2016 Kia Sedona SX Review

When we received our long-term Kia Sedona, I knew it would become the workhorse of the Motor trend Garage. Fourteen months later, he had accumulated 35,000 miles. That works out to 30,000 miles per year, which is much more than the annual household average of 13,476 miles, according to the Federal Highway Administration of the United States Department of Transportation. During this time, he passed through California and repeatedly rushed to Arizona and Nevada for numerous road trips and countless photo ops. This is what we call “accelerated wear”. Still, the Sedona took everything we threw at it in stride, except, of course, freeway shrapnel and famous LA hit and run drivers.

Recording miles in the Sedona was a cinch, thanks to its smooth ride and a long list of equipment. He never rocked the bumps but stayed tense even with a weight of 4,655 pounds to lug around. Road and wind noise was minimal, which I especially appreciated after a trip to the Bay Area in our Subaru BRZ Coupe. I easily adapted to Kia’s intuitive infotainment system and wanted it when I switched to other cars. Each button is perfectly placed and the menus are easy to navigate. I constantly used the smart cruise control and the heated and cooled seats, and I took every opportunity to stream some incongruous music for a minivan from the Infinity audio system. It kept me sane during long journeys and hours spent in traffic. I highly recommend getting the $ 3,700 Tech Pack, which includes Forward Collision Warning System, Lane Departure Warning, Front and Rear Park Assist, Surround View Monitor, Headlights xenon and intelligent cruise control. It’s worth it, and I admit the forward collision warning saved my butt at least once.

The interior held up pretty well even after carrying sharp-edged camera gear, cleaning supplies, and a week’s worth of food and drink for up to 20 people. Motor trend employees test cars in the middle of the desert. Besides a cracked panel near the rear lower tub where the third-row seat stows and scraps of scratched plastic, the interior held up pretty well. I did not find a single tear in the leather or any broken buttons or buttons. One of the handles that folded down the second row bucket seats fell off, but it was easily screwed back on. The easily scratched gloss black plastic trim on the dashboard and center console shows some wear, but it’s something we’ve been expecting.

In terms of fuel economy, we managed to achieve an average of 19.3 mpg over 35,000 miles. The EPA puts it at 18/25/21 mpg city / highway / combined, so our average is a bit short. I expected better considering that the majority of these kilometers were accumulated on deserted highways. Some of the blame rests on my tiptoe and sitting in 405 traffic during my regular commutes, but that was only a small portion of the miles in the van. It’s also lower than our previous long-term 2011 Honda Odyssey, which achieved a combined 21.6 mpg, reflecting Honda’s higher EPA rating of 19/28/22. It did manage to beat another long-haul three-row, however, our 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe LT, which managed 18.2 mpg combined. The Sedona beats both in three-year residual value at 53 percent, compared to 50 percent for the Odyssey and 49 percent for the Tahoe.

As for maintenance, our van cost us $ 364.30 for four oil changes, two tire rotations, new engine and cabin air filters during 30,000 mile service and inspections. standard of the vital elements of the van. It’s a little cheaper than the $ 502.31 we paid to maintain our Honda Odyssey. Neither could match the $ 142 required by our 2015 Tahoe, thanks to Chevrolet’s free scheduled maintenance, which covered oil changes and tire rotations for the first two or 24 years. 000 miles of property. There were also no unforeseen repair costs. (Kia kindly offered to mend the multiple external battle scars we inflicted on our Sedona during its difficult loan period.)

If I could sum up my year with the Sedona in one word, it would be versatility. It’s a comfortable daily cruiser that has luxury touches and the ability to swallow loads of gear. It has proven to be an invaluable photo and video rolling fortress, and it’s hard to imagine a better car for the job. Sure, I had to endure the soccer mom stigma that comes with a minivan, but I have to admit that I will miss the Sedona.

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