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Sedona to North Carolina
After a 3000 mile trip, our Sedona is working flawlessly. No rattles,
buzzes or other signs of problems. Power is really really nice. MPG averaged on a drive from NYC to North Carolina was 23.1 MPG with 4 people and luggage. Driving throught heavy rain and high winds at typical speeds (75-85 MPH), the van never felt unstable. Noise levels are quite low. So far this continues to be the mini van to beat. The only real issue is that a loaded one is really not all that cheap anymore...but hey, that sound system with DVD 7.1 surround sound is one of th best stock systems on the market. Add Sirius radio and a Garmin C340 GPS and you'll be all set! BTW, the Garmin is better than ANY factory installed unit I've tried (Acura RL & Lexus 330) and can be used in more than one car. Just for kicks I took the Sedona to 110 MPH and was pleasantly surprised that it remained glued to the road. With a mini-van you really want torque on tap and that's where the Toyota really falls short. Then again, just get into a new Sedona and the Toyota and Honda feel dated anyway. I've revised my opinion....the Kia Sedona (as other reviews agree) is now king of the mini vans. But I'm keeping my STI, which I just drove damn fast through heavy rain to stock up the boat! Capt RB 35s5 NY |
Sedona to North Carolina
"Capt. Rob" wrote in message oups.com... After a 3000 mile trip, our Sedona is working flawlessly. 3000 miles round trip from NYC to North Carolina! No rattles, buzzes or other signs of problems. Except for the odometer! Power is really really nice. Steering? Locks? Brakes? Seats? MPG averaged on a drive from NYC to North Carolina was 23.1 MPG with 4 people and luggage. The Sienna clobbered that. 26 mpg to Jackson Wyoming and 32 mpg driving around Yellowstone. That's all high altitude, hilly driving. When the buffalo walked out in front of the car and we hit it all we had to do was hose off the car - one small scratch and as good as new! The buffalo flew 20 feet into the air. Driving throught heavy rain and high winds at typical speeds (75-85 MPH), the van never felt unstable. That 's what they all say before they roll it. Noise levels are quite low. So far this continues to be the mini van to beat. Beat like a drum. The only real issue is that a loaded one is really not all that cheap anymore And that happened right after you bought yours, right? ....but hey, that sound system with DVD 7.1 surround sound is one of th best stock systems on the market. Add Sirius radio and a Garmin C340 GPS and you'll be all set! BTW, the Garmin is better than ANY factory installed unit I've tried (Acura RL & Lexus 330) and can be used in more than one car. The GPS comes in handy driving at 90 mph in high torrential rains because you can't see the road or the signs. Just for kicks I took the Sedona to 110 MPH and was pleasantly surprised that it remained glued to the road. Didn't it go 110 mph when you were fleeing the alligator? With a mini-van you really want torque on tap and that's where the Toyota really falls short. How short is that? Then again, just get into a new Sedona and the Toyota and Honda feel dated anyway. And guess what. When Toyota does the model change the Sedona will be an old decrepit dinosaur that can't even get out of its way. I've revised my opinion....the Kia Sedona (as other reviews agree) is now king of the mini vans. Great! Just like the NY Mets have a baseball dynasty! But I'm keeping my STI, which I just drove damn fast through heavy rain to stock up the boat! Wouldn't that Tribeca just plow through the rain? What ever happened to that mistake? Capt RB 35s5 NY |
Sedona to North Carolina
"Capt. Rob" wrote in message ups.com... Power is really really nice. Steering? Locks? Brakes? Seats? Superb, certainly on par with the Honda and better than the Sienna on all counts. The Honda led the field for comfort until the Sedona. Comfort counts the most. 1960's Cadillacs were also known for comfort. Old ladies really like comfort. The Sienna clobbered that. 26 mpg to Jackson Wyoming and 32 mpg driving around Yellowstone. I hope so since the Sienna is so underpowered it lost last year's shootouts against the Honda in all tests on that count alone. Meanwhile the Honda continues to have problems all around. Luckily we skipped both! If you account for your odometer error, you got about 12 mpg. Makes sense for driving at 110 mph. Yes, the Sienna is very underpowered. The speedometer only goes up to 27 mph. And that happened right after you bought yours, right? Yep, the cash back incentives ended 2 weeks after we bought ours and people on Edmunds are reporting over 30K for average price paid for a loaded EX. Go have a look! We paid 2K less. You paid over 28K$. Why not just buy from fleet sales with a business check? It's a lot cheaper that way. The GPS comes in handy driving at 90 mph in high torrential rains because you can't see the road or the signs. GPS can save you gas, time and the Garmin C340 is lots of fun to play with for pennies! GPS is a distraction. It doesn't save anything unless you are a lousy driver. Look at it this way: You put on 3,000 miles driving from NYC to North Carolina and back. That GPS does wonders! How short is that? Very. The Sienna is terrible for torque and highway driving simply sucks. I still like the AWD version, but it's even slower. Slower? The AWD version doesn't come with an engine. It just sits and doesn't move at all. The AWD has very expensive run flat tires and no spare. And guess what. When Toyota does the model change the Sedona will be an old decrepit dinosaur that can't even get out of its way. Well, we'll see. The Sedona is the fastest most powerful minivan. Soon we'll see them running F1 at Monza! I'd like to see Toyota and Honda push the envelope even further. I'd like to see a decent Sedona that is 3 years old - guess what one does not exist. Plenty of Hondas and Toyotas do. Meanwhile more reviews are saying that the Sedona and Entourage are set to dominate the market. I've driven them all. The Japanese better get to work and Chrysler should just give up. My uncle in NC owns a new Caravan and it's awful. Those Japs are slackers! It's all over for them. KIA might actually have an acceptable car for once. Wouldn't that Tribeca just plow through the rain? What ever happened to that mistake? Suzanne drives it to work. It's an AWD tank. There's no one perfect car...so just own four! Why do you force your wife to drive an ugly car? Is it because she thinks a mini van is so "soccer mommish"? Hahahaha! Ha! Bwahahahahaha! Bwaaa! Get that odometer fixed! Or maybe it's the GPS! Ahahahahahaha! RB 35s5 NY |
Sedona to North Carolina
Comfort counts the most. 1960's Cadillacs were also known for comfort. Old ladies really like comfort. Yep, and so does my 66 year old father. If you account for your odometer error, you got about 12 mpg. Makes sense for driving at 110 mph. We went 455 miles (according to GPS, the trip computer reported 444.5) before refueling...and with gas to spare. The Sedona has a 21 gallon tank, perfect for long drives. Yes, the Sienna is very underpowered. The speedometer only goes up to 27 mph. Yes, Toyota has done nothing to improve the engine, even after the buggy Honda beat them in all the tests. Now they're 3rd with the new Sedona out. You paid over 28K$. We paid 27'950, more than 2K less than average! Read my Epinions.com review. GPS is a distraction. It doesn't save anything unless you are a lousy driver. Only a lousy driver would get distracted by a tiny GPS, but if you can't stay focused on the road keep the radio off as well. I'm glad you admitted to this. Don't buy a GPS or Sat. radio for your car. You put on 3,000 miles driving from NYC to North Carolina and back. That GPS does wonders! Yep, we never drove anywhere once we got to NC!!! HAHAHA! Slower? The AWD version doesn't come with an engine. That's pretty much how we felt when we test drove the newest one. I'd like to see a decent Sedona that is 3 years old - Kinda hard for a van that was introduced 5 months ago. The Sedona/Enterouge have nothing at all to do with the 2002-2005 Sedona. Those Japs are slackers! It's all over for them. The folks at Major Toyota and Toyota of New Rochelle seem to think the new Sedona is a problem for them. It's taking marketshare fast and the only thing they can now claim is a larger dealer network and better resale for now. That's not enough stacked against a far better warranty and better van. Why do you force your wife to drive an ugly car? She likes the Tribeca because it looks different. You like cars that have no personality and blend in and that's what we consider ugly. If being conventional makes you happy, that's fine. But you already said your cars make statements about yourself. Ahahahahahaha! Yes. RB 35s5 NY |
Sedona to North Carolina
"Capt. Rob" wrote in message oups.com... Comfort counts the most. 1960's Cadillacs were also known for comfort. Old ladies really like comfort. Yep, and so does my 66 year old father. But does he like old ladies? If you account for your odometer error, you got about 12 mpg. Makes sense for driving at 110 mph. We went 455 miles (according to GPS, the trip computer reported 444.5) before refueling...and with gas to spare. The Sedona has a 21 gallon tank, perfect for long drives. You went 3,000 miles in 5 days. 600 a day, if you average 55 mph that's over 10 hours a day in the car driving. If you held a steady 110 mph then it is only 27 hours. You drove 1/8 of the way around the earth going to NC! Yes, the Sienna is very underpowered. The speedometer only goes up to 27 mph. Yes, Toyota has done nothing to improve the engine, even after the buggy Honda beat them in all the tests. Now they're 3rd with the new Sedona out. Toyota has recalled the engines. They want to modify them to make them worse! You paid over 28K$. We paid 27'950, more than 2K less than average! Read my Epinions.com review. You paid more than 28K. GPS is a distraction. It doesn't save anything unless you are a lousy driver. Only a lousy driver would get distracted by a tiny GPS, but if you can't stay focused on the road keep the radio off as well. I'm glad you admitted to this. Don't buy a GPS or Sat. radio for your car. GPS, cell phone, radio, nagging wife = distractions and dangers to driving. You put on 3,000 miles driving from NYC to North Carolina and back. That GPS does wonders! Yep, we never drove anywhere once we got to NC!!! HAHAHA! 1/8th the distance around the earth! In crossing 5 states! Slower? The AWD version doesn't come with an engine. That's pretty much how we felt when we test drove the newest one. You got that right. I'd like to see a decent Sedona that is 3 years old - Kinda hard for a van that was introduced 5 months ago. The Sedona/Enterouge have nothing at all to do with the 2002-2005 Sedona. Same name, same manufacturer, same engineers, same assembly plant, commonality in parts,... Those Japs are slackers! It's all over for them. The folks at Major Toyota and Toyota of New Rochelle seem to think the new Sedona is a problem for them. It's taking marketshare fast and the only thing they can now claim is a larger dealer network and better resale for now. That's not enough stacked against a far better warranty and better van. Right, all they have to do is cut the price and run KIA out. Why do you force your wife to drive an ugly car? She likes the Tribeca because it looks different. You like cars that have no personality and blend in and that's what we consider ugly. Substance beats form any day. If being conventional makes you happy, that's fine. But you already said your cars make statements about yourself. And that statement is? Ahahahahahaha! Yes. RB 35s5 NY |
Sedona to North Carolina
You went 3,000 miles in 5 days. 600 a day, if you average 55 mph that's over 10 hours a day in the car driving. If you held a steady 110 mph then it is only 27 hours. You drove 1/8 of the way around the earth going to NC! From PA, it's 749 miles to the beach house. But we didn't drive from PA, we only stopped there to pick up my father. We also stopped off at a few places in virginia. We were also gone from the 16th - 24th. Is that five days? Good lord, Bob. Do better, please. BTW, I drove there in 11 hours at night so Thomas could sleep through the trip. Thank god for Sirius radio. It's a shame you admitted that such things are too much for your limited focus. It really makes long drives nicer. You paid more than 28K. Well, if you really believe that than I'm even more certain we did great on the price! GPS, cell phone, radio, nagging wife = distractions and dangers to driving. Yes, to poor drivers who can't focus. You should remove everything. 1/8th the distance around the earth! In crossing 5 states! That sounds like you might have a clue until you realize that two way is over 2K easily. That's pretty much how we felt when we test drove the newest one. You got that right. Toyota will increase power for 2008. Same name, same manufacturer, same engineers, same assembly plant, commonality in parts Nope...wrong again (and again and again), Bob. The new Sedona shares no parts with the old Sedona, not even the switches or trim. And the design team and build is now Hyundai. In fact it's built side by side with the Entourage from Hyundai. It's the same van. The old Sedona was Kia's 100%. So if you agree with JD Powers that the Hyundai is the most improved car line in history, it's no wonder that the Sedona is getting reviewed as the best minivan ever. Right, all they have to do is cut the price and run KIA out. Cutting the price still won't match Kia's better engine, nicer cabin and more features. That's American car-maker thinking and you can bet Toyota is smarter than that. The new Sienna will be improved to match the Sedona. Toyota is a great company and I expect them to raise the bar yet again and soon. RB 35s5 NY |
Sedona to North Carolina
Capt. Rob wrote: You went 3,000 miles in 5 days. 600 a day, if you average 55 mph that's over 10 hours a day in the car driving. If you held a steady 110 mph then it is only 27 hours. You drove 1/8 of the way around the earth going to NC! From PA, it's 749 miles to the beach house. But we didn't drive from PA, we only stopped there to pick up my father. We also stopped off at a few places in virginia. We were also gone from the 16th - 24th. Is that five days? Good lord, Bob. Do better, please. BTW, I drove there in 11 hours at night so Thomas could sleep through the trip. Thank god for Sirius radio. It's a shame you admitted that such things are too much for your limited focus. It really makes long drives nicer. You paid more than 28K. Well, if you really believe that than I'm even more certain we did great on the price! GPS, cell phone, radio, nagging wife = distractions and dangers to driving. Yes, to poor drivers who can't focus. You should remove everything. 1/8th the distance around the earth! In crossing 5 states! That sounds like you might have a clue until you realize that two way is over 2K easily. That's pretty much how we felt when we test drove the newest one. You got that right. Toyota will increase power for 2008. Same name, same manufacturer, same engineers, same assembly plant, commonality in parts Nope...wrong again (and again and again), Bob. The new Sedona shares no parts with the old Sedona, not even the switches or trim. And the design team and build is now Hyundai. In fact it's built side by side with the Entourage from Hyundai. It's the same van. The old Sedona was Kia's 100%. So if you agree with JD Powers that the Hyundai is the most improved car line in history, it's no wonder that the Sedona is getting reviewed as the best minivan ever. Right, all they have to do is cut the price and run KIA out. Cutting the price still won't match Kia's better engine, nicer cabin and more features. That's American car-maker thinking and you can bet Toyota is smarter than that. The new Sienna will be improved to match the Sedona. Toyota is a great company and I expect them to raise the bar yet again and soon. RB 35s5 NY My old Nissan truck with 300,000 miles has you beat all to hell. It can go anywhere, speedo is broke so I dont worry about goin fast, it hauls all my sailin crap and I dont worry about the spilled used oil from my boats diesel in back. I can go thu the woods on any rutted path bouncin offa trees and I dont worry about scratches. It hasnt had AC in 10 years so it helps me get used to the heat here. It has a simple engine cuz all the pollution crap rusted away and fell off. You have a stereo in your veeeehicle? My gawd, thats for girls and wine sippin wimps. You gotta be able to lissen to all the machines noises to tell what its doing. Who needs a built in movie system? My kids take turns countin all the stuff on my truck that doesnt work. My daughter is convinced that when it finally dies (although I believe in automotive immoratlity) that it will go to Old Truck Paradise on Dog Island where it'll share stories of its adventures with all the other old trucks there slowly being covered with vines and drifting dunes. If that ever happens, I'll rig up a player to a small solar cell and battery to randomely serenade the old trucks with Neil Young's "Long May You Run" |
Sedona to North Carolina
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Sedona to North Carolina
If that ever happens, I'll rig up a player to a small solar cell and
battery to randomely serenade the old trucks with Neil Young's "Long May You Run" Get the Emmylou Harris version Frank Boettcher wrote: Brings a tear to my eye. My 1976 Datsun (that was Nissan before they figured out it was also a silly looking dog in English) Pickup truck finally died several years back. Those were great little trucks .... It had an early and feeble attempt at emission control but I left it all off when I changed a head gasket and the truck was much more efficient without it. Doubt it very seriously... you probably had a clogged line or vacuum leak long before you took it all off. Those systems were actually quite good when working properly. They were a bit on the fragile side though. Seems like I paid about $2800 for it brand new. Sold it for $600. Let's see that would be about eighty bucks a year depreciation expense. It works out to be a great deal if you break it down by ton/miles per $. Those things got pretty good gas mileage too. DSK |
Sedona to North Carolina
On Tue, 27 Jun 2006 07:44:22 -0400, DSK wrote:
.... It had an early and feeble attempt at emission control but I left it all off when I changed a head gasket and the truck was much more efficient without it. Doubt it very seriously... you probably had a clogged line or vacuum leak long before you took it all off. Those systems were actually quite good when working properly. They were a bit on the fragile side though. I don't know. It had the pre catcon system that injected air into the exhaust manifold just south of the exhaust valves, looking for a post cylinder burn. Had a air pump that was belted off the crank pulley. That system seemed to rely partially on a retardation or dwell of the throttle dump. When you took your foot off the pedal it would not immediately drop but slowly come down. Made it a little tricky to shift a manual. Additionally, it had a tendency to backfire excessively on deceleration. All of this from day one. Others complained of burned exhaust valves When I took it off (or more accurately didn't put it back on when I chaged the head gasket and did a valve job), it ran so much smoother. Immediate throttle dump, no more backfiring and no hesitation. Gas mileage increased by about 5 percent. So it ran more efficiently as I stated, but I can't comment on the relative emission effectivity. They didn't use that system for very long. Frank |
Sedona to North Carolina
.... It had an early and feeble
attempt at emission control but I left it all off when I changed a head gasket and the truck was much more efficient without it. Doubt it very seriously... you probably had a clogged line or vacuum leak long before you took it all off. Those systems were actually quite good when working properly. They were a bit on the fragile side though. Frank Boettcher wrote: I don't know. It had the pre catcon system that injected air into the exhaust manifold just south of the exhaust valves, looking for a post cylinder burn. Had a air pump that was belted off the crank pulley. This was a '78? Our shop truck was a few years newer but I figured the system would be somewhat the same. That system seemed to rely partially on a retardation or dwell of the throttle dump. When you took your foot off the pedal it would not immediately drop but slowly come down. That doesn't sound good. In fact, if it was doing this from day one, I wonder if yours was not put together right. Certainly post-combustion air injection shouldn't have this effect. .... Made it a little tricky to shift a manual. I bet so! ... Additionally, it had a tendency to backfire excessively on deceleration. All of this from day one. Others complained of burned exhaust valves Sounds like a bad system, either some engineering oversight or poor QA. When I took it off (or more accurately didn't put it back on when I chaged the head gasket and did a valve job), it ran so much smoother. Immediate throttle dump, no more backfiring and no hesitation. Gas mileage increased by about 5 percent. So it ran more efficiently as I stated, but I can't comment on the relative emission effectivity. They didn't use that system for very long. Obviously I can't claim to be an expert on all pre-electronic emission control systems, but as a combustion control technician I've seen all sorts of hacked-up BS excuses for post-consumer systems... none of them have ever worked for s&*#. The real problem most of the time is poor maintenance, for example the vacuum regulated systems on many cars (late 1970s thur the 1980s) worked quite well... *if* the hoses weren't crimped or some part of it disconnected or leaky. Then of course, the people who worked on them "informally" were usually not sophisticated mechanics anyway, and tended to regard all this new-fangled complex stuff as junk... indirectly sabotaging the system and thus justifying their prejudices... kind of like the way some sailors are... Nowadays, CO and O2 sensors are a lot better than they used to be, combustion control can be very precise & reliable which improves fuel economy and engine longevity. Big plusses! I still dislike all that electronic crap hooked up to my engine though ;) Regards Doug King |
Sedona to North Carolina
On Wed, 28 Jun 2006 07:47:31 -0400, DSK wrote:
.... It had an early and feeble attempt at emission control but I left it all off when I changed a head gasket and the truck was much more efficient without it. Doubt it very seriously... you probably had a clogged line or vacuum leak long before you took it all off. Those systems were actually quite good when working properly. They were a bit on the fragile side though. Frank Boettcher wrote: I don't know. It had the pre catcon system that injected air into the exhaust manifold just south of the exhaust valves, looking for a post cylinder burn. Had a air pump that was belted off the crank pulley. This was a '78? Our shop truck was a few years newer but I figured the system would be somewhat the same. '76. Maybe a beta model? That system seemed to rely partially on a retardation or dwell of the throttle dump. When you took your foot off the pedal it would not immediately drop but slowly come down. That doesn't sound good. In fact, if it was doing this from day one, I wonder if yours was not put together right. Certainly post-combustion air injection shouldn't have this effect. They all did it, or at least my sample, I bought mine as part of a five vehicle fleet. My Father in Law was buying four for his business and I tacked one on for myself to get his fleet price. His fleet service trucks were identical to mine in the characteristic I've described. .... Made it a little tricky to shift a manual. I bet so! ... Additionally, it had a tendency to backfire excessively on deceleration. All of this from day one. Others complained of burned exhaust valves Sounds like a bad system, either some engineering oversight or poor QA. When I took it off (or more accurately didn't put it back on when I chaged the head gasket and did a valve job), it ran so much smoother. Immediate throttle dump, no more backfiring and no hesitation. Gas mileage increased by about 5 percent. So it ran more efficiently as I stated, but I can't comment on the relative emission effectivity. They didn't use that system for very long. Obviously I can't claim to be an expert on all pre-electronic emission control systems, but as a combustion control technician I've seen all sorts of hacked-up BS excuses for post-consumer systems... none of them have ever worked for s&*#. The real problem most of the time is poor maintenance, for example the vacuum regulated systems on many cars (late 1970s thur the 1980s) worked quite well... *if* the hoses weren't crimped or some part of it disconnected or leaky. Then of course, the people who worked on them "informally" were usually not sophisticated mechanics anyway, and tended to regard all this new-fangled complex stuff as junk... indirectly sabotaging the system and thus justifying their prejudices... kind of like the way some sailors are... Nowadays, CO and O2 sensors are a lot better than they used to be, combustion control can be very precise & reliable which improves fuel economy and engine longevity. Big plusses! I still dislike all that electronic crap hooked up to my engine though ;) Regards Doug King |
Sedona to North Carolina
This was a '78? Our shop truck was a few years newer but I
figured the system would be somewhat the same. Frank Boettcher wrote: '76. Maybe a beta model? Hmmm, I thought Bill Gates pioneered the concept of using customers as QA testers... DSK |
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