2003 Sedona - Reliable

Author's Rating:

Pros: Reliability, power, comfort. Lots of big cupholders!

Cons: Lack of AWD! Need more cargo room behind third bench seat.

The Bottom Line: 
I would recommend this to anybody needing a reliable minivan at a low price. Has great features and only a few shortcomings.

Author's Review
We have had this van since September 2003 and put over 43000 miles on it. It has only been back to the dealership for the two recalls. We regularly take 400 mile (each way) trips towing a 2500 lb trailer with a cargo carrier mounted to the roof rack. It's a little sluggish when going up mountain passes fully loaded and towing the trailer, but that's to be expected. Some of the reviews say this van doesn't have enough power, but I've been completely satisfied with the power. I even spun the tires during the test drive on accident. This van has never failed us, even during -30 degree weather.

I have done most of my own maintainance. Oil changes are pretty straight forward. The oil filter is located directly above one of the front suspension A-arms. It can be tight if you are using a strap wrench, but with a cap style wrench it's pretty easy to get to. The air filter is easily changed as well. All the fluid levels are easy to check and are clearly labeled. I have not changed the spark plugs, this is a job best left for the dealership. Each plug has it's own coil, and being a transverse mounted engine, the back three are up against the firewall. I have looked and you can't even see the three coils that are along the firewall. You would have to complete this job by feel. Therefore, I have left that chore up to the dealer. Some things are just better left up to someone else.

I have also installed an aftermarket trailer hitch and taillight converter. I ordered online, the instructions were accurate and the install went smoothly. I had to drill two holes in the rear tow loop mounts for the hitch. Other than that, it was a straight bolt on. The wiring harness was a simple plug-and-play setup. Unplug from the taillight, plug into the module, and re-connect to the taillight.

This van almost has too much low end power when driving on ice and snow. Even with studded tires, it is extremely easy to spin the front tires. We have only been stuck once, and that was because we slid into a snowy ditch. Luckily for us a 4x4 pickup was along shortly and was able to pull us out.

Being that we have the EX model we have the second row captain's chairs. We also opted for the leather interior. The seats are very comfortable on long road trips. The driver's seat has full power adjustments which makes it easy to find a comfortable position. The front passenger only has 4-way power adjust, but even lacking the extra adjustments it is just as comfortable as the driver's seat. The second row captain's chairs are equally comfortable. The leg room in the second row could be a little cramped if you're over 6 foot. I'm 5'10" and find it adequate if I have the seat slid all the way to the rear. The rear seating is best reserved for smaller people. I have ridden back there on occasion, and while comfortable, I wouldn't recommend it for long road trips.

Interior road and wind noise at highway speeds is a little on the loud side, but that could also be from always having a cargo carrier mounted on top. The stereo is easily able to overcome the noise. Speaking of the stereo, it is a nice unit that has had no problems. It plays both CD's and tapes. We've burned some audio CD's at home which it plays just fine. I've even burned a couple on CDRW media and they play fine as well. The sound quality is excellent, but if you are an audiophile, I'm sure you will want to upgrade.

Cupholders - where do I begin? There are 10 cupholders in this van. Each one of them is big enough to hold a large drink from the drive through. This is one of the items that was on my wife's "must have" list. Six of the ten cupholders are reachable from the front seat. Four of them are attached to a drop table between the front seats. This drop table will also hold the four cup tray they give you at most drive through windows.

The only thing I wish this van had was All Wheel Drive, and more space behind the third seat bench. Listen to us Kia, make it AWD and extended, and I will be the first in line at the dealership to trade in my old one!

Overall we have been extremely happy with this van and would not hesitate to purchase a new one. (which we have been considering with the larger 2006 model)