2008 Kia Sedona EX

Kia 7 passenger mini van

by Jo Ann Holt

Driving the 2008 Kia Sedona this past week proved an unexpected treat. This was my first experience driving a Kia, but it definitely won’t be my last! The Sedona handled and performed like a more expensive van, even when fully loaded.

I wasn’t the only one pleased with the Sedona, since I had from 5-7 passengers with me for several different cross-town trips. All expressed their surprise with the leg room in the spacious and comfortable passenger van, and a few of them remarked on how easy it was to get in and out of both the second and third row seats.

The seven-passenger minivan offers impressive luggage space as well. Five friends accompanied me to an outdoor performance of “Othello” at the Shakepeare Festival in the Park Saturday night, and we had room to spare for lawn chairs, blankets, picnic baskets and our coolers.

If there was a downside to driving the elegant-looking Glacier Blue/Gray Kia Sedona EX last week, it was that I had to do all the driving. No one else offered to take their car or drive all week long, so I was beginning to feel like a professional chauffeur, or maybe a Soccer Mom.

The Sedona features a 3.8 liter DOHC 24-valve V6 engine that produces 250 hp and 253 pound-feet of torque. EPA fuel estimates for the Sedona are 16 mpg in town and 23 on the highway, which isn’t bad when you divide the cost by a family of four or five or more.

The Sedona’s starting price is $26,195, and all Kias offer a generous list of standard features including six airbags, a five-speed Sportmatic transmission, captains chairs for the second row and keyless entry. The Sedona EX also has fog lights, leather-wrapped steering wheel, a trip computer with compass and a roof rack.

The model I drove also featured a luxury package that added an additional $2,400 and included leather seat trim, heated front seats, 2-position memory for driver’s seat, outside mirrors and power adjust pedals, power sunroof, backup warning system, steering wheel audio controls and an automatic Tri-Zone Climate Control which kept even the back row passengers nice and cool in spite of temperatures nearing 100 degrees outside.

The premium entertainment package that included a DVD player with 8” monitor, Infinity Audio/MP3/CDC and speakers and Surround Sound System added another $1,700 to the test model’s cost, and a power package that included fun-to-watch sliding doors and lift gate added $1,000. Total price, including destination charges, was $32,220.

The Sedona received the company’s first five-star crash safety rating for each seating position from the U. S. government and was named a Top Safety Pick by IIHS in 2007. Along with six standard airbags, like all Kias the Sedona is covered by a 10-year or 100,000 mile limited power-train warranty and offers a five-year/60,000 mile roadside assistance plan.

Jo Ann Holt is a columnist and car writer based in Dallas, Texas, and a member of the Texas Automobile Writers Association (TAWA).