Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

Yep, we decided to buy a minivan so my wife could car-pool with other
nurses and I could also carry boat stuff more easily than our smaller
cars....The 2006 Kia Sedona is an all new minivan designed to go head
to head in the 30-40K luxury minivan segment. This has very little in
common with the old 2005 Sedona.

Full review-2006 Kia Sedona EX
Yes, you'll need to get past any stigma associated with the Kia name.
Kia is climbing the ladder just like Honda and Audi did years ago and
gaining respect as their cars improve. We checked out the Honda and
Toyota entries and the Kia just seemed to do everything as well and in
some cases better. The handling of the Kia is certainly up there with
the Honda, perhaps a hair better. Power is excellent. This van is
probably faster than it needs to be. I've read 0-60 reports of 7.1 and
7.3 seconds and even prior to break-in the van feels very quick. Build
quality appears to be quite good with nice fit and finish.

Our fully loaded example has power sliding doors and a power rear
hatch. If you have kids these come in really handy and are fun to show
off as well as all 3 doors open and shut smoothly via a button or the
keyfob remote...cool!. The doors will sense an obstruction and open if
need be. They can also be operated manually. Locks prevent a child from
opening them from inside of course.

Inside you get a full leather interior in gray or beige. Go with the
gray as it will wear better. Front seats are 8 way and 4 way power. The
driver's seat is a bit short on legroom for taller drivers. I'm 6.3 and
would like another inch or two. There's no reason for a seat to be
short on legroom on a large van. Passenger and rear seats have a LOT of
room. Even the split bench fully aft is pretty good and the middle
seats will also slide forward making this true 7 passenger vehicle.
Make no mistake about it; this is a pretty luxurious interior by any
standard. We found the Honda a bit more stark, but the Odyssey and
Sienna are equally plush when fully loaded.

The rear seats tuck away into a storage well, but the procedure is a
bit awkward and could use some refinement. Overall it works okay. When
the seats are out the well is a great place combined with the cargo
net, but some sort of retractable cover would really be nice to hide
gear. With seats down there was room to carry a friend's full racing
sail inventory, 8 sails for a C&C 38 and plenty of room to spare for 5
passengers.

The loaded EX also comes with a killer Infinity stereo/DVD rear seat
entertainment system. I know it's a cliche to refer to a sound system
in a car as "killer" but you really need to hear the 13 speaker system
in action to realize how much better it is than any other. The top of
the line Honda and Toyota don't even come close. The flip down DVD
screen is a mere 8 inches. I consider that size adequate, but others
are larger. On the other hand, unlike the larger screens, the Kia's
doesn't block as much of the rearview mirror so it's a better tradeoff
for safety. The system also has IR remote control and IR fed headphones
that work well and very comfortable. Popping in a copy of Star Wars III
I was treated to true 7.1 Surround sound. The center channel is mounted
in the middle of the dash, a bit away for the rear seats, but it works
very well. The picture quality is typical for these systems, but many
people will hear sound that is superior to their home systems. There is
depth, clear highs and fairly impressive midrange that surprised me and
I'm someone who's owned stereo systems costing 9K. It's that good. On
the other hand, you can question the logic of such an elaborate system
in a car. A lesser system like the ones from Toyota or Honda are still
"just fine." But as long as Kia is giving them away, I'll keep mine!

On the port side of the cabin are jacks for plugging in a camcorder, or
X-Box type game system. Amazingly Kia neglected a Ipod/Sat. radio jack
up front and you'll need to correct that at your local stereo shop for
aftermarket help. Also missing at this luxury level is integrated
navigation/GPS, but expect that on the next year's model. Buy a Garmin
I5, as we did and you'll do just fine.

Unlike many other vans on the market, the 2nd row large middle windows
actually power down! This is a very welcome feature to say the least.
The rear windows also wing out with the press of a button. 2nd road
passengers no longer have that bus window feeling.

The 3rd road is less comfortable than the 2nd of course. These are
seats that fold down into the floor and the only seats to do so on
board. Kia's research showed that most people never stowed or removed
the second row, so they left those as fully comfortable chairs with
armrests. The 3rd row, because it's stows in the floor, is inherently
less comfortable, but they really aren't bad at all. 3rd row passengers
get cup-holders, a small storage bin and the inputs for video game
consoles.

Each row of seats has port and starboard AC/Heat vents and the second
row has it's own dedicated controls for temp and fan speed. Shotgun
gets dual AC/Heat controls so the driver and passenger don't compromise
and heated seats with 5 way settings. Very nice.

There are really too many little extras in vans of this size and luxury
level to list here. The fully loaded Kia Sedona for 2006 also gets
memory seats/mirror/pedal, homelink controls for the garage, backup
proximity sensor, power sunroof, 2 way adjustable headrests, fold away
snack tray, and quite a bit more.

Back to Driving the Sedona....it is not quite like a car, but close
enough that an hour or two of driving will have you pretty well
acclimated. Acceleration is strong at almost all points of the
powerband due to a healthy amount of torque. On the highway the ride is
quiet and subdued. Wind noise is well controlled. I'm certain that the
new Sedona is quieter than my Subaru Tribeca and that's quieter than a
Lexus RX330. At cruising speeds above averages that most people would
drive this van, the Sedona remains composed. Fast lane changes are not
a problem, but steeper turns produce a bit more body roll than I'd
like. There are moments when the Sedona will remind you that it's
actually a 2 ton plus van and not a car. You must learn when those
moments are likely to come up.

For the driver all of the controls are well laid out and we've come to
expect this from most imports compared to the often terrible American
made entries. Kia has essentially hit the nail on the head with the new
Sedona for drivers, passengers and of course kids. When our two year
old has a toy crisis, my wife can get to the 2nd row and take charge
with ease. This is something our SUV could not do.

Parking the Sedona is something that will take practice if this is your
first minivan. This is not a small van and the driver is well up front.
Still, exhibit some confidence when you park and use the aft proximity
sensor. When reversing it beeps faster and faster as you approach an
obstacle. When it becomes a steady tone you're about 15 inches away. It
works great.

Because I've not broken the engine in I can't report on the MPG yet.

If you have a small child, a fully loaded 2006 Sedona EX will make for
a lot of smiles. I believe that the Honda and Toyota are also fine vans
and you really can't go wrong with them either. I don't like ANY of the
American entries or the Nissan Quest for whatever that's worth.

The warranty on the Sedona is 5 years overall and 10 for the
engine/powertrain. That's good news so long as it doesn't have too many
problems. Trips for dealer service are never any fun free or not. Only
time will tell how well constructed Kia's first entry in maxed out
minivan segment really is. The matching warranty from Toyota or Honda
will cost you 1500 more and still won't cover everything the Kia
warranty does.

With Kia's current rebates and some aggressive shopping we got our
fully loaded EX for $27'950. That included the 1000 rebate and a
graduate rebate of 400 dollars as well. That's an amazing price when
you look at a Sienna optioned out the same way which is around 5-6K
more. Kia also threw in two years worth of free oil changes, free
remote starter and a second remote for the DVD player. In a few months
I'll update this and let folks know what "new car bugs" turned up
(There are always a few) and how Kia service dealt with them here in
NY. This will be a great car for getting friends to the boat in one
shot.
Cheers!

Capt RB

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

YAWN.... Bobby Buys a Mini Van... a perfect match for his plastic boat and
plastic life! B-O-O-O-R-R-R-R-I-I-I-I-I-N-N-N-N-N-G-G-G!!!!!!

[Scotty... you're up for edit on my post here... you know what to do]

CM-


"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
ups.com...
Yep, we decided to buy a minivan so my wife could car-pool with other
nurses and I could also carry boat stuff more easily than our smaller
cars....The 2006 Kia Sedona is an all new minivan designed to go head
to head in the 30-40K luxury minivan segment. This has very little in
common with the old 2005 Sedona.

Full review-2006 Kia Sedona EX
Yes, you'll need to get past any stigma associated with the Kia name.
Kia is climbing the ladder just like Honda and Audi did years ago and
gaining respect as their cars improve. We checked out the Honda and
Toyota entries and the Kia just seemed to do everything as well and in
some cases better. The handling of the Kia is certainly up there with
the Honda, perhaps a hair better. Power is excellent. This van is
probably faster than it needs to be. I've read 0-60 reports of 7.1 and
7.3 seconds and even prior to break-in the van feels very quick. Build
quality appears to be quite good with nice fit and finish.

Our fully loaded example has power sliding doors and a power rear
hatch. If you have kids these come in really handy and are fun to show
off as well as all 3 doors open and shut smoothly via a button or the
keyfob remote...cool!. The doors will sense an obstruction and open if
need be. They can also be operated manually. Locks prevent a child from
opening them from inside of course.

Inside you get a full leather interior in gray or beige. Go with the
gray as it will wear better. Front seats are 8 way and 4 way power. The
driver's seat is a bit short on legroom for taller drivers. I'm 6.3 and
would like another inch or two. There's no reason for a seat to be
short on legroom on a large van. Passenger and rear seats have a LOT of
room. Even the split bench fully aft is pretty good and the middle
seats will also slide forward making this true 7 passenger vehicle.
Make no mistake about it; this is a pretty luxurious interior by any
standard. We found the Honda a bit more stark, but the Odyssey and
Sienna are equally plush when fully loaded.

The rear seats tuck away into a storage well, but the procedure is a
bit awkward and could use some refinement. Overall it works okay. When
the seats are out the well is a great place combined with the cargo
net, but some sort of retractable cover would really be nice to hide
gear. With seats down there was room to carry a friend's full racing
sail inventory, 8 sails for a C&C 38 and plenty of room to spare for 5
passengers.

The loaded EX also comes with a killer Infinity stereo/DVD rear seat
entertainment system. I know it's a cliche to refer to a sound system
in a car as "killer" but you really need to hear the 13 speaker system
in action to realize how much better it is than any other. The top of
the line Honda and Toyota don't even come close. The flip down DVD
screen is a mere 8 inches. I consider that size adequate, but others
are larger. On the other hand, unlike the larger screens, the Kia's
doesn't block as much of the rearview mirror so it's a better tradeoff
for safety. The system also has IR remote control and IR fed headphones
that work well and very comfortable. Popping in a copy of Star Wars III
I was treated to true 7.1 Surround sound. The center channel is mounted
in the middle of the dash, a bit away for the rear seats, but it works
very well. The picture quality is typical for these systems, but many
people will hear sound that is superior to their home systems. There is
depth, clear highs and fairly impressive midrange that surprised me and
I'm someone who's owned stereo systems costing 9K. It's that good. On
the other hand, you can question the logic of such an elaborate system
in a car. A lesser system like the ones from Toyota or Honda are still
"just fine." But as long as Kia is giving them away, I'll keep mine!

On the port side of the cabin are jacks for plugging in a camcorder, or
X-Box type game system. Amazingly Kia neglected a Ipod/Sat. radio jack
up front and you'll need to correct that at your local stereo shop for
aftermarket help. Also missing at this luxury level is integrated
navigation/GPS, but expect that on the next year's model. Buy a Garmin
I5, as we did and you'll do just fine.

Unlike many other vans on the market, the 2nd row large middle windows
actually power down! This is a very welcome feature to say the least.
The rear windows also wing out with the press of a button. 2nd road
passengers no longer have that bus window feeling.

The 3rd road is less comfortable than the 2nd of course. These are
seats that fold down into the floor and the only seats to do so on
board. Kia's research showed that most people never stowed or removed
the second row, so they left those as fully comfortable chairs with
armrests. The 3rd row, because it's stows in the floor, is inherently
less comfortable, but they really aren't bad at all. 3rd row passengers
get cup-holders, a small storage bin and the inputs for video game
consoles.

Each row of seats has port and starboard AC/Heat vents and the second
row has it's own dedicated controls for temp and fan speed. Shotgun
gets dual AC/Heat controls so the driver and passenger don't compromise
and heated seats with 5 way settings. Very nice.

There are really too many little extras in vans of this size and luxury
level to list here. The fully loaded Kia Sedona for 2006 also gets
memory seats/mirror/pedal, homelink controls for the garage, backup
proximity sensor, power sunroof, 2 way adjustable headrests, fold away
snack tray, and quite a bit more.

Back to Driving the Sedona....it is not quite like a car, but close
enough that an hour or two of driving will have you pretty well
acclimated. Acceleration is strong at almost all points of the
powerband due to a healthy amount of torque. On the highway the ride is
quiet and subdued. Wind noise is well controlled. I'm certain that the
new Sedona is quieter than my Subaru Tribeca and that's quieter than a
Lexus RX330. At cruising speeds above averages that most people would
drive this van, the Sedona remains composed. Fast lane changes are not
a problem, but steeper turns produce a bit more body roll than I'd
like. There are moments when the Sedona will remind you that it's
actually a 2 ton plus van and not a car. You must learn when those
moments are likely to come up.

For the driver all of the controls are well laid out and we've come to
expect this from most imports compared to the often terrible American
made entries. Kia has essentially hit the nail on the head with the new
Sedona for drivers, passengers and of course kids. When our two year
old has a toy crisis, my wife can get to the 2nd row and take charge
with ease. This is something our SUV could not do.

Parking the Sedona is something that will take practice if this is your
first minivan. This is not a small van and the driver is well up front.
Still, exhibit some confidence when you park and use the aft proximity
sensor. When reversing it beeps faster and faster as you approach an
obstacle. When it becomes a steady tone you're about 15 inches away. It
works great.

Because I've not broken the engine in I can't report on the MPG yet.

If you have a small child, a fully loaded 2006 Sedona EX will make for
a lot of smiles. I believe that the Honda and Toyota are also fine vans
and you really can't go wrong with them either. I don't like ANY of the
American entries or the Nissan Quest for whatever that's worth.

The warranty on the Sedona is 5 years overall and 10 for the
engine/powertrain. That's good news so long as it doesn't have too many
problems. Trips for dealer service are never any fun free or not. Only
time will tell how well constructed Kia's first entry in maxed out
minivan segment really is. The matching warranty from Toyota or Honda
will cost you 1500 more and still won't cover everything the Kia
warranty does.

With Kia's current rebates and some aggressive shopping we got our
fully loaded EX for $27'950. That included the 1000 rebate and a
graduate rebate of 400 dollars as well. That's an amazing price when
you look at a Sienna optioned out the same way which is around 5-6K
more. Kia also threw in two years worth of free oil changes, free
remote starter and a second remote for the DVD player. In a few months
I'll update this and let folks know what "new car bugs" turned up
(There are always a few) and how Kia service dealt with them here in
NY. This will be a great car for getting friends to the boat in one
shot.
Cheers!

Capt RB

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

YAWN.... Bobby Buys a Mini Van



Yup, and don't forget I own the fastest slickest sports car in the STI,
0-60 in 4.6 seconds and AWD. Also don't forget that I own a classic MG
and a nice luxury SUV...which may let my old man have.

As usual every aspect of my life performs better than yours,
Mooron...and I had sex with a pretty lady 3 times last night and this
morning....you had sex with your HAND!!!

Where are your kids, Mooron!? Good lord, Man....oh, but you're no
man...not even so much as to buy a boat that can sail upwind!!!!


BWAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! Go ahead, Scotty! You know what to do to poor Mooron!



RB
35s5
NY

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

Gets extremely good marks from Consumer Reports, except for fuel,
electrical, air conditioning, suspension, brakes, paint/trim, body
integrity, body hardware, and comfort.


"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
ups.com...
Yep, we decided to buy a minivan so my wife could car-pool with other
nurses and I could also carry boat stuff more easily than our smaller
cars....The 2006 Kia Sedona is an all new minivan designed to go head
to head in the 30-40K luxury minivan segment. This has very little in
common with the old 2005 Sedona.

Full review-2006 Kia Sedona EX
Yes, you'll need to get past any stigma associated with the Kia name.
Kia is climbing the ladder just like Honda and Audi did years ago and
gaining respect as their cars improve. We checked out the Honda and
Toyota entries and the Kia just seemed to do everything as well and in
some cases better. The handling of the Kia is certainly up there with
the Honda, perhaps a hair better. Power is excellent. This van is
probably faster than it needs to be. I've read 0-60 reports of 7.1 and
7.3 seconds and even prior to break-in the van feels very quick. Build
quality appears to be quite good with nice fit and finish.

Our fully loaded example has power sliding doors and a power rear
hatch. If you have kids these come in really handy and are fun to show
off as well as all 3 doors open and shut smoothly via a button or the
keyfob remote...cool!. The doors will sense an obstruction and open if
need be. They can also be operated manually. Locks prevent a child from
opening them from inside of course.

Inside you get a full leather interior in gray or beige. Go with the
gray as it will wear better. Front seats are 8 way and 4 way power. The
driver's seat is a bit short on legroom for taller drivers. I'm 6.3 and
would like another inch or two. There's no reason for a seat to be
short on legroom on a large van. Passenger and rear seats have a LOT of
room. Even the split bench fully aft is pretty good and the middle
seats will also slide forward making this true 7 passenger vehicle.
Make no mistake about it; this is a pretty luxurious interior by any
standard. We found the Honda a bit more stark, but the Odyssey and
Sienna are equally plush when fully loaded.

The rear seats tuck away into a storage well, but the procedure is a
bit awkward and could use some refinement. Overall it works okay. When
the seats are out the well is a great place combined with the cargo
net, but some sort of retractable cover would really be nice to hide
gear. With seats down there was room to carry a friend's full racing
sail inventory, 8 sails for a C&C 38 and plenty of room to spare for 5
passengers.

The loaded EX also comes with a killer Infinity stereo/DVD rear seat
entertainment system. I know it's a cliche to refer to a sound system
in a car as "killer" but you really need to hear the 13 speaker system
in action to realize how much better it is than any other. The top of
the line Honda and Toyota don't even come close. The flip down DVD
screen is a mere 8 inches. I consider that size adequate, but others
are larger. On the other hand, unlike the larger screens, the Kia's
doesn't block as much of the rearview mirror so it's a better tradeoff
for safety. The system also has IR remote control and IR fed headphones
that work well and very comfortable. Popping in a copy of Star Wars III
I was treated to true 7.1 Surround sound. The center channel is mounted
in the middle of the dash, a bit away for the rear seats, but it works
very well. The picture quality is typical for these systems, but many
people will hear sound that is superior to their home systems. There is
depth, clear highs and fairly impressive midrange that surprised me and
I'm someone who's owned stereo systems costing 9K. It's that good. On
the other hand, you can question the logic of such an elaborate system
in a car. A lesser system like the ones from Toyota or Honda are still
"just fine." But as long as Kia is giving them away, I'll keep mine!

On the port side of the cabin are jacks for plugging in a camcorder, or
X-Box type game system. Amazingly Kia neglected a Ipod/Sat. radio jack
up front and you'll need to correct that at your local stereo shop for
aftermarket help. Also missing at this luxury level is integrated
navigation/GPS, but expect that on the next year's model. Buy a Garmin
I5, as we did and you'll do just fine.

Unlike many other vans on the market, the 2nd row large middle windows
actually power down! This is a very welcome feature to say the least.
The rear windows also wing out with the press of a button. 2nd road
passengers no longer have that bus window feeling.

The 3rd road is less comfortable than the 2nd of course. These are
seats that fold down into the floor and the only seats to do so on
board. Kia's research showed that most people never stowed or removed
the second row, so they left those as fully comfortable chairs with
armrests. The 3rd row, because it's stows in the floor, is inherently
less comfortable, but they really aren't bad at all. 3rd row passengers
get cup-holders, a small storage bin and the inputs for video game
consoles.

Each row of seats has port and starboard AC/Heat vents and the second
row has it's own dedicated controls for temp and fan speed. Shotgun
gets dual AC/Heat controls so the driver and passenger don't compromise
and heated seats with 5 way settings. Very nice.

There are really too many little extras in vans of this size and luxury
level to list here. The fully loaded Kia Sedona for 2006 also gets
memory seats/mirror/pedal, homelink controls for the garage, backup
proximity sensor, power sunroof, 2 way adjustable headrests, fold away
snack tray, and quite a bit more.

Back to Driving the Sedona....it is not quite like a car, but close
enough that an hour or two of driving will have you pretty well
acclimated. Acceleration is strong at almost all points of the
powerband due to a healthy amount of torque. On the highway the ride is
quiet and subdued. Wind noise is well controlled. I'm certain that the
new Sedona is quieter than my Subaru Tribeca and that's quieter than a
Lexus RX330. At cruising speeds above averages that most people would
drive this van, the Sedona remains composed. Fast lane changes are not
a problem, but steeper turns produce a bit more body roll than I'd
like. There are moments when the Sedona will remind you that it's
actually a 2 ton plus van and not a car. You must learn when those
moments are likely to come up.

For the driver all of the controls are well laid out and we've come to
expect this from most imports compared to the often terrible American
made entries. Kia has essentially hit the nail on the head with the new
Sedona for drivers, passengers and of course kids. When our two year
old has a toy crisis, my wife can get to the 2nd row and take charge
with ease. This is something our SUV could not do.

Parking the Sedona is something that will take practice if this is your
first minivan. This is not a small van and the driver is well up front.
Still, exhibit some confidence when you park and use the aft proximity
sensor. When reversing it beeps faster and faster as you approach an
obstacle. When it becomes a steady tone you're about 15 inches away. It
works great.

Because I've not broken the engine in I can't report on the MPG yet.

If you have a small child, a fully loaded 2006 Sedona EX will make for
a lot of smiles. I believe that the Honda and Toyota are also fine vans
and you really can't go wrong with them either. I don't like ANY of the
American entries or the Nissan Quest for whatever that's worth.

The warranty on the Sedona is 5 years overall and 10 for the
engine/powertrain. That's good news so long as it doesn't have too many
problems. Trips for dealer service are never any fun free or not. Only
time will tell how well constructed Kia's first entry in maxed out
minivan segment really is. The matching warranty from Toyota or Honda
will cost you 1500 more and still won't cover everything the Kia
warranty does.

With Kia's current rebates and some aggressive shopping we got our
fully loaded EX for $27'950. That included the 1000 rebate and a
graduate rebate of 400 dollars as well. That's an amazing price when
you look at a Sienna optioned out the same way which is around 5-6K
more. Kia also threw in two years worth of free oil changes, free
remote starter and a second remote for the DVD player. In a few months
I'll update this and let folks know what "new car bugs" turned up
(There are always a few) and how Kia service dealt with them here in
NY. This will be a great car for getting friends to the boat in one
shot.
Cheers!

Capt RB

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message


Mooron...and I had sex with a pretty lady 3 times last night

Yeah... Suzanne was a real horndog wasn't she?! It's like she couldn't get
enough!! Blindfolding her and telling her I was Binary Bill was a stroke of
genius!!!

CM-

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

What? You deprived her of a view of your manily countenance?

"Capt.Mooron" wrote in message
news:ND6cg.27177$cl1.15885@edtnps90...

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message


Mooron...and I had sex with a pretty lady 3 times last night

Yeah... Suzanne was a real horndog wasn't she?! It's like she couldn't get
enough!! Blindfolding her and telling her I was Binary Bill was a stroke
of genius!!!

CM-

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

Gets extremely good marks from Consumer Reports, except for fuel,
electrical, air conditioning, suspension, brakes, paint/trim, body
integrity, body hardware, and comfort.


New 2006 Sedona has yet to be reviewed by Consumer Reports, but there
are plenty of other reviews for it, such as...

Sedona Lands a Kockout
http://car-reviews.automobile.com/Ki...oad-test/1563/

Ideal Mini
http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pw/06sedona.htm

Dominating the Mini-van Market
http://www.epinions.com/content_218869698180


RB
35s5
NY

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

Too easy. Bbob has officially crossed over the ''washed-up
geezer'' line.

It's so pathetic, and funny.....but mostly pathetic....in a
humorous way.

Scotty


"Capt.Mooron" wrote in message
news:nm4cg.18282$zn1.17572@clgrps13...
YAWN.... Bobby Buys a Mini Van... a perfect match for his
plastic boat and
plastic life!
B-O-O-O-R-R-R-R-I-I-I-I-I-N-N-N-N-N-G-G-G!!!!!!

[Scotty... you're up for edit on my post here... you know
what to do]

CM-


"Capt. Rob" wrote in message

ups.com...
Yep, we decided to buy a minivan so my wife could
car-pool with other
nurses and I could also carry boat stuff more easily
than our smaller
cars....The 2006 Kia Sedona is an all new minivan
designed to go head
to head in the 30-40K luxury minivan segment. This has
very little in
common with the old 2005 Sedona.

Full review-2006 Kia Sedona EX
Yes, you'll need to get past any stigma associated with
the Kia name.
Kia is climbing the ladder just like Honda and Audi did
years ago and
gaining respect as their cars improve. We checked out
the Honda and
Toyota entries and the Kia just seemed to do everything
as well and in
some cases better. The handling of the Kia is certainly
up there with
the Honda, perhaps a hair better. Power is excellent.
This van is
probably faster than it needs to be. I've read 0-60
reports of 7.1 and
7.3 seconds and even prior to break-in the van feels
very quick. Build
quality appears to be quite good with nice fit and
finish.

Our fully loaded example has power sliding doors and a
power rear
hatch. If you have kids these come in really handy and
are fun to show
off as well as all 3 doors open and shut smoothly via a
button or the
keyfob remote...cool!. The doors will sense an
obstruction and open if
need be. They can also be operated manually. Locks
prevent a child from
opening them from inside of course.

Inside you get a full leather interior in gray or beige.
Go with the
gray as it will wear better. Front seats are 8 way and 4
way power. The
driver's seat is a bit short on legroom for taller
drivers. I'm 6.3 and
would like another inch or two. There's no reason for a
seat to be
short on legroom on a large van. Passenger and rear
seats have a LOT of
room. Even the split bench fully aft is pretty good and
the middle
seats will also slide forward making this true 7
passenger vehicle.
Make no mistake about it; this is a pretty luxurious
interior by any
standard. We found the Honda a bit more stark, but the
Odyssey and
Sienna are equally plush when fully loaded.

The rear seats tuck away into a storage well, but the
procedure is a
bit awkward and could use some refinement. Overall it
works okay. When
the seats are out the well is a great place combined
with the cargo
net, but some sort of retractable cover would really be
nice to hide
gear. With seats down there was room to carry a friend's
full racing
sail inventory, 8 sails for a C&C 38 and plenty of room
to spare for 5
passengers.

The loaded EX also comes with a killer Infinity
stereo/DVD rear seat
entertainment system. I know it's a cliche to refer to a
sound system
in a car as "killer" but you really need to hear the 13
speaker system
in action to realize how much better it is than any
other. The top of
the line Honda and Toyota don't even come close. The
flip down DVD
screen is a mere 8 inches. I consider that size
adequate, but others
are larger. On the other hand, unlike the larger
screens, the Kia's
doesn't block as much of the rearview mirror so it's a
better tradeoff
for safety. The system also has IR remote control and IR
fed headphones
that work well and very comfortable. Popping in a copy
of Star Wars III
I was treated to true 7.1 Surround sound. The center
channel is mounted
in the middle of the dash, a bit away for the rear
seats, but it works
very well. The picture quality is typical for these
systems, but many
people will hear sound that is superior to their home
systems. There is
depth, clear highs and fairly impressive midrange that
surprised me and
I'm someone who's owned stereo systems costing 9K. It's
that good. On
the other hand, you can question the logic of such an
elaborate system
in a car. A lesser system like the ones from Toyota or
Honda are still
"just fine." But as long as Kia is giving them away,
I'll keep mine!

On the port side of the cabin are jacks for plugging in
a camcorder, or
X-Box type game system. Amazingly Kia neglected a
Ipod/Sat. radio jack
up front and you'll need to correct that at your local
stereo shop for
aftermarket help. Also missing at this luxury level is
integrated
navigation/GPS, but expect that on the next year's
model. Buy a Garmin
I5, as we did and you'll do just fine.

Unlike many other vans on the market, the 2nd row large
middle windows
actually power down! This is a very welcome feature to
say the least.
The rear windows also wing out with the press of a
button. 2nd road
passengers no longer have that bus window feeling.

The 3rd road is less comfortable than the 2nd of course.
These are
seats that fold down into the floor and the only seats
to do so on
board. Kia's research showed that most people never
stowed or removed
the second row, so they left those as fully comfortable
chairs with
armrests. The 3rd row, because it's stows in the floor,
is inherently
less comfortable, but they really aren't bad at all. 3rd
row passengers
get cup-holders, a small storage bin and the inputs for
video game
consoles.

Each row of seats has port and starboard AC/Heat vents
and the second
row has it's own dedicated controls for temp and fan
speed. Shotgun
gets dual AC/Heat controls so the driver and passenger
don't compromise
and heated seats with 5 way settings. Very nice.

There are really too many little extras in vans of this
size and luxury
level to list here. The fully loaded Kia Sedona for 2006
also gets
memory seats/mirror/pedal, homelink controls for the
garage, backup
proximity sensor, power sunroof, 2 way adjustable
headrests, fold away
snack tray, and quite a bit more.

Back to Driving the Sedona....it is not quite like a
car, but close
enough that an hour or two of driving will have you
pretty well
acclimated. Acceleration is strong at almost all points
of the
powerband due to a healthy amount of torque. On the
highway the ride is
quiet and subdued. Wind noise is well controlled. I'm
certain that the
new Sedona is quieter than my Subaru Tribeca and that's
quieter than a
Lexus RX330. At cruising speeds above averages that most
people would
drive this van, the Sedona remains composed. Fast lane
changes are not
a problem, but steeper turns produce a bit more body
roll than I'd
like. There are moments when the Sedona will remind you
that it's
actually a 2 ton plus van and not a car. You must learn
when those
moments are likely to come up.

For the driver all of the controls are well laid out and
we've come to
expect this from most imports compared to the often
terrible American
made entries. Kia has essentially hit the nail on the
head with the new
Sedona for drivers, passengers and of course kids. When
our two year
old has a toy crisis, my wife can get to the 2nd row and
take charge
with ease. This is something our SUV could not do.

Parking the Sedona is something that will take practice
if this is your
first minivan. This is not a small van and the driver is
well up front.
Still, exhibit some confidence when you park and use the
aft proximity
sensor. When reversing it beeps faster and faster as you
approach an
obstacle. When it becomes a steady tone you're about 15
inches away. It
works great.

Because I've not broken the engine in I can't report on
the MPG yet.

If you have a small child, a fully loaded 2006 Sedona EX
will make for
a lot of smiles. I believe that the Honda and Toyota are
also fine vans
and you really can't go wrong with them either. I don't
like ANY of the
American entries or the Nissan Quest for whatever that's
worth.

The warranty on the Sedona is 5 years overall and 10 for
the
engine/powertrain. That's good news so long as it
doesn't have too many
problems. Trips for dealer service are never any fun
free or not. Only
time will tell how well constructed Kia's first entry in
maxed out
minivan segment really is. The matching warranty from
Toyota or Honda
will cost you 1500 more and still won't cover everything
the Kia
warranty does.

With Kia's current rebates and some aggressive shopping
we got our
fully loaded EX for $27'950. That included the 1000
rebate and a
graduate rebate of 400 dollars as well. That's an
amazing price when
you look at a Sienna optioned out the same way which is
around 5-6K
more. Kia also threw in two years worth of free oil
changes, free
remote starter and a second remote for the DVD player.
In a few months
I'll update this and let folks know what "new car bugs"
turned up
(There are always a few) and how Kia service dealt with
them here in
NY. This will be a great car for getting friends to the
boat in one
shot.
Cheers!

Capt RB

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

Bwahahahahahahahaha a KIA...OMG ROTFLMAO

Rob's a soccer mom in a "KIA" bwahahahahahahahahaaa.

Joe

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Gets extremely good marks from Consumer Reports, except for fuel,
electrical, air conditioning, suspension, brakes, paint/trim, body
integrity, body hardware, and comfort.


New 2006 Sedona has yet to be reviewed by Consumer Reports, but there
are plenty of other reviews for it, such as...

Not true. I got my info from consumer reports website. 2006 Sedona.

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

"jlrogers" wrote in message
om...
Gets extremely good marks from Consumer Reports, except
for fuel,
electrical, air conditioning, suspension, brakes,
paint/trim, body
integrity, body hardware, and comfort.


None of those things are important...it's got sliding doors
MAN !

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

2006 Sedona EX

MSRP $26,265
Invoice 24,370
Dealer Cost $23,659
- Dealer holdback 711
Adjusted Dealer Cost 22,948

"
Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Gets extremely good marks from Consumer Reports, except for fuel,
electrical, air conditioning, suspension, brakes, paint/trim, body
integrity, body hardware, and comfort.


New 2006 Sedona has yet to be reviewed by Consumer Reports, but there
are plenty of other reviews for it, such as...

Sedona Lands a Kockout
http://car-reviews.automobile.com/Ki...oad-test/1563/

Ideal Mini
http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pw/06sedona.htm

Dominating the Mini-van Market
http://www.epinions.com/content_218869698180


RB
35s5
NY

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

that's a lot of money for a '' grocery getter''.


"jlrogers" wrote in message
et...
2006 Sedona EX

MSRP $26,265
Invoice 24,370
Dealer Cost $23,659
- Dealer holdback 711
Adjusted Dealer Cost 22,948

"
Capt. Rob" wrote in message

oups.com..
..
Gets extremely good marks from Consumer Reports, except
for fuel,
electrical, air conditioning, suspension, brakes,
paint/trim, body
integrity, body hardware, and comfort.


New 2006 Sedona has yet to be reviewed by Consumer
Reports, but there
are plenty of other reviews for it, such as...

Sedona Lands a Kockout

http://car-reviews.automobile.com/Ki...006-kia-sedona
-ex-road-test/1563/

Ideal Mini
http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pw/06sedona.htm

Dominating the Mini-van Market
http://www.epinions.com/content_218869698180


RB
35s5
NY

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

MSRP $26,265
Invoice 24,370
Dealer Cost $23,659
- Dealer holdback 711
Adjusted Dealer Cost 22,948


There is no such thing as a fixed dealer cost due to incentives. Also
the price shown is for the base EX. We have the fully loaded version
with power package, RSE DVD Infinity stereo 7.1 system, luxury package
with leather and so on.

We paid below invoice of course!

http://autos.yahoo.com/newcars/kia_s...0F?source=nctd


RB
35s5
NY

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

Not true. I got my info from consumer reports website. 2006 Sedona.



CR has not yet reviewed the 2006 Sedona. The review is set for Sept for
the 2007 version will is identical except for a few extras.


RB
35s5
NY

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

The all-new Kia Sedona is a great-looking minivan with a V6 engine
having the most power in the class, and a suspension that's second to
none. The interior is well thought out, with standard seven-passenger
seating, easily convertible to a carpeted cargo van, while providing an
abundance of storage compartments. The Sedona lacks nothing, except
all-wheel drive. It sends a clear signal that the Korean carmaker
intends to be a player, and it proves that Kia has the engineering
expertise to build excellent cars.

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Sam Moses filed this report from San
Diego, California.

The Sportmatic manual mode in the transmission was a pleasure. We have
the feeling that drivers designed this new Sedona: Brits, in fact. We
downshifted for corners and manually upshifted, and the transmission
did exactly what we asked it do, and rarely any more. The lever fit
nicely in the heel of our hand.

Kia's aproach to designing the all-new Sedona, copying and bettering
the competition, is reflected by the interior. It's a cohesive
improvement of all that's out there.
Autos.com

With few exceptions, the new Sedona appears poised to tackle the best
minivans on the market through a compelling combination of safety,
utility, design, performance, and craftsmanship. Autobytel review

The all-new 2006 Kia Sedona can satisfy all of the regular
requirements, as can many other minivans. What sets the Sedona apart
from the herd is chassis dynamics. Its ride characteristics and
handling abilities are notably above the standards for the minivan
class. -Theautochannel.com

Interior and exterior fit and finish are first-rate. I had the
opportunity to ride in all three rows. There isn't a bad seat in the
house. The third row is not at all cramped and bouncy, and is perfectly
useable by real adults, not merely small children. The second-row seats
are equal to the front buckets in comfort.

With few exceptions, Kia has created a terrific family-mobile, and if
you're shopping for one of these incredibly useful machines, you must
test-drive the new 2006 Kia Sedona. Autoweb.com

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

"Capt. Rob" wrote:

As usual every aspect of my life performs better than yours,
Mooron...and I had sex with a pretty lady 3 times last night and this
morning....you had sex with your HAND!!!

Only 3 times? Try Viaraga! What a wuss with just ONE child, and he can't
even sail Bubbles around the sound...

Where are your kids, Mooron!? Good lord, Man....oh, but you're no
man...not even so much as to buy a boat that can sail upwind!!!!


BWAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! Go ahead, Scotty! You know what to do to poor Mooron!

Cancel the wire transfer, right? heheee

blondie

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

"jlrogers" wrote:
What? You deprived her of a view of your manily countenance?

Hehehheee. Hooked on "Mooron"?

LP

"Capt.Mooron" wrote:
"Capt. Rob" wrote in message


Mooron...and I had sex with a pretty lady 3 times last night

Yeah... Suzanne was a real horndog wasn't she?! It's like she couldn't
get enough!! Blindfolding her and telling her I was Binary Bill was a
stroke of genius!!!

CM-

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
ups.com...
Yep, we decided to buy a minivan so my wife could car-pool with other
nurses and I could also carry boat stuff more easily than our smaller
cars....The 2006 Kia Sedona is an all new minivan designed to go head

snipped boring drivel


(There are always a few) and how Kia service dealt with them here in
NY. This will be a great car for getting friends to the boat in one
shot.
Cheers!

Yawn. Bubbles has degenerated into an old blue-hair at the beauty parlor,
except that he yaks about his soccer-mom, kiddie transporter instead of his
chronic illnesses. Just shoot me.

Max

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

and I had sex with a pretty lady 3 times last night and this
morning...

The Boob is cheating on his wife already.

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

Just shoot me.



Who'd waste the bullet?



RB
35s5
NY

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

You are spewing crap. Get Consumer Reports "New Car Buying Kit' and see for
yourself.


"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
MSRP $26,265
Invoice 24,370
Dealer Cost $23,659
- Dealer holdback 711
Adjusted Dealer Cost 22,948


There is no such thing as a fixed dealer cost due to incentives. Also
the price shown is for the base EX. We have the fully loaded version
with power package, RSE DVD Infinity stereo 7.1 system, luxury package
with leather and so on.

We paid below invoice of course!

http://autos.yahoo.com/newcars/kia_s...0F?source=nctd


RB
35s5
NY

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

You are spewing crap. Get Consumer Reports "New Car Buying Kit' and
see for
yourself.


CR has not done a full roadtest. In that issue they only have a capsule
review. You will note the links I provided that shows the Sedona
meeting to beating the Toyota and Honda's and being the best in crash
tests, handling, power....and so on.


RB
35s5
NY

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

--
"Swab Rob" wrote
CR has not done a full roadtest. In that issue they only
have a capsule
review. You will note the links I provided that shows the
Sedona
meeting to beating the Toyota and Honda's and being the
best in crash
tests, handling, power....and so on.


the best MINIVAN!

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

"Ringmaster" wrote in message
oups.com..
..
and I had sex with a pretty lady 3 times last night
and this
morning...

The Boob is cheating on his wife already.

LOL.

Hey Loco, do you think the Boob will try to pick up runaways
on 42nd street with his cool new Minivan?
Will they be as impressed as Boob is with the sliding door?


SV

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

Good Luck Nutsy;

Hope your new Ride is a success for you and Susy and Thom!

What happened with the "Hybrid" Car &
Sail Bit?

By the way Nutsy, I have a Windstar with 81,000 miles. Only had to
replace Tires, brakes and a fuel pump.

My Dog "Jazz" loves the damn thing. She's claimed it as her own. I'm
allowed to drive it but its her car. We both love the damn thing.

http://community.webtv.net/tassail/ThomPage

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

The best minivan is the Toyota Sienna AWD, Scotty. Second best is a
tossup between the Honda and Sedona. The Honda has many many reported
problems. We'll have to see how the Sedona does. We brought the new car
back to Kia service today to have the remote starter and GPS NAV added
(Both thrown in with the deal). While we were there they double checked
everything and didn't like how one of the folding seats was working, so
they adjusted that as well. Everything took about 90 minutes, which is
about the shortest time I ever waited for auto service. We're pretty
impressed.

As for the hybrid idea...we still want to get one, but will wait to see
if more AWD based versions arrive soon.


RB
35s5
NY

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

By the way Nutsy, I have a Windstar with 81,000 miles. Only had to
replace Tires, brakes and a fuel pump.



I avoid American cars because they are substandard, Thom. You have to
drive a Honda, Toyota Sienna or Sedona to know how terrible the
American vans really are. The newest Ford Freestar still lags by 50
horse power against the better imports. The Caravan was once the class
leader. Once again American car makers were asleep at the wheel. What a
shame.
My Sedona drives like a car, does 0-60 in 7.2 seconds, has traction and
stability control....and on and on...and a better warranty than any
American car. And of course any of the Japanese/Korean minivans are a
huge jump in ride quality and comfort.
I've owned a Caravan, Chevy Celebrity, Lincoln town car, Caprice Class
(cop car), Crown Vic (cop car) and several other American cars. My
father has bought American for 20 years straight...and finally gave up
and bought a Subaru FXT Turbo Wagon...a good car at last.
At this point if someone gave me a FREE American car I'd trade it for a
Kia Spectra or Toyota Echo in a heartbeat.


RB
35s5
NY

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

Nutsy,

I aim for sucesss, perfection is to small a target. I've found great
sucess with my 2003 Windstar. Right on target.
It replaced a full size Dodge Ram Van, used to a 22 foot Trailer, which
I sold after my Wife died,
I replaced that with a Ford Straight Six PU and a wilderness Cab-over
Camper. Dog hated the Truck. No room to roam. Picked up the Windstar and
kept the camper.

Both are Rec Vehicles for dog and I.
Hope the best for you with you KIA.

http://community.webtv.net/tassail/ThomPage

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

Bwahahahahahaha O-60 in a school zone, or the piggley wiggley parking
lot.

A KIA OMG cheap recycled coffee can exterior, self destruct engine, the
lowest form of rice burner..

Whats wrong Rob? Yugo don't sell a minivan?

Oh mannn ...............

Joe

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

A KIA OMG cheap recycled coffee can exterior, self destruct engine, the

lowest form of rice burner..


Sounds like you know your cars, Joe! I can only wonder at my uncles
2003 Sedona that has never needed service, while my father's Caravan
required two steering assembys, a new harnass and the poor thing even
started to rust around the window frames after two years. The new
Sedona is getting RAVE reviews.
The kia is 5 year bumper to bumper 60K and 10 years 100K powertrain. I
don't pay for oil changes or a flat for the first 2 years.
America has been embarassed...1st by the Germans and Japanese and now
the Koreans. What's next, a British car that's better than anything we
can build.
We did look at a loaded Caravan and when I pulled the tray out it fell
off. Suzanne's seat wouldn't adjust and they couldn't get the power
door to open and this was in the showroom. They blamed heavy traffic on
the car, but it sure didn't look it.
Kia put in our autostart today....and the little Garmin nav is slick.
If Ford were alive he'd kill himself out of pure shame for what's
happened in this country....but thank god for the Japanese, Germans and
Koreans...people who take pride in what they build.


RB
35s5
NY

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

I aim for sucesss, perfection is to small a target.


In minivans it's an easy target. For the last few years the Toyota
Sienna has been the absolute leader in quality and customer
satisfaction for minivans. The Sedona is brand new, so we'll see. The
Honda is also pretty good. All are better than ANY from the big three
without question. Even the old Sedona, which was only a so-so car was
better reviewed than any US models.

RB
35s5
NY

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just shoot me.



Who'd waste the bullet?

I'll pay for it. In advance . . .

Max

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
The best minivan is the Toyota Sienna AWD, Scotty. Second best is a
tossup between the Honda and Sedona.

Once again you've believed what you *want* to believe, not what may or may
not be fact. One or two published sources don't constitute the gospel about
anything. Hell, the Sedona may be the best damn vehicle on the face of the
Earth, according to a given publication, but that doesn't make it so.

Did you drive the Toyota and the Honda before you bought the Kia? Of course
not. The Kia is cheaper and since you were able to find some published data
that supports what you want to believe, that was sufficient.

The Honda has many many reported
problems. We'll have to see how the Sedona does. We brought the new car
back to Kia service today to have the remote starter and GPS NAV added
(Both thrown in with the deal). While we were there they double checked
everything and didn't like how one of the folding seats was working, so
they adjusted that as well. Everything took about 90 minutes, which is
about the shortest time I ever waited for auto service. We're pretty
impressed.

As for the hybrid idea...we still want to get one, but will wait to see
if more AWD based versions arrive soon.

The Toyota Highlander 4wd is the best hybrid available today. Too expensive
for ya?

Max

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

Please move to Japan, Germany, or Korea....

What have you made that you take pride in?

Joe

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...

By the way Nutsy, I have a Windstar with 81,000 miles. Only had to
replace Tires, brakes and a fuel pump.

Good Lord, Thom, don't you have lemon laws out there. I'd have taken that
loser back pronto. g

Max

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
ups.com...


At this point if someone gave me a FREE American car I'd trade it for a
Kia Spectra or Toyota Echo in a heartbeat.

Just a few days ago you were telling me you couldn't fit comfortably in an
Echo. So what has changed? Your height?

Incidentally the Echo has been replaced by the Yaris.

Max

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com..
..
The best minivan is the Toyota Sienna AWD, Scotty. Second
snip

What are you telling me for? I'm knot a soccer Mom.

Bwahahahahahahahahah

SV

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

Soccer Mom....Bwahahahahahahhahahahahaha ROTFLMAO..

Roberts got a suit that fits to the tee!

Joe

Capt. RB Buys a Kia
 

Yeah Max,

The Fuel pump and fuel pump solenoid were covered by Warranty

http://community.webtv.net/tassail/ThomPage