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Auto Profile: 2002 Kia Sedona EX
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| Find out more about this $18,995 minivan. |
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| Updated |
Mar 17, 2005 19:41:50 |
| Rating |
 16 ( -4 -25% ) | | Author | Tara Mello |
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Description:
The new Kia Sedona is likely to take a big bite out of the minivan competition.
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!--> Road Test
2002 Kia Sedona
By Tara Baukus Mello
Test car
Sedona Ex $24,100
Writer's notes
Showroom appeal:
Pretty darn attractive
Asphalt rating:
Plenty of pep
Real World:
Hauls people, groceries, does the mini-van thing.
Cool factor:
Folding extendable table...yup, it's a minivan allright.
Hauling:
Yes!
Safety:
Steel unibody platform
Comfort:
Get the EX
Handling:
Nice ride, for a minivan.
Optional Equipment
All Antilock braking system
LX: $595 EX: $595
AM/FM/CD stereo
LX: $195 EX: STD
Homelink® programmable garage door opener
LX: --- EX: $125
Leather package
LX: --- EX:$850
Roof rack
LX: $175 EX: ---
Rear spoiler
LX: $170 EX: $170
Moonroof
LX: --- EX: $575
Two-tone cladding
LX: -- EX: $195
Destination charge
LX: $595 EX: $595
------------- About Tara:
Tara Baukus Mello has published more than 2500 articles about driving, buying and maintaining vehicles during the last 12 years. Her work regularly appears in over 30 newspapers, magazines and Internet magazines as well as occasionally on television and radio. She is the author of a monthly syndicated column and has published seven non-fiction chapter books for children, four of which are part of the Race Car Legends Series by Chelsea House Publishing.
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Although it has only been in the U.S. since the mid-'90s, Kia has successfully shirked its image as the new kid on the block and is now slowly moving its way up the automobile food chain. Introduced first as entry-level cars that were among the most inexpensive new cars in America, Kia is now tracking bigger fish with its new minivan, the 2002 Kia Sedona. This small fish in the big minivan pond is headed straight for such established breeds as the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Dodge Caravan and Chevy Venture----and it's likely to take a big bite out of the competition. The primary factor in the Kia Sedona's bite is truly one of dollars and cents---with nearly every feature you could want in a minivan for several thousand dollars less than the competition, the Sedona packs some serious bang for the buck. Indeed, the prices of $18,995 for the base LX and $24,100 for the fully-optioned EX caused a collective gasp among a group of journalists at the Sedona's introduction. What's more, the Sedona is pretty darn attractive, fun to drive (for a minivan) and filled with handy features. And yes, it does stake claim to being the least expensive import minivan available in the U.S. If the Sedona looks familiar, it's likely to be because the car was actually shown as a concept at the Chicago Auto Show three years ago. Recognizing that it didn't have the features necessary to compete in the market, Kia product planners took it back to the drawing board, re-engineering the powertrain, changing the floorpan to accommodate more seating and upping the ante on safety features.
Equipped with an 195 horsepower, 3.5 liter, dual overhead cam V-6, the 2002 Kia Sedona has plenty of pep to get around town... The extra work has produced outstanding results. Equipped with an 195 horsepower, 3.5 liter, dual overhead cam V-6, either version of the 2002 Kia Sedona has plenty of pep to get around town, while the five-speed automatic transmission will come in handy for cruising on the highway. A full day behind the wheel in Sedona, Arizona traversing the town and the nearby countryside showed the Kia Sedona's abilities nicely. Built on a steel unibody platform, the Sedona has a 114.6-inch wheelbase, about an inch longer than the Dodge Caravan. Overall length is 194.1 inches, five inches longer than the Caravan, but nearly identical in length to the Toyota Sienna. The Sedona rode well, thanks to its independent front suspension with MacPherson struts, coil springs and anti-roll bar as well as power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering and hydraulic, vacuum brakes. The rear suspension utilizes a five-link set-up with coil springs and an anti-roll bar, while anti-lock brakes are optional on all models. The exterior styling of the Sedona is minivan bland, although body-color, side moldings, bumper and mirrors, versus the black often seen in this segment place it among the sleekest of the group. The minivan-requisite dual sliding doors are present on the Sedona, but a power feature on the doors is notably absent. Inside, our EX test minivan was quite luxurious, with leather seats featured in two buckets up front, two buckets in the second row and a bench in the third row. Both front seats offered an eight-way power adjustment, while the second and third row seats recline, as well as slide forward and rearward to offer additional leg room where needed. Both second and third row seats are removable, increasing cargo space from 21.8 cubic feet (with all three rows installed) to 127.5 cubic feet (with the second and third rows removed). In minivans, however, it is function that seems to be the all-important aspect and the Sedona has plenty of it. There are a whopping 10 cupholders in the EX (eight in the LX), including four located in a folding extendable table, which works well for front and second row passengers as a surface for fast food runs. There's plenty of room for storage of other belongings too, including an unusual storage box that pops up out of the dashboard, two gloveboxes and a lockable bin under the front passenger seat. Other features standard on both Sedona trim levels include front and rear air conditioning, power door locks, power windows, mirrors and locks, cruise control, tilt steering wheel, variable intermittent wipers, rear wiper/washer with intermittent feature and electric defrost and three power points for auxiliary items. All Sedonas feature rear quarter-windows that open, but a one-touch power switch is available on the EX model only. The LX model comes standard with an AM/FM/stereo cassette, while the EX model stereo features both a cassette and CD player. Options on the EX model include a power/tilt moonroof, leather seating, two-tone exterior body cladding and Homelink programmable garage door opener system. All said, it's a mighty-fine package for an extraordinary price and likely to appeal to those families aching for a minivan, but have as yet been unable to afford one. Small fish, big bite! Copyright 2001, Tara Baukus Mello. All Rights Reserved. |
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