Kia Sedona — Talk me into (or out of) getting one

"Forrest" (forrest)
09/14/2020 at 02:11 • Filed to: Minivan, Kia Sedona, dodge grand caravan, honda odyssey, Toyota Sienna

For road trips and home improvement tasks, my wife and I typically rent a minivan two or three times a year. But, renting a vehicle is a bit of a hassle, and the pandemic has turned me into a certified germiphobe, so I am interested to add a minivan to the fleet. This vehicle would be joining a VW Golf and a Mini Cooper S in our driveway. Note that we do not have children, but when we go on trips, we bring a lot of kitchen stuff so that we can cook most of our meals, and we also want to be able to fit enough stuff in the car to be away for a few weeks.

Here is the case for “why a minivan, not an SUV”: I would like at least 140 cu ft of storage behind the front seats. 140 cu ft is 2.6 times more space than my VW Golf hatchback. And, 140 cu ft is 1.7 times more space than a Ford Flex. In the interest of space efficiency, it just seems silly to get anything other than a minivan. I am not concerned with the image of owning a van.

So, I am leaning towards buying a used minivan, and I have $20k to spend. I don’t care much about the infotainment, or the acceleration, or the styling. For this purchase, the priorities are:

1. Must have a height adjustable passenger seat (which even the top-spec Sienna, Odyssey, and Quest lack )

2. Needs to be reliable. (Consumer reports predicts dubious reliability for the Pacifica, but most other models seem fine. Of course, I am interested to hear your experiences.)

3. Needs to be quiet and comfortable on road trips. (So I can’t get a 1980s JDM microvan or anything like that. I have ridden in a friend’s 2nd-gen Mazda5, and it was too loud for my tastes. And, with only 98 cu ft of cargo space behind the front seats, it the Mazda5 doesn’t meet my cargo space goals.)

Right, so that pretty much leaves the 2015-present Kia Sedona and the final-gen Dodge Grand Caravan. Both of these have height adjustable passenger seats in the higher trim levels. We did a 1600 mile road trip in a rented ~2017 Grand Caravan GT, and it was fairly pleasant. I remember wishing for better lumbar support, and it did have a couple of squeaks and rattles (if it were my car, I would be taking apart the interior to fix squeaks and rattles), but other than that the humble Dodge minivan was reasonably comfortable and quiet. Finally, how about the Sedona? From what I have read, the 2015-2021 Sedona is quieter than the Grand Caravan, and the Sedona interior and seats are more modern, though I have seen mixed reviews about the Sedona’s ride quality.

So, what do you think? A reliable and comfy 140+ cu ft hauler for $20k or less — Sedona SX, or something else?

DISCUSSION (55)

Shoop > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 03:08

What about a truck with a bed topper?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 03:09

Sounds good. Haven’t heard any bad things about Hyundai/Kia lately, you need the space and you’ve identified the models that have the features you want.

SiennaMan > Shoop
09/14/2020 at 06:53

Unless other trucks are better than the Colorado rental I was given a few years ago, a proper truck with a cap would loose on ride quality for road trips. All 4 of the vans that meet the cargo requirements nominally have ride comfort characteristics that are much closer to a sedan..

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 06:53

You sound meticulous. The Kia’s build quality may bother you. Definitely try to get a long test drive before you buy.

May I ask why the height adjustable passenger seat is a big deal? Will it be sat in primarily only by your wife? There are other avenues to go down to make it more comfortable (from as low tech to a cushion to adding risers to the seat bolts) that may be less of a concession than the decision of Kia vs. GC.

SiennaMan > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 06:58

This sounds like a pretty solid pick. I have much more experience with the Sienna and Odyssey and older Chrysler/Dodge minivans than the Sesona and Pacifica. I'd be interested in hearing from any with first hand experience of the Sedona because given your specific requirements it sounds like you've made the right choice..

hillrat > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 08:46

I say go for it. One of my friends has a Sedona that’s a few years old. He’s not a car guy and beats the brakes off his Sedona with very little attention to maintenance past getting the oil changed regularly and he has no problems. He drives it hundreds of miles routinely and it lives a hard, on-street parking, city life but will not quit.

412GTI > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 09:19

Sedona seems like the right tool for the job. Stow n Go on the FCA brands is unbeatable but I'll tell you know you'll be hearing squeaks and rattles with it. Not sure how the Kia's hold up in that regard but they've been okay in the rentals if I recall correctly.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 09:35

I will say that as far as interior and ride quality goes the Town&Country is worth the money over the Grand Caravan. My wife’s grandpa had a white Grand Caravan for about 6 years, then on vacation he rented a T&C. He came back raving about how much nicer the Chrysler was and how he should have bought one.

A few months later the Dodge got T boned. And he was ecstatic, went out and bought a 3 year old cherry red T&C.

That said I’d probably go with the Kia on looks and interior styling alone.

JustAnotherG6 > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 09:38

A minivan can be a good thing. We recently traded in our ‘12 VW Routan which is basically a Dodge GC with a bit of cosmetic surgery. I found the seats to be a bit uncomfortable on longer trips and after taking our new WIP for a road trip I’m just now realizing just how loud the van was. On the plus side, you will be hard pressed to find a vehicle with more practical usage than a minivan.

As far as the GC is concerned, being able to drop the second row of seats into the floor after you bought way too much stuff at the furniture/hardware store to free up more cargo is not to be over looked. One thing that people will always dock the GC on is the transmission but I found that if you keep the ‘econ’ mode off not only does it shift more like a normal car but it also keeps the transmission from eating itself.

I have not dri ven or ridden in a Sedona.

fhrblig > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 10:01

Honestly, you probably won’t go wrong with either. The one thing that would sway me personally between the two is something you might think is silly, and that’s the steering wheel mounted audio controls. The Caravan’s are the same as was in my Fiat 500, and I think the Sedona’s will be similar to what I had in my Optima. The FCA controls were PERFECT. I can’t stress that enough. They are intuitive and perfectly placed on the back of the steering wheel where your hands rest. I miss them terribly, and was incredibly disappointed to find that the ProMaster doesn’t have the same ones. The Hyundai/Kia ones are just ok. I felt like the audio controls and the cruise control buttons needed to be swapped. I hate the ones in our Elantra. Actually, I hate most of the controls in the Elantra.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 11:29

Ditch the Golf and replace it with an Alltrack. Done.

Kinja'd!!!

But if you want to, the Sedona is a great car. I’ve ridden in a Pacifica and I really liked it. Stylish, comfortable, though I can back up it isn’t the quietest. It’s not loud, but it’s not quiet. The van life is pretty good though.

May I suggest looking into a passenger Transit Connect?

BJ > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 16:16

The SX trim level has TONS of goodies that you won’t get for the same price virtually anywhere else . And t he newer Kias apparently have much better reliability than in the past (fingers crossed - I just bought a 2017 Sorento ).

You should most definitely take it for a drive and see how you like it .

Forrest > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
09/14/2020 at 19:09

I would like the range to have anyone from 5'0" to 6'4" sit comfortably in the passenger seat. I am pretty committed to this adjustable passenger seat height t hing.

When I had a BRZ, I sourced a hight-adjustable RHD driver’s seat base f rom Australia and installed it on the passenger side of the BRZ. I was also able to keep the seat-mounted airbag in working order .

Sadly , I don’t think there is a RHD Sienna, so I don’t see how to get an RHD he ight-adjustabl e Sienna passenger seat to use as a passenger seat in a LHD Sienna . Maybe there is some other car (Lexus RX?) that has seats that bolt up to the Sienna?

Forrest > BJ
09/14/2020 at 19:11

Agreed - I definitely need some seat time bef ore buying a vehicle. I probably won’t test drive or buy anything until Coronavirus eases up (vaccine, please!!). So, I am resorting to posting hypothetical questions on Oppo for now. Lol.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 19:46

The more I think about it, the more I’m a little surprised that these vans don’t have power adjustable passenger seats. I’ve never looked into it, but it’s just...odd...that the higher spec Sienna doesn’t.

dogisbadob > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 22:12

The Transit Connect is worth considering.

Toyota also offered a 4-cylinder engine on the Sienna for a few years. You get Toyota Quality with a much easier to work on 4-cylinder (the more typical transverse V6 is impossible to work on, and the minivans are even worse)

You might be able to get a good deal on the last generation Nissan Quest. Although it is the usual transverse V6, it’s the closest thing to JDM cred you can get in a modern minivan. The Quest is just a widened Elgrand, and they were made in Japan

You might even like the Mercedes Metris, if you can find one in your price range. The smallest versions of the full-size Ford Transit might also suit your needs.

perryair52 > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 22:44

i also had a brz. my wife (who isn’t short) complained about the passenger seat height. also how low you had to squat to get into it, how un-useful the back seat was and how muzzy it sounded but that’s for some other post i suppose ..

Oleg Bukhantsov > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 23:11

I have a 2015 Kia Sedona EX. It is a great minivan. Sedona and Odessey were cost prohibitive for me. Mine has 87k miles. Interior is very quiet. It handles very well for what it is. Acceleration is ok, not enough pep. Haven't had any issues at all. I would definitely recommend.

HoustonRunner > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 23:13

If it is just for occasional trips I can’t recommend enough a used Chrysler T&C. We had three (first two lost to floods, not FCA’s fault) and they were great people and stuff movers. Also owned an Odyssey, and the only reason I would pick that above the T&C is NVH. Around town it just isn’t as smooth. On a long road trip though it is great.

Also, Long Voyager can swap an entire power train for you in a Saturday afternoon.

Chariotoflove > Forrest
09/14/2020 at 23:17

We have had our 2015 SX since new. We have put thousands of cross country miles on it. It is a great road trip machine. Comfortable, quality, and reliable. there were issues of course, covered under warranty. My wife and I highly endorse it as a great value. Anything else you want to know, just ask.

Chariotoflove > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
09/14/2020 at 23:39

Build quality on ours has been great. Five years in, and no squeaks or rattles. The Kia quality renaissance is real.

Forrest > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
09/15/2020 at 02:30

It is bizarre. Many Toyota (Sienna, Highlander, even Sequoia) and Honda (Odyssey, Pilot, Ridgeline) vehicles don’t come from the factory with a height-adjustable passenger seat at any price-point. The higher-spec Sienna and Odyssey appear to have a power passenger seat, but it is just a 4-way seat without height adjustment . Perhaps this is a shrewd business decision to step up to Lexus or Acura. Alas, neither of those luxury brands sell a minivan.

Forrest > Chariotoflove
09/15/2020 at 02:40

Awesome!

What were some of the issues that were covered under warranty?

BJ > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 07:25

I bought my Kia in August, when the pandemic had more or less hit its low here (Quebec, Canada) . I went through a dealer, where I knew they were doing cleanings between visits and taking all the required precautions. I understand that your situation may be more precarious, depending where you live. Stay safe!

East Coast Minivan > Chariotoflove
09/15/2020 at 07:30

We had a 2016 SXL and loved it. Always felt that it was one of the best looking minivans. You won’t see yourself coming and going every 5 minutes. I might see 2 a day where I live. It’s been incredibly reliable. Lots of storage nooks and cup holders, beating Chrysler Pacifica in this category. The worst part is the dealer network if you have to get service. If you live in an area with few choices for Kia dealers, you might want to reconsider if none of them are are worthwhile. On low mileage Sedonas, watch out for the OEM Kumho tires. All four of our tires suffered from tread separation/dry rot on the outer edge of the tread. Kumho was not particularly helpful in getting them replaced. I just gave up and bought 4 new tires. As for the minor gripes, the proximity sensors can get a bit wonky with weird beeping for no apparent reason in slow or stopped traffic, especially in drive thru windows. This might happen about once a month, so it’s almost not worth mentioning. At 35k miles, the ride is getting a bit floaty so might be time for new shocks. The layer of chrome on our wheels is starting to delaminate near the lugs on all four wheels. System asks to sync contacts with your bluetooth’ed phone everytime you start the car, but seems like lots of systems do that these days. Faults of the Sedona all fall into the minor gripe category and overall it’s a great minivan for the money.

Long_Voyager94 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
09/15/2020 at 08:05

Grand Caravan and Town and Country of the same years have identical interiors.

The difference in ride comes from the top tier Grand Caravan being more “sport” oriented, so it rides stiffer in exchange for tighter handling.

Long_Voyager94 > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 08:08

Honestly either is a great pick.

I prefer the Grand Caravan based on looks and driving dynamics (in GT form), but with them “cancelling” it this year, the Sedona is on our list.

Another to consider is a Transit Connect.

Qbearyq > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 11:11

Im on my second Sedona and love them. I had a 17 and was not looking but a "rare find" popped up on my page and couldn't turn it down. I got a 19 with only 6000 miles on it for same payment I was making. My mom constantly asks me if the van is running because it is so quiet. I have LX without all the bells and whistles but for $23000 with 100,000 warrant..couldnt pass it buy.

Just Jeepin' > fhrblig
09/15/2020 at 11:13

I’ve only ever had back-side steering-wheel mounted audio controls on a rental, but I absolutely hated them because they were too easily to accidentally activate (and, while this scenario didn’t occur at the time, it seems undesirable in an emergency steering situation to suddenly turn o n a loud radio).

How long did it take to become sufficiently familiar with their location that you didn’t accidentally hit a button?

Chariotoflove > East Coast Minivan
09/15/2020 at 13:06

We are lucky that we have a decent dealer service department a couple of miles from us. It definitely make a difference. And they deal fairly with us. Oh, they’ll still try to up sell on the “Recommended” service packages, but they’re not sleazy or pushy about it.

We are into the 40s now, but the suspension is still as good as day 1. But of course that is a potential wear item eventually. Not a huge fan of the stock Kuhmo tires they came with, not that they’re bad, although they don’t wear as well as you should be able to expect, but we switched to Altimax last year, and I think they are quieter.

I really like the Kia infotainment, for all the menus can be a little complicated in some instances, and voice recognition is hilariously bad. But I’ve never had a trouble pairing automatically. And they made CarPlay a downloadable upgrade, which as really cool.

I’d buy it again.

Chariotoflove > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 13:26

One of the door seals early on was leaking a little more wind noise than I thought it should. They repositioned that. The passenger side sliding door got a little off alignment so that it would occasionally not automatically latch shut and it would giver an error message. So they realigned the track, and the problem hasn’t returned. It developed some sort of leak in the battery system such that it was totally dead if we didn’t drive it for more than two days. They fixed that and replaced the battery. Still not sure what gremlin caused that, but it’s gone. Summer before last, my teenaged daughter pushed her feet against the windshield and it cracked. I brought it in for warranty replacement, which I wasn’t sure they would say is covered, but they did without complaint. Lately, the tailgate has started doing this weird thing where it will rise all the way up, and then sometimes the lower itself down a bit before stopping in the open position. The tailgate open height is a thing you can set for shorter drivers, but this is happening on its own occasionally, and my reprogramming it hasn’t totally fixed it. I suspect a microchip somewhere in their is getting confused. I may bring it in, or I may not. Probably mention it to the service people if I ever bring it in for something else.

I’m sure there are some other little things I’m forgetting. Over all, a pretty good record for a loaded up trim in its first model year. The one thing they added after 2015 that I wish I had is the radar cruise control option. I’ve found that I love that on long interstate drives. If you can get that option, I’d advise it. It works a treat on my K900.

The infotainment installed is pretty good. However, they all made all models upgradable to Apple CarPlay with a simple download, if it isn’t installed already from the factory. That’s nice for long drives. Bluetooth pairing has always been flawless. Voice recognition is a joke, but you don’t care about that anyway.

Forrest > Chariotoflove
09/15/2020 at 13:52

Thanks! Those issues don ’t sound too bad.

OmerCarrothers333 > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 14:44

If I absolutely were to needing to buy a minivan, I would go for one of these.

Chariotoflove > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 14:47

Glad to help any way I can.

Forrest > Long_Voyager94
09/15/2020 at 14:52

Interesting. Does the T&C have extra sound deadening or anything like that?

Long_Voyager94 > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 15:57

Possibly, but to my knowledge they are identical vans with the exception of the leather seats, gauge cluster, and a built in clock.

Long_Voyager94 > Just Jeepin'
09/15/2020 at 16:24

Honestly, I love the steering mounted controls in our van. They are spot on location.

Long_Voyager94 > East Coast Minivan
09/15/2020 at 16:27

IDK, I consider needing suspension components at 35k miles to be a better major issue.

As is coating issue on the wheels.

I mean sure, they’re not engine/trans issues, but they’re issues it shouldn’t be having til around 100k miles IMO.

Long_Voyager94 > dogisbadob
09/15/2020 at 16:30

Transit Connect is a great option honestly, unless you’re looking for loads of tech.

It’s by far the best driving minivan on the market, my only complaint is lack of a more powerful engine ( which Ford made worse by going to an even less powerful engine ), otherwise their size, dynamics, and utility based nature are spot on.

Long_Voyager94 > 412GTI
09/15/2020 at 16:32

At 68k miles our 2018 GC has no squeaks and rattles.

It was by far the quietest minivan we tested and hasn’t gotten any louder ( well other than my obnoxious intake ) in the almost 40k miles we’ve owned it.

Just Jeepin' > Long_Voyager94
09/15/2020 at 16:38

How do you keep from hitting them accidentally?

Quinten R. > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 16:44

I’d say go for the Sedona. Can’t get ventilated seats or the driver assistance tech in the GC, and if NVH is anything like my mom’s Sorento SXL (platform mate), you’ll be very happy.

stephen hood > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 16:55

I just traded my ‘17 Sedona LE with the tech package and leather. We blended a family and ended up with 4 adult sized teenagers and needed something to haul the crowd plus gear. We put 70,000 on it including road trips, vacations, and the rest. We only had one issue and it was handled under warranty (windshield wiper fluid pump). The Kia has plenty of power and handled very well and the gas mileage was good. I don’t know how we would have done it the past 3 years without it. The price was $8000 less than anything but the last generation Caravan , so it fit our budget. Two of the kids are now off to college, so I’m driving a Silverado again (moved to the mountains so 4X4 is a thing) . I’d buy another Sedona (or Kia product).

Luthier 53 > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 17:44

I would avoid the Kia. I have a 2012 50,000 miles and it is problematic. Now a front control module is out. It is very noisy driving, door and window seals leak, nothing good about it. Never own a Kia again.

ThatKiaGuy > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 18:16

You should definitely get the Sedona over the Dodge. Dodge and Chrysler are the same company and they have the same reliability issues. They also rust terribly. A 2016 or newer Sedona would be your best shot because it gave them a year to work out the issues for the first model year. Also the Kia has much better safety ratings than the Dodge. A Sedona also offers a more upscale cabin.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 19:01

If you wait a year the new Sedona actually looks like an SUV.

C-Ki > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 19:12

Are you Forrest of the YouTube Forrest auto review?!? I can vouch for the Sedona, as I have the SXL, and it’s a comfortable car to drive and haul so much very easily.

Got it new since late 2015, with close to 35,000, I have had no issues at all... Very easy to work on if you are so inclined. The van is well built and designed, as good if not better than the competition and I am particular with my vehicles.

Nothing to worry about!!

Forrest > C-Ki
09/15/2020 at 21:07

That’s good to hear.

Alas, I am a different Forrest.

Forrest > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
09/15/2020 at 21:11

The redesigned 2022 Sedona looks pretty cool. And, I think I read somewhere that the redesigned 2021 Sienna fiiinally has a height adjustable driver’s seat. So much progress in the minivan segment!

But , I am looking to save some money and get a 3 to 5 year old van. Minivans tend to depreciate quite a bit faster than pickup trucks and popular SUVs , so I think lightly used minivans are a compelling value-for-money.

C-Ki > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 21:19

I anything, I would advice getting one of the later model, 2015-2017 are 6 speed with a pedal hand brake, but later model 2018-2020 are 8 speed with electronic finger hand brake...

Aso try to get one in the 8pax configuration rather than the 7pax... Unless you really want to captain chairs on the second row...

Forrest > Forrest
09/15/2020 at 23:22

I meant to say the 2021 sienna seems to be available with a height adjustable *front passenger* seat.

Long_Voyager94 > Just Jeepin'
09/16/2020 at 05:58

I’m trying to figure out how you would hit them accidentally???

It’s not like your fingers just rest on them while driving.

Long_Voyager94 > Forrest
09/16/2020 at 06:00

I’m guessing HFV’s grandpa’s case was he owned a 08-10 Grand Caravan, then drove an 11+ Town and Country.

2011 was an “update” year, when all the vans got incredibly revamped interiors. 08-10s were very spartan inside.

Just Jeepin' > Long_Voyager94
09/16/2020 at 08:32

I believe it was during turns, but it’s been a long time.

Long_Voyager94 > Just Jeepin'
09/16/2020 at 09:56

I guess I’ve never found them to be in a bad place where they are easily bumped, but they are well in reach when you want them.