Found on Edmonds.com

My Review of our new Kia Sedona 2006

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.
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.

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.

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
and you'll do just fine.

Unlike many other vans on the market, the large middle windows actually roll
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 i

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.

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. Cheers!
Capt RB

--
jlrogers±³©

The Boob continues to buy dorkmobiles. The only reason to buy one of
these things is the warranty therefore what people are finding is that
trade in or resale value down the road is zilch.

Ringmaster wrote:
The Boob continues to buy dorkmobiles. The only reason to buy one of
these things is the warranty therefore what people are finding is that
trade in or resale value down the road is zilch.



Who knew the STI is a dorkmobile??!!!

Sloco is so far behind the times he has no idea that the Sedona is now
among the finest minivans around....even if IT is a dorkmobile.

And more Jlrogers doesn't know I already posted that review here. Duh!
2 cars, a boat and a lot of fun toys in less than 10 months! Paid cash
for all but the Tribeca. What do you people DO that you have so little?


RB
35s5
NY

Maybe the people here have no need to brag.

--
jlrogers±³©

Hey Nutsy,

Right now,today, my Checking Account is over $30,000. Have an
appointment Monday with Merrill Lynch to make it start doing some work
for me. Also going the give Smith Barney etc a chance also.

Any suggestions? Remember I'm 80!

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

Do you have a savings account? Is it an interest earning
checking account? Is this a troll?

Thom, at the very least, I wouldn't keep that much in a
checking account. I moved most of my money into an ING
savings account, it's at 4.25% interest today. I keep a
small amount in my local bank, checking account, just to pay
bills and such. You can withdrawal the ING money at any
time, un like a CD. I don't like taking risks , as in
playing the market. I like CDs.

Scotty




"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...
Hey Nutsy,

Right now,today, my Checking Account is over $30,000.
Have an
appointment Monday with Merrill Lynch to make it start
doing some work
for me. Also going the give Smith Barney etc a chance
also.

Any suggestions? Remember I'm 80!

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

Thom Stewart wrote:

Any suggestions? Remember I'm 80!

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

The CBM of Tomorrow

Shale gas is essentially natural gas contained reservoirs predominantly
composed of shale with lesser amounts of other fine grained rocks
rather than from more conventional sandstone or limestone reservoirs.

Shale gas plays are considered area plays since shale gas, similar to
CBM, is often found over large contiguous areas.

The one of the big difference between shale gas and CBM is the recovery
rates.

You see, shale gas reservoirs generally result in recovery rates of
only 20% of original gas in place. That's much less compared to CMB
reservoirs which can recover up to 90%.

But here's the thing: that doesn't matter.

You see the organically rich shale gas reservoirs, once ignored by
drillers seeking easier plays and faster returns on their investments,
are now beginning to spark the interests of producers around the world
for one pure and simple reason: The massive in place gas that's trapped
inside the shale.

How much?

Estimates for North American shale gas are as high as 1,000 trillion
cubic feet of in place resources!!!

Moreover shale gas production has a few upsides to CBM production.

Shale gas reservoirs have long production lives (up to 30 years) as
well as having low decline rates (generally less than 5% per year).

So you can see why any producer would be interested in tapping into
this reserve.

The major oil and gas companies are already starting to sniff around
for shale gas properties.

The Engine to Change it All?"
The technology is so revolutionary that it's being headlined on CNBC,
FoxNews, MSNBC and CNN.

The stock's already up more than 261% since March! But with major
Defense contracts already underway and the drooling interest from the
Big Three Automakers, I think it's going to go a lot higher


Buy Leroy Ventures (TSX-V:LRV ; $2.05)

Leroy Ventures is an emerging natural resource company engaged in the
business of acquiring, exploring and developing shale gas properties,
both in Canada as well as abroad.

Now, we're going to start with a 50,000 foot view of Leroy and then
we're going to go into a lot more detail in subsequent issues.

The plan for Leroy right now is to get some sort of production, be it
oil or conventional gas, and get some cash flowing in the door in order
to build the company and support the month to month operations.

The company already has some prospects that will help them achieve
this. But these projects are not part of the big picture.

The goal is to get the ball rolling and then go after the real money
makers, the shale gas projects.

Leroy is basically where Storm Cat was three years ago. They're young,
excited, and hungry to make money...just the way I like them

Leroy is also working toward getting the right people on board.

Now, I know I talk about the people behind these resource companies a
lot. But the fact is that this a paramount issue. Especially in shale
gas arena as there are only a handful of people that know what they're
doing because shale gas so new.

And here's the thing with the people Leroy is lining up: Almost
everyone associated with Leroy from consultants and advisors, to
directors and officers were also involved in the formative stages of
StormCat Energy. That's why I'm calling Leroy "StormCat II".

Bottom line: Shale gas is going to be huge...and Leroy Ventures will be
producing gas from shale while the rest of the resource companies are
just hearing about it.

I can foresee this becoming another long ball home run for us. Buy the
stock, have some patience, and let it happen. This is just the
beginning.


Joe

On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 15:25:54 -0700, (Thom Stewart)
wrote:

Hey Nutsy,

Right now,today, my Checking Account is over $30,000. Have an
appointment Monday with Merrill Lynch to make it start doing some work
for me. Also going the give Smith Barney etc a chance also.

Any suggestions? Remember I'm 80!

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

Thom, at your age I would just put it in short term CD's. Rates on
short term CD's with internet banks that are FDIC insured are almost
equal to rates on 10 year CD's. Go to money-rates.com to get the best
deal. At least that get's it out of a checking account that even if it
is interest bearing, has got to be very low.

Another possibility would be the several internet banks that have
money market accounts over 4.25 percent. No tie up at all. Go to the
source mentionecd above.

At 80, if Merrill Lynch or any other broker puts you in stocks and it
is money you might need, they are doing you a disservice.

Frank

jlrogers±³© wrote:
Maybe the people here have no need to brag.

--



Who's bragging? It's just stuff. Anyone can make money and buy stuff.
Okay...maybe not Scotty, but most people. If you're so insecure as to
think it's bragging, then you have your own issues and I wish you
lot's-o-luck!


RB
35s5
NY

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com..
..
jlrogers±³© wrote:
Maybe the people here have no need to brag.

--



Who's bragging?

You are, asswipe.

It's just stuff. Anyone can make money and buy stuff.
Okay...maybe not Scotty, but most people.


I have ''stuff'', I enjoy using my ''stuff'', but I don't
need to brag about it.


I'm so insecure as to be bragging, I have my own
issues and I wish you death!


RBB
35s5
NY