Until my sister and I headed off to college, our family’s main vehicle was always a van. First was a mid-’90s Toyota LiteAce, followed by a Mercedes-Benz MB100 diesel and then a 2002 Honda Odyssey after we moved to the U.S. Our family of five have been on countless road trips and made many memories on the road with our vans thanks to their ability to swallow people and all our gear.
So while I understand the appeal of minivans to families, I couldn’t picture myself actually buying and owning one. That’s until MT executive editor Ron Kiino threw me the keys to our long-term Kia Sedona, as he saw it would be a great fit for a photographer. A minivan—or as Kia sometimes refers to it, a multipurpose vehicle—wouldn’t be my first (third, fourth, eleventh) choice for a vehicle, but if I had to drive one, it would be the Big Test-winning Kia Sedona.
As a staff photographer for Motor Trend, I often go on long road trips around the state while carrying plenty of gear and an assistant or two. MT photogs also hang half our bodies out of a moving car windows/trunks/sunroofs for action shots, and from past experiences, minivans have been the perfect rolling platform for those instances. In many ways, a minivan is the ideal photo support vehicle.
We opted for the SX, one notch below the full-specced Limited model, because of its better second-row versatility and gas mileage (18/25 city/highway versus 17/22 for the Limited). It goes without the dual power sunroofs and the non-removable, airline-inspired first-class captain’s chairs with plush headrests and fold-out footrests, but it still comes with a host of useful features. The SX trim gives you tri-zone automatic climate control, an Infiniti sound system, Kia’s easy to use UVO infotainment system with navigation and a backup camera, Bluetooth connectivity, heated and cooled front seats for those hot Southern California days, second-row Slide-N-Stow seats, and a 115-volt power inverter. We also ticked the box for the $3,700 Technology package that adds lane departure warning, forward collision warning, front/rear parking assist, a surround-view (bird’s eye) monitor, and adaptive cruise control. I’ve played around with the cruise control a bit during my commute, and it seems to work quite well. It accelerates/decelerates smoothly with traffic without the jerkiness of lesser systems I’ve experienced. It should be a useful tool for my many future road trips.
All Sedonas are equipped with Kia’s familiar 3.3-liter V-6 that produces 276 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. That’s good for a 7.9-second run to 60 mph and 16.1–second quarter mile with a trap time at 89.2 mph. Not blisteringly quick, but it is a 4,764-pound minivan, after all, and it ties the Honda Odyssey and Grand Caravan to 60. I’ve been driving it for a couple weeks already, and it never feels underpowered during my daily commute. But speed is not where this minivan—I mean multipurpose vehicle—shines. It handles fairly well for its size and even exhibits signs of, dare I say, sportiness. Its well-damped suspension rides smoothly and quietly, even over big bumps and massive Los Angeles potholes, without feeling like a big, floaty boat. Piling on miles should be a breeze in the Sedona.
Even with a class-leading infotainment system and interior build quality, the Sedona does have some drawbacks. The second- and third-row seats do not fold completely flat. The second row just articulates up and leans on the front seats instead of folding down flat into the floor. The seats are also heavy and difficult to remove if you absolutely need the extra room. The third row is not as wide and spacious as the competition’s, and headroom suffers with the optional dual power sunroofs. Furthermore, the 60/40 split third row doesn’t fold down as easily as the competition’s, and the tub they stow into is not as wide. No built-in vacuum cleaner, either.
Despite its few drawbacks, I expect our Sedona to see countless road trips, photo shoots, and camping trips during its time with us. In fact, it is already becoming quite popular with the staff with constant requests to borrow it for weekend trips and shoots. So far I’ve gotten nothing but compliments from other staffers for its great ride and surprisingly well-appointed interior. Kia’s multipurpose vehicle will make for a very useful addition to our long-term fleet. Stay tuned to see how many miles we can rack up until our next update.
| 2016 Kia Sedona SX | |
| BASE PRICE | $37,295 |
| PRICE AS TESTED | $42,090 |
| VEHICLE LAYOUT | Front-engine, FWD, 8-pass, 4-door van |
| ENGINE | 3.3L/276-hp/248-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6 |
| TRANSMISSION | 6-speed automatic |
| CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) | 4,655 lb (56/44%) |
| WHEELBASE | 120.5 in |
| LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT | 201.4 x 78.1 x 69.1 in |
| 0-60 MPH | 7.8 sec |
| QUARTER MILE | 16.0 sec @ 89.3 mph |
| BRAKING, 60-0 MPH | 118 ft |
| LATERAL ACCELERATION | 0.80 g (avg) |
| MT FIGURE EIGHT | 28.4 sec @ 0.57 g (avg) |
| EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON | 18/25/21 mpg |
| ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY | 187/135 kW-hrs/100 miles |
| CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB | 0.94 lb/mile |
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