Hurray! I can afford to be a minivan mommy!

Author's Rating:

Pros: PRICE!!! Everything you want is already standard!

Cons: Wish it had the option of a fold-flat 3rd seat.

The Bottom Line: 
If you want/need a minivan and you want it decked out but don't want to spend 30,000 dollars, this is the one to get!

Author's Review
After researching minivans for years and stumbling across good reviews for the Kia Sedona online, I really got interested in checking it out. We finally bought one (an EX model with leather and ABS). I had thought about getting the Mazda MPV because of the 3rd folddown seat but for everything the Kia had standard, the Mazda charged extra as options and the cost to get all we wanted would have been about 6,000 more (just way too much to pay for for a seat that folds down!) Now that I have bought the Kia, however, I know for sure that I made the right decision. The ride is smooth as silk. The leather seats are soft, roomy, and very comfortable. The power driver seat has so many different ways to adjust that no matter what your size or preference, you can get that seat just as comfortable as you want it to be. And the 2nd row seats are the same size and just as comfortable as the front seats. I love that all of the seats, even the back 3rd row can recline so everyone can take a nap if they want to. The 3rd seat is split 50/50 so you can take out one seat or both for additional cargo. The seats were a little heavy for this weakling, but I could take them out by myself if I ever need to. Also, if we need to put something large in the van on the spur of the moment, we can fold the 3rd seats up and latch them to the seatbacks of the 2nd row (latches to do this are included).
Another thing I love about my new van is the all the nooks and crannies. It has two gloveboxes in front of the passenger seat and one unique flat glove box right on the top middle of the dash. I've actually used that one the most because it's so accesible for me to reach. I keep paper and pens in there. There is also a locking box under the passenger seat which has a first aid kit inside. There is a slide out double cupholder and under that, a cd compartment. Also on the center console is a change holder which holds lots of change and the gearshift (no, it's not on the column). Between the two front seats is a cool table with four cupholders that folds down to allow me to walk to the back and check on the baby if I need to. It also is extendable to increase the surface area of the table and to provide access to cupholders for the backseat passengers. I originally thought I would like one of those between-the-seat consoles that has storage compartments but I now see that for me, the table is the way to go for this eat-on-the-run family. There are also 3 electrical outlets in very convenient places, a sunglasses holder, power buttons for the rear quarter windows, a small compartment next to the third seat, and yes, more drinkholders (10 in all!). Plus everything is power, both mirrors, the windows, and door locks (and unlike the 2002's, the 2003's have 2 remote keyless entries). The only thing you can't get power for on the Sedona is the back doors and the back hatch. But I know lots of people who've had problems with their power sliding doors only working half the time anyway.
The gas mileage is not so hot for a minivan (sticker says 15city/20freeway), but it's because it is so darn heavy. However, if you want to tow a pop up camper (which we do), it's easily up to the task with a 3500 pound tow rating. The cargo room behind the 3rd seat is not as big as most other minivans. I had to buy a smaller stroller to be able to keep it in the van and still have room back there for groceries. And antilock brakes are only an option and not standard, which I thought was odd. But on the other hand, everything else that is an option on other minivans is standard on this one. The stereo is nice. You get a cd and a cassette player (I'm no audiofile so I don't listen to the radio loud enough to truly give the speakers a test). Standard on the Sedona is rear heat as well as rear air conditioner. And the rear controller for the air conditioner is on the roof behind the driver. In fact, all the rear lights and air vents are on the sides just above the passengers' heads so they can adjust their own. It also leaves the middle of the roof empty (we're having a flip-down tv installed in ours).
Overall, I believe that for a young family that needs a larger vehicle that is safe (highest government safety rating), comfortable, dependable (longest warranty), and inexpensive, you just can't go wrong with the Sedona. The sticker price for our van was close to 24,000 and we talked the salesman down to 22,700, plus we got a 2000 rebate which made the price dip to 20,700. What other minivan can you get with all these features for that price? I think Honda Odyssey and all the other minivan manufactureres better watch out, because the Sedona's price and features are going to turn the minivan market on its ear!