving score, to help manage a family's younger drivers.

Cargo space is generous overall, with plenty of cubbies for easy stowage of smaller items like cell phones, purses, and snacks. Sedona can hold 142 cu.-ft. of cargo behind the first row, 78.4 cu.-ft. behind the second row; and 33.9 cu.-ft. behind the third row. A smart power liftgate with proximity key sensor (standard on EX, SX, and SXL) makes accessing that cargo easy when your hands are full by opening the rear liftgate automatically when the key fob is sensed for three seconds; its lift height can be programmed to the user's preference to avoid low-hanging obstacles such as garage doors or shelving.

We drove the updated SLX model recently over the course of a week. Among our favorite attributes was the ease of grandchild ferrying with wide-opening sliding rear doors, good access for placing a car seat, and plenty of room for stowing day-care gear.

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A minivan with style the 2016 Kia Sedona

It seems that there continues to be a plethora of choices in the minivan category with every creator of this urban family hauler claiming to have made the next big difference for the American mom. There are so many different choices from seats that hide to a screen that is so wide two kids can play different games at the same time, which would be the best family choice? This is a hard decision indeed.

At its core the minivan is basically a family/people hauler that is designed to get as many people from one of those categories and all their stuff from one place to another, be it a busy soccer mom or corporate executives on their way to the airport, the minivan becomes the perfect choice. Therein lies that difficulty any designer has, adding swooping roof lines or an angled rear look takes away from the space made to put the people and their stuff, as it turns out this vehicle is just a box on wheels as that is really all that there is left to work within the end.

So how to make a minivan more exciting and enjoyable to drive is the question that all designers are faced with when trying to come up with something new. Last year Kia came up with the answer to that question with the newly redesigned minivan that should allow it to make the move from a minivan that many rental companies are using, to minivan that shoppers can’t ignore because of a new design and included comfort elements that could not be ignored with the new 2015 version of the Sedona.

Over the past couple of years Kia has redesigned pretty much their complete line-up giving all their vehicles a fresh new look that has catapulted the manufacture into the mainstream of the American automobile world with great new looks, designs and features that will keep their vehicles very completive in the market. Last year it was time for the Sedona to come of age and receive a badly needed facelift from the inside out!

On the exterior the Sedona carries the classic Kia family grill that works very well on the large front end, with athletic lines that sweep rearward from the front, they define the new look of the Sedona. The designers have tried to give the minivan as sporty of a look as possible, with a sweeping roofline that fades slightly to the rear, couple that with some robust molded body panels giving the minivan a somewhat manly look, Craig of course was quick to point this out and it made him feel better about driving around alone in the Sedona!

This all lead to the rear of the Sedona where one of Deanne’s favorite extras was located on the SXL model an automatic Smart Powered Liftgate comes standard, getting the gate up can be accomplished in a few different ways, one by the push of a button on the roof from the driver’s seat, two a push of the key fob or three our personal favorite was by just approaching the rear gate and standing for 3 seconds it would lift automatically, take that Ford no extra foot kicking movements necessary!

On the inside Kia puts it best on their website telling the story that the Sedona is ‘aggressive and refined, your getaway vehicle and lounge on the go’. This is the first time we have heard the word ‘lounge’ used to refer to a vehicle that we have driven, but after a week inside of the Sedona we were more than ready to use words like this to describe the Kia Sedona.

Loaded with ‘lounge’ extras is one way we really could describe the new Sedona, it had been over a year since we have had the opportunity to have a minivan for a week, with all of the features that came with the Kia we had to make comparisons with other vehicle that we have driven with much higher price tags. The Sedona actually has more options to enjoy and make the ride safer than much of the competition and is priced lower. In fact there were times Craig found himself wanting to take the minivan because of the heated steering wheel, and how cold it was here in Utah!

The lounge continued to shine even in the second row seating with what Kia calls First-Class Lounge seating. Quite the name for a second row of seats and we found out why when we Craig’s mom Pat and our friend Laura to Salt Lake on a Trader Joes expedition right before Valentines Day. Our passengers discovered how the seats would slide back and actually recline somewhat like a small Lazy-Boy, this turned out to be a great addition for those in the back for the kids when on a very long trip, they did point out the seats would have to be all the way back for this to work for adults and would limit the rear seating leg room.

Up front for mom and dad the lounge of course had not been forgotten, with two-tone leather seats that were both heated and cooled, a center console that could store most anything and a lower glove box that was actually cooled, what more could a mom ask for but a place to keep the drinks cool on a family vacation.

Standard was also a dual sunroof, or one for the front and one for the rear passengers, the designers once again have thought of everything by adding sunshades to not only the sunroofs but also all the rear side windows once again adding to that lounge appeal of the Sedona.

Tech-centric was how the Sedona is described by Kia and we had to agree, the center cluster was beautiful and easy to understand with a large LED screen in the center that could be changed to display different functions, everything from navigation, SirriusXM, HD Radio and applications like Pandora and Yelp.

The Tech-centric center cluster also included a surround view monitor when backing the vehicle, in other words there was a camera located on every side of the Sedona giving a birds eye view making it much easier to back into or out of a very tight grocery store parking lot. There was also an included function that would allow the owner to Geo-Fence the minivan within a certain driving area, an alert would be sent to the owner if it went out of that area. So much for the kids taking the minivan and going somewhere they were not supposed to, this type of application would have gotten Craig into trouble every time he borrowed his parent’s car!

The Sedona comes with a powerful 3.3 liter gasoline direct injected V6 engine that produces more than enough horsepower at 276 with 248 pd.-ft. of torque. It is also the only minivan on the market that can be had with a trailer hitch and will pull up to 3500 pounds, enough to get a small camping trailer or a pair of water craft, along on the family weekend adventure. We averaged right around 20 mpg for the week with the Sedona, not fantastic but not bad for such a large family hauler.

Our week with the Sedona was very enjoyable, even Craig choose to take the more manly minivan out when he had the chance, there was also an included rear seat entertainment system that would help with keeping the kids entertained on those long family vacations.

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2016 Kia Sedona's Warranty, Insides Make It Must-See Minivan

With the best warranty coverage of any minivan and an award-winning and inviting interior, the 2016 Kia Sedona is a must-see for anyone looking to buy a spacious and comfortable family ride.

In fact, the Sedona in top SXL trim comes with luxury car features, including a heated steering wheel that keeps hands warm on frigid winter days, handsome, two-tone, Nappa leather seats that are both heated and cooled, "first class lounge" reclining seats with foot rests in the second row and a surround-sound audio system.

Safety is tops, too, with the 2016 Sedona earning five out of five stars in U.S. government frontal and side crash tests.

These tests don't take into account the crash-avoidance equipment that can be had in the five-door Sedona, such as forward collision warning, smart cruise control that automatically keeps the van a certain distance from cars ahead and a surround-view camera system that shows on a display screen exactly how close the van is to surrounding vehicles.

Kia's surround cameras can be turned on even when the vehicle isn't backing up. So drivers can use them in a variety of maneuvers for excellent visibility. Even many luxury cars don't offer this.

Warranty coverage is way above the industry norm of three years/36,000 miles. Every Sedona comes with five years/100,000 miles of limited warranty coverage on the powertrain and five years/60,000 miles of a limited basic car warranty. There's also five years/60,000 miles of roadside assistance.

Sedonas come in a broad range of prices, with the base L model starting at $27,295 and the top SXL carrying a manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $40,795.

These prices are lower than competitors', which include the Honda Odyssey that carries an MSRP plus destination charge between $30,300 and $45,775, and the Toyota Sienna, which ranges from $29,750 to $46,170. These prices do not include every option or accessory, just model pricing.

All 2016 Sedonas are powered by a 276-horsepower, 3.3-liter, direct-injection V-6 engine that's also used in Kia's Cadenza luxury sedan and Sorento sport utility vehicle. In the Sedona, the engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

During a test drive, there was enough power to squeal the front-wheel drive Sedona's wheels and the engine easily got the large van up to speed. Its torque peaked at 248 foot-pounds at 5,200 rpm, and shift points were felt during hard acceleration.

Neither engine nor transmission is particularly fuel efficient, and the test-driven SXL, which was fully loaded and weighed more than 4,700 pounds, averaged a poor 17.5 mpg while mostly driving around town. That was 8 percent below the federal government's estimate of 19 mpg in mixed city/highway travel for this model, which the government tested at 17 mpg for city driving and 22 mpg for highways.

Still, with gasoline so cheap these days, filling the Sedona's 21.1-gallon tank costs less than $38.

For 2016, Kia made a rear backup camera standard on all models. Seven and eight-seat Sedonas are available, but all-wheel drive is not.

The test-driven SXL rolled over road bumps with ease and shielded passengers from harsh impacts. With its long wheelbase, the Sedona is especially good at smoothing the bobbing sensations that come from traveling over consecutive expansion cracks on highways.

The power steering in the SXL was responsive, with good on-center feel.

While the large mass of the Sedona could be felt in curves and turns, the van didn't feel ungainly or unduly top-heavy during regular driving.

The interior was surprisingly quiet, even though the SXL rides on upgraded, 19-inch tires.

All Sedona door openings are large, with conveniently placed handles to ease entry and exit. Ambient lighting even illuminated the outside door handles to make it easier to get inside.

The SXL's interior makes a lasting impression. It is, simply, pretty; second-row "lounge" seats are so appealing a driver might be tempted to ride and relax rather than drive.

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The 2016 Honda Odyssey vs. the 2016 Kia Sedona

There are two reasons to buy a car: for practical purposes and passionate pursuits. Sure, there can sometimes be a hybrid of the two (think Dodge Charger Hellcat), but nobody buys a minivan for a passionate pursuit. The 2016 Honda Odyssey and 2016 Kia Sedona, though, could succeed in making you more passionate about minivans.

Typically, you purchase these minivans for practical reasons because you’re either hauling a family or you’re an older buyer who likes their practicality, seating position, and roominess. Just because they’re practical, doesn’t mean manufacturers haven’t been busy dressing them up and loading them with options.

In spite of their sagging popularity—now that Boomers are past the child-rearing stage—minivans are still a relevant part of the marketplace. Through Dec. 1, Honda sold almost 116,000 Odysseys. Kia has sold about 35,500 Sedonas in the same time period. That represents about 8 percent of Honda sales and 6 percent of Kia sales.

I’ve recently spent time driving both the Sedona and the Odyssey. Consider the Sedona the upstart and the Odyssey the grand dame of minivans. Which is going to be your preference? The numbers help tell the story.

The 2016 Honda Odyssey is a lower, wider vehicle than the 2016 Kia Sedona by an inch or two in various places. The Sedona has an inch more wheelbase space.

Both minivans have good, tested engines under the hood. The 3.5-liter, Honda V6 has 248 horsepower while the 3.3-liter V6 in the Sedona produces 260 horsepower. It’s a toss-up when it comes to acceleration because both have similar torque numbers: the Odyssey at 250 lb. ft. and the Sedona at 248 lb. ft. Neither is going to blister through its 0-60 times but both have lots of pep for highway on-ramps and any passing situation. Both can comfortably cruise forever at 75 mph.

When it comes to driving, though, the Sedona wins hands down. It feels more engaging and responsive. It was my feeling on an extended drive during its media introduction and after a week behind the wheel that this is a vehicle I like driving. After a week behind the wheel of the Odyssey, however, it felt like just basic transportation.

The Odyssey is much better at 19 mpg city and a whopping 28 mpg highway for a combined 22 mpg. The Sedona’s fuel economy numbers are hard to overcome from a practical perspective.

When it comes to safety, consider this a tie between the two. All Sedonas and Odysseys are equipped with standard safety features such as a vehicle full of airbags, electronic stability control, traction control system, brake assist system, hill-start assist control, electronic brake force distribution, and antilock braking system. The Sedona does have additional technologies such as rollover mitigation and cornering brake control for improved dynamic control.

Exterior design is a subjective issue. The Sedona to my eye is the more appealing. It’s more of a head-turner. The Odyssey continues to look dowdy to me.

On the interior, the HondaVac is a great feature. The dry vacuum system has a hose that can reach the length of the interior. It works better than a handheld vacuum. Two separate head attachments expand versatility, while a removable debris canister and replaceable filter bag make maintaining the vacuum easy.

The Sedona offers standard second-row Slide-N-Stow seating. It slides and folds upright to allow for on-the-go cargo hauling along with a standard third-row, split-folding 60/40 bench that retracts seamlessly into the rear cargo floor. (It’s really simple to use, and I don’t follow directions well.)

Pricing is going to be fairly comparable between the two models, depending on your wants and needs. I drove the top-of-the-line Sedona SXL, which is priced at $44,690 with all the bells and whistles. The middle-of-the-line Sedona EX costs $33,595. The 2016 Honda Odyssey SE costs $34,255. Consider it the middle of the Odyssey pack. The top Odyssey has a price of $45,630.

Honda Odyssey SE

THE BASICS

Price, base (with destination): $34,255. Fuel economy: 19 city/28 highway/22 combined. Drivetrain: 3.5-liter, V6. Body: Minivan.

THE SPECIFICS

Horsepower: 248 @ 5,700 rpm. Torque: 250 @ 4,800 rpm. Overall length: 202.9 in. Wheelbase: 118.1 in. Height: 68.4 in. Width: 79.2 in. Curb weight: 4,528 lbs.

THE GOOD

Fuel economy numbers are strong for the Odyssey.

THE BAD

The Odyssey isn’t a very engaging minivan to drive. It plods along like the Point A to Point B vehicle that it’s supposed to be.

Kia Sedona SXL

THE BASICS

Price, base (with destination): $40,795. Fuel economy: 17 city/22 highway/19 combined. Drivetrain: 3.3-liter, V6. Body: Minivan.

THE SPECIFICS

Horsepower: 276 @ 6,000 rpm. Torque: 248 @ 5,200 rpm. Overall length: 201.4 in. Wheelbase: 120.5 in. Height: 69.1 in. Width: 78.1 in. Curb weight: 4,656 lbs.

THE GOOD

The Kia Sedona wins the passionate contest. It’s a much better looking minivan inside and out.

THE BAD

Fuel economy is disappointing at a combined 19 mpg. That’s not a good number for a family watching its budget.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Minivans mean different things to different people. Want a little zing in your drive? The Sedona is the better choice.

Kia Makes Improvements to Sedona Minivan

I drove the new Kia Sedona this year and, frankly, it had a few issues. I liked much the minivan had to offer then, and now. The 2015 model I tested had vague steering, a sometimes choppy ride in back, a heavy feel and a radio that unexpectedly jumped from FM to AM to satellite.

The tested 2016 SXL, a dark blue metallic top-of-the-line model, had none of those issues.
Steering — there are three choices at the push of a button — was much more responsive, no matter the mode. Normal delivers a firmer feel, but not as heavy as it seemed in my previous test. Eco mainly tames acceleration to increase gas mileage. The comfort setting delivers a lighter feeling wheel, but not as sloppy and vague as before.

The last time I drove the Kia Sedona was in January, so I suspect its stiff rear suspension was a product of cold winter weather. The new model rode smooth and well-controlled in all circumstances, including a drive on some of Bay View's bumpiest streets.

The heavy feel of the earlier test drive was handled, I feel, by this van's steering being more responsive. And the psycho radio? I had no issues with this one. Dial in a station, touch the screen and it locks in the channel.

Sedona is a fine minivan from many perspectives, a key one being that this one will seat up to eight passengers, with a second-row bench. The interior is quiet and the van looks as sharp as a minivan can look. Kia uses a less angled nose that it believes makes Sedona look more like an SUV.
I like the 3.3-liter V6 engine, which features continuously variable valve timing and direct injection. The van gets up to highway speeds in a respectable distance and without much engine noise to bother the folks inside.

The 6-speed automatic is smooth and efficient. Braking is good, with traction and stability control standard. The SXL comes with 19-inch tires, up from 18-inchers on lower-level models.
The base L model starts at $27,295 and features the same engine and transmission as this top level SXL. The test van starts at $39,900 with an $895 delivery fee. This one also added a tech package for $2,800 and a rear-seat entertainment system for $1,095. The screen for that flips up from the rear of the front seat's center console, a bit different from other vans. Most screens flip down from the roof.
Interior room is generous; no one will feel cramped.

The SXL features a third-row seat that folds down into the cargo area behind the seats. That area is deep, so even with three rows of seats in place you can carry a hefty amount of cargo. Middle-row seats slide up and back to create more legroom. If the third row is folded down and you're carrying cargo and kids, the second-row passengers can adjust the seats to boost legroom. Kia calls these Slide-N-Stow seats, and they are standard even on the base L model. They flip forward and stow against the front seat backs.

The test van's dash was light gray over charcoal gray, same for the doors and seats. The SXL features leather seating. There was black gloss trim around the dash gauges and screen and on the console.
I liked the seats, which were fairly flat, but comfortable with mild side-contouring on the seat bottom and backs. The driver's seat includes power lumbar support and two memory settings, controlled by buttons on the door.

Sedona's dash layout is attractive, with two main gauges and a large digital computer readout between the speedometer and tach. All buttons on the dash are large and easy to use, as are five knobs to adjust the radio and dual heat controls. Even the buttons on the touch screen radio are large and easy to use.

Kia wisely puts buttons to open the power sliding side doors and hatch on the key fob and overhead inside the van.

Standard is a voice-command navigation system, blind-spot warning system, Infinity surround sound audio system, backup camera, heated steering wheel and UVO telematics.

The technology package adds a lane departure and forward collision warning system, Xenon headlights, smart cruise control, chrome side sill trim and a 115V power inverter in the cargo area. The package also includes a surround view monitor, which is helpful in tight parking spots, plus just cool to watch as you back up.

I got 19.9 mpg this time in about 60% city driving. That compares with 17.2 mpg in similar driving, but in below-freezing temps, on the earlier test. The EPA rates this van at 17 mpg city and 22 mpg highway.

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2015 Kia Sedona SLX: Full size Minivan has the power to impress!

It was quite a delight recently when a well-equipped 2015 Kia Sedona made it way to me for a week long test. To recap, the Kia Sedona is a full-size 7-/8-passenger minivan with a front-engine, front-wheel-drive; six-speed automatic transmission. Handsome, square – shouldered with tasteful chrome trim on the exterior, it looks expensive and up market. The Sedona is powered by a 3.3-litre DOHC V6 direct injection engine with 279 hp and 248 lb/ft of torque hooked to a six speed auto transmission. The Sedona L is the new base model, but still in the typical Kia style, offers good value for money with seven-place seating and as standard features as: air conditioning, cruise control, power windows and locks and other goodies. The SXL model we tested for 2015 is new with a slew of advanced technology and luxury features.

Eight-person seating in a 2-3-3 format is available on the mid-level LX and SX, and there are such novel features as; the extra-large glove box has an adjustable cooling feature for drink or desserts and a backup camera and sensors on all models. The top line SXL gains a 360-degree camera system and front parking sensors. Meanwhile, the top tier 2015 Kia Sedona SKL+ offers adaptive cruise control, Front collision warning system and an extra -large dual-dual panel sunroof that can be opened and closed with rear mounted controls. Of note, are the plush looking seats in the SXL and SKL+, that offer full leather seating surfaces, recline ability and folding leg rests. To cope with the trials and tribulations of kids and families, the SLX+ and some other models offer Kia’s stain and odour resistant YES Essentials cloth to make cabins more hardwearing. Meanwhile leather seating is available on the SX and in a lovely two tone Nappa leather, with contrasting red stitching as standard as on our SXL.

The cabin in the Sedona is particular versatile with third row seats that fold back and slide below the cargo floor and on all but the SXL as we tested, which has a unique Slide-n-Stow feature, with second row seats that tip forward and slide in flush with the front seat backs. There are no less than 12 cup holders plus auxiliary inputs and USB charging slots on all models. The cargo capacity features: 960 litres behind the third row seats, 2,220 litres behind the second row and 4,022 behind the first row when folded. The Sedona can tow (when property equipped) 1,588 kg (3,500 lb).

One the road, the Kia is a supremely comfortable and easy to drive Minivan with no issues to speak of. Safety is aided by a full plethora of as standard safety features, including: four-wheel discs, electronic stability control, vehicle stability management and hill hold assist. Fuel economy figures are: L/LX, 13.2.9.7L/100 km city/highway; SX, 12.9/9.5; SXL, 14.2/10.5 on regular fuel. I was to say the least, extremely impressed by the Sedona, its good- looking, roomy, plush and very well- equipped with many luxury touches. This Minivan had a very good reputation in the market and deserves your attention if a large family hauler is what you need. Even at a $40,000 for our loaded SLX, It is still priced at least ten grand below what else is comparable and represent amazing value. Highly recommended

2015 Kia Sedona priced from $27,495- $45,995. Kia Sedona SLX (As tested.) priced from $40,995

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Kia Rises To Top Of Minivan Competition

When it comes to family drama, deciding whether to let a minivan sneak into the garage must rise to the top of the decision list.

There's no beating a minivan when it comes to sheer practicality. But many just can't stomach the minivans' frumpy image. They don't want to be accused by neighbors of being stuck in the 1980s.

That's a shame, because minivans still have some big advantages when it comes to space and fuel economy that most crossover SUVs can't match.

With that in mind, Cars.com and PBS' Motorweek set out to find the ultimate minivan, pitting five of the big names against each other in a competition to find the best model under $50,000.

"Although minivans get a bad rap as outdated "mommy-mobiles," they remain both popular and effective," says Patrick Olsen, editor-in-chief of Cars.com. "Last year, about 500,000 of them sold in the U.S. They provide lots of family-friendly features, tons of cargo space, and they drive more like cars than ever before."

The contenders were the 2015 Chrysler Town & Country, the 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan (a corporate sibling of the Chrysler), 2015 Honda Odyssey, 2015 Kia Sedona and the 2015 Toyota Sienna. About the only notable omission was the Nissan Quest. Nissan declined to participate.

The winner was a vastly refreshed model, the Kia Sedona. The judges scored it high for its SUV-like looks, but also its plush interior, tech features and quietness.

The price cap was intended to let automakers show what they could do for for the money. Many car shoppers never foot into a showroom without having set a maximum amount in their heads of how much they are willing to spend.

Each of the vehicles were tested for a week. They were driven on a 135-mile loop around Milwaukee to check fuel economy, driven back-to-back on the same course and then scored.

The expert judges were Jennifer Geiger, assistant managing editor for Cars.com; Kelsey Mays, senior editor for Cars.com, Jennifer Newman, assistant managing editor for Cars.com and Brian Robinson, producer for PBS' "MotorWeek."

The test also included a family. Andrea and Andrew Thueme of Manhattan, Kan., and their two children, Adaline, 2; and Arthur, five months. They put the cars through their paces in driving segments around Milwaukee, where the competition was held.

Andrew, 36, serves in the U.S. military and Andrea, 35, recently left the service.

Scoring was according to a formula. It was weighed 65% from the experts, 15% from the family shoppers, 10% from IIHS crash-test scores and 10% from the finish in the gas mileage drive.

While some vehicles clearly stood out, one area where the results were the closests was for fuel economy. Though minivans have a generally good reputation for gas thrift, the vehicles are so big that they aren't looking so good compared to other classes of vehicles.

All finished about a half-mile per gallon apart, The best was the Dodge Grand Caravan, with 23.9 miles per gallon during testing. Worst was the Sedona, with 23.3 mpg. Here is how the vehicles fared:

•2015 Kia Sedona SXL. High marks for the looks, interior, lounge-style seats, surround camera and how quietly it rode. Negatives were least amount of storage, configuration for cargo and the way it rode when fully loaded.

•2015 Toyota Sienna Limited Premium. The sales leader in the segment has nice all-wheel drive, drove well overall and lots of space. But there was some road noise, a higher price without the most safety features and it was harder to get into the third row of seats.

•2015 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite. Hey, it's got a built-in vacuum cleaner. Besides that notable feature, Odyssey has ample space, including in the third row of seats. The seats were also among the most comfortable. But the interior looked cheaper than the others, some of the tech features were hard to figure out, the ride wasn't that great and it cost more than the others.

•2015 Chrysler Town & Country Limited Platinum. The flip seats, called Stow 'n Go seats, in the second row were a hit. So was the accelaration. But the electronics are dated and some testers didn't like the handling, transmission or steering feel.

•2015 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT Plus. The one provided the most for the money, coming in around $33,000. But it has the same advantages and disadvantages as its corporate stablemate, the Chrysler.

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J.D. Power Finds 2015 Kia Sedona APEAL-ing

Stereotyped as the typical mom-machine, the minivan segment constantly gets a bad rap, earning a reputation for providing parents with a practical—and extremely dowdy—method of transportation. That is, until the 2015 Kia Sedona. Kia has a foundation of shaking up the industry’s concept of style, and the 2015 Sedona is no exception. In fact, this new minivan is so stylish that it was recently awarded the J.D. Power APEAL Award in the minivan segment.

When purchasing the 2015 Kia Sedona, consumers receive a practical, versatile, and comfortable vehicle—without sacrificing style. Edgy body lines, clear cut angles, and a modern front end give the Sedona an unexpected look, while the 276-horsepower V6 engine provides plenty of power.

The J.D. Power Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) award is an accolade that measures how satisfying a vehicle is to own and drive. Based on the evaluations of 77 vehicle attributes, the winner of each segment is truly the best of the best.

This new trophy for the 2015 Sedona comes on the tail of Kia receiving the honor of being the highest ranked non-luxury brand in the 2015 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study. Like the APEAL award, this study recognizes carmakers based on owner experiences during a specific model year.

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