2007 Kia Sedona EX : Long-Term Test (3,001-6,000 km)

A minivan that makes you not mind owning a minivan

Minivans are in fact a dying breed. Ford, General Motors and Mazda have all abandoned the popular people mover in exchange for the new hot-ticket item: a Crossover. Many of auto123.com's collaborators have driven Crossover vehicles and minivans and are all able to draw a certain parallel between the two. In many cases, both can accommodate 6 or more passengers, tons of gear and offer a greater level of versatility than any station wagon ever could.

One of the most appreciated features of the Sedona is its power sliding doors.

The 2007 Kia Sedona, along with its twin, the Hyundai Entourage, are two of latest minivans offered on the market today so it is safe to assume that they represent most if not all of the latest features available in this segment. Our Sedona is actually extremely well equipped and it has, in only a few months, demonstrated that in many instances, there are no substitutes for a minivan.

Advantage: Minivan
Our logbook is jam-packed with praise for the power-sliding side doors. Everyone tends to agree that these wide-opening doors allow for faultless ingress and egress and not to mention loading and unloading gear. As far as we know, no Crossover has sliding doors. The power-actuated rear hatch is also very appreciated by all who have tested the Sedona. Moreover, the fact that the rear floor height is low has also brought on numerous positive comments on the ease with which the Sedona can be fully exploited. Once again, most Crossovers have high loading floors to make room for the drivetrain and/or the spare tire.

The Sedona's incredibly roomy interior has so far lived up to expectations. Many of our testers agree that the cabin is well appointed however nearly all of them noted that the absence of certain audio controls on the steering wheel caused some jerky movements towards the radio as it is situated far from the driver's position. Another highly longed-for feature of the Sedona is the countless amounts of storage bins, cubbyholes and pockets. A few members of the team loved the idea that they could carry and hide many of their kid's toys.

The well appointed interior is appreciated by all.