Her + His Car Reviews
2016 Kia Sedona SX-L
There are always two sides to everything, right? Well, the truth is there are many more than that!
To keep our car reviews innovative and well-rounded, we are providing you with not just one, but two points of view on the same exact vehicle –
Her and His perspectives.
Her: Anne Fleming, Car Buying Advocate, women-drivers.com
His: Don Hammonds, Writer, AutomobileJournal.com
| HER | HIS |
|---|---|
| Price | |
| $43,100 | Our test car was a 2016 Kia Sedona SX-L, equipped with so many standard and optional features it is impossible to list them all here. List price was around $45,000, but the Sedona base prices run between $24,900 and $43,100, so that's a spread wide enough to draw quite a few customers. |
| Performance | |
| The redesigned Kia Sedona minivan has a powerful V6 engine sporting 276 horses. All required for this six speed automactic weighing in around 4,700 pounds. It's a heavyweight, but unfortunately that can be felt when it comes to highway acceleration. The responsiveness of the latest Sedona model is lack-luster, especially when compared to other staples in its class like the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey. | Kia's Sedona performs really well on the street, feeling rock ribbed stable, and cornered and handled pretty well. There was some body roll---but not much. But our car's transmission every now and then felt a bit stubbly and uncertain, especially on Pittsburgh's hills and pot-filled roads. |
| Fuel Economy | |
| Gas mileage is about 13 in the city; 24-26 on the highway. | As for fuel economy, the EPA estimates that the Sedona gets 17 to 23 or 21 to 29 miles per gallon, depending on whether you get the base 2.4 liter 185 horsepower four, or any of the larger and faster engines available. |
| The Car | |
| A luxurious interior with exceptional-touch materials, the new 2016 Sedona is attractive and attentive on the inside. Its quiet cabin allows all 7 or 8 passengers to chat and converse easily - we like that a lot. Storage in this model, is exceptional. There is glove compartment for "cool" items. How cool is that? Accommodations include 7 or 8 passenger seating configurations; the captain's reclining chairs with built-in footrests (ahhhhhhhhh) in the second row are comfy-galore, but cannot be removed, therefore limited cargo optimization. The third row seats are not up to size as their rivals. | The Sedona is such a good product that we rank it among the best in its class --of any size-- on the market. No kidding. The ride is solid and controlled in most settings. You would have to hit quite the pothole or rocky road before things get unsettled a bit. The interior is sumptuous, tailored looking, with an excellent presentation that thankfully, at least in the SX-L model we tested, did not include any of that awful fake wood you see in some top line vehicles. |
| Safety | |
| Though redesigned, there is not too much different between the 2015 and 2016 model. From a Safety standpoint, the Blind-spot monitoring, Forward Collision and Cross Traffic alert systems are new, significantly improving the driver's attentiveness to her surroundings. Driver, Passenger and Side Air Bags and Head Air Bags. 4 wheel disc brakes, Child Safety Locks, Traction Control, Brake Assist. | The usual round up of safety features are here. The Sedona has 'em all. |
| Technology | |
| The Kia design team has done an agreeable job with the dash layouts and the controls and touch points. Included in this model are USB port, rearview camera, and Bluetooth. We especially liked the tri-zone climate control for personalized adjusting, power sliding rear doors, power lift gate, Blind Spot monitoring, adaptive Cruise Control, Surround view parking, Dual sunroofs, Cooled glove box - an innovative idea we did not get to use or test, tri-zone automatic climate control, power-sliding rear doors, Power lift gate, and Lane Departure Warming. Retracing exterior mirrors. The Infinity audio/sound system includes surround sound which is pretty kick and UVO infotainment system with 4.3 inch screen - fairly petite. |
Fortunately, shoppers at the lower end of the Sedona price scale who have four cylinder engines in mind can get either six or seven seats in the LX trim version. And you won't have to buy an upper line model if you want all-wheel drive. You can order it on to the top of the hill, with standard features like a panoramic sunroof, push-button start, navigation, 10-speaker Infinity sound system, second-row sunscreens and power lift-gate (with proximity hands-free opening) are optional. The SX and SXL essentially add power-adjustable driver thigh support and a variety of exterior and interior trim upgrades, while the SXL gets you the Tech package that includes adaptive cruise control, lane-departure and collision warning systems, and an "around-view" multi-angle parking camera. |
| Aesthetics & Styling | |
| The updated, aerodynamic design and cosmetics of the Sedona get high marks. We wish there was more adaptability and configuration with the passenger seats. The exterior is attractive as far as minivans go; and the price is what adds value for buyers of the Sedona versus other competitive models. | Kia made some pretty substantial changes that include round wheel openings in the back that give it a sporty, yet elegant look, and the front grille has a much richer looking texture to it. Seen from the side, the profile looks more balanced, compared to the previous model, thanks to stretching wheelbase and overall length by three inches. That also gives two inches of additional legroom for the second row, and adding to the comfort level in the third row. |
| Warranty | |
| 5 year/60,000-mile basic warranty/ 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. | Five years, 60,000 miles |
