Rob:

Somehow you thought it was impossible for me to rent a 2006 Sedona so
how reliable are you?
The "Poconos", are those some ant hills in NY? What are they, maybe
4000'? Do you have any concept of a serious long steep grade, not like
anything on an interstate.
As I said, the tranny with its + and _ is arranged like some older
"split gears" and it is. However, the + and - actually goes up and
down a full gear. I am certain I know far more about mountain driving
than you having spent years driving just about every type of vehicle
all over the most remote regions of the western US. As far as trannies
on new cars are concerned, our 2005 Toyota Highlander has the P,R,
N,D,2,3(L) still and works just fine on such steep grades.
I do agree, the Kia does accelerate well and may have a lot of torque
but the +, - on the tranny simply did not work except in two cases.
When it did work, I liked it. However, when coming down a very long
steep winding grade with 180 degree switchbacks every 1/8 mile or so
you must be able to use a lower gear and the Kia simply did not work.
I actually did try to use the - to try to keep her in 2nd gear (3rd
gear and you'd be over the side) but it didnt work, no engine braking
at all except on the lesser grade on Towgotee Pass and Signal Mt. On
the most extreme grade, it just didnt work. I had the put the AC on
high to get a tiny bit of engine braking and turn it off going up.
The Kia may be a fine vehicle for Eastern hills but for serious
mountain driving it is dangerous due to the unreliable tranny. Get a
grip Rob, no vehicle is perfect. My old truck with manual tranny is
perfect for where I drive but I'd not want it in NYC. Likewise, the
Kia Sedona is great for normal conditions but for those of us who go
weird places it just wont do.
BTW, my wife remarked that she wouldnt like the Sedona if our kids were
small because she would want the child seat in the middle and the Kia
has no such middle seat. If you think this is nitpicking, I would
agree.

Capt. Rob wrote:
wrote:
Rob:

We rented the 2006 Sedona from Alamo for about $536 for two weeks. I
have driven far more types of vehicles than you could imagine with many
types of transmissions.


Dave, Puh-lease!!! You wrote some crap about half shifts and in-between
gears. Most upscale Minivans and SUV's now carry the same tranny and no
1 and 2 gear anymore...like this for YEARS. Even Subaru has it along
with Nissan, Lexus, BMW, Audi, Porsche....but you know cars?
Yeah, okay!
Like I said, we drive this van to the Pocono's. You want to explain how
the van with the most HP and torque gets up long steep grades without
even leaving drive, but not for you? In fact EVERY review mentions the
engine's power and tranny ability. But somehow you had a problem.
You don't sound like you have a clue. And the way you tried to use the
tranny makes no sense. Put the car in 3rd and it stays there. How could
you have an engine breaking problem??? Hmmmmmm?



RB
35s5
NY

It's a death trap!!



wrote in message
ups.com...
Rob:

Somehow you thought it was impossible for me to rent a 2006 Sedona so
how reliable are you?
The "Poconos", are those some ant hills in NY? What are they, maybe
4000'? Do you have any concept of a serious long steep grade, not like
anything on an interstate.
As I said, the tranny with its + and _ is arranged like some older
"split gears" and it is. However, the + and - actually goes up and
down a full gear. I am certain I know far more about mountain driving
than you having spent years driving just about every type of vehicle
all over the most remote regions of the western US. As far as trannies
on new cars are concerned, our 2005 Toyota Highlander has the P,R,
N,D,2,3(L) still and works just fine on such steep grades.
I do agree, the Kia does accelerate well and may have a lot of torque
but the +, - on the tranny simply did not work except in two cases.
When it did work, I liked it. However, when coming down a very long
steep winding grade with 180 degree switchbacks every 1/8 mile or so
you must be able to use a lower gear and the Kia simply did not work.
I actually did try to use the - to try to keep her in 2nd gear (3rd
gear and you'd be over the side) but it didnt work, no engine braking
at all except on the lesser grade on Towgotee Pass and Signal Mt. On
the most extreme grade, it just didnt work. I had the put the AC on
high to get a tiny bit of engine braking and turn it off going up.
The Kia may be a fine vehicle for Eastern hills but for serious
mountain driving it is dangerous due to the unreliable tranny. Get a
grip Rob, no vehicle is perfect. My old truck with manual tranny is
perfect for where I drive but I'd not want it in NYC. Likewise, the
Kia Sedona is great for normal conditions but for those of us who go
weird places it just wont do.
BTW, my wife remarked that she wouldnt like the Sedona if our kids were
small because she would want the child seat in the middle and the Kia
has no such middle seat. If you think this is nitpicking, I would
agree.

Capt. Rob wrote:
wrote:
Rob:

We rented the 2006 Sedona from Alamo for about $536 for two weeks. I
have driven far more types of vehicles than you could imagine with many
types of transmissions.


Dave, Puh-lease!!! You wrote some crap about half shifts and in-between
gears. Most upscale Minivans and SUV's now carry the same tranny and no
1 and 2 gear anymore...like this for YEARS. Even Subaru has it along
with Nissan, Lexus, BMW, Audi, Porsche....but you know cars?
Yeah, okay!
Like I said, we drive this van to the Pocono's. You want to explain how
the van with the most HP and torque gets up long steep grades without
even leaving drive, but not for you? In fact EVERY review mentions the
engine's power and tranny ability. But somehow you had a problem.
You don't sound like you have a clue. And the way you tried to use the
tranny makes no sense. Put the car in 3rd and it stays there. How could
you have an engine breaking problem??? Hmmmmmm?



RB
35s5
NY

Brake fade in mountainous terrain:

http://www.autoweb.com/content/share...le_id_int/1078

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

It's a death trap!!



The Sienna came in 4th in crash tests last year. The Kia was NUMBER
ONE.

Sorry, Bob.

When the brakes fade, the transmission fails at braking and the thing
lurches over the guard rail on a mountain pass you can cry #1 all the way to
the bottom!

Have you ever even seen the Rocky Mts?

I don't think you ever even hiked in the woods.

I've driven the Toyota Sienna over the exact same roads earlier this
year.
We got 26 mpg


A lie, folks.
No one at Edmunds is reporting such mileage for the Sienna.

Toyota Sienna...4th safest minivan!


RB
35s5
NY

8 mile or so
you must be able to use a lower gear and the Kia simply did not work.
I actually did try to use the - to try to keep her in 2nd gear (3rd
gear and you'd be over the side) but it didnt work, no engine braking
at all except on the lesser grade on Towgotee Pass and Signal Mt.



The ONLY time a sportsmatic type tranny will shift out of the hold-gear
is when you drop below or above safe RPM range. My father lives at near
the top of Pocono mountains and there are some amazing grades there.
The Sedona has no trouble and holds 2nd or 3rd perfectly. I shift
between them from 20-45 mph. No one has reported ANY trouble such as
yours in ANY review or in ANY forum.
Hmmmmmm. I guess no one else lives in the mountains and has a
sportsmatic tranny.

Dude, you're either full of it or a bad driver. Sorry. And Toyota is
switching to sportsmattic for 2008, Bob. So I guess you won't like it
anymore!

Sienna...4th rated in crash tests!


RB
35s5
NY

Rob:

I drove the Sedona for 5000 miles, I know what it did and the
"sportsmatic" tranny just didnt work. I've driven enough different
vehicles over more mountains than you will see in several lifetimes and
I know how to drive mountains.
Strangely, unlike the AutoWeb review, we thought it had a lot of road
noise compared to our Highlander making conversations tween front and
back difficult. The AutoWeb review reports trouble getting it to use
the + whereas we had trouble with both the + and - so our experience is
in line with theirs. I am not familiar with the Polomar Mt road so
cannot assess where they drove but I bet my 5000 mile drive was far
more comprehensive.
In every other way, it is a fine car and even safe in most situations
but not for real mountain driving. The tranny was unreliable.

Capt. Rob wrote:
8 mile or so
you must be able to use a lower gear and the Kia simply did not work.
I actually did try to use the - to try to keep her in 2nd gear (3rd
gear and you'd be over the side) but it didnt work, no engine braking
at all except on the lesser grade on Towgotee Pass and Signal Mt.



The ONLY time a sportsmatic type tranny will shift out of the hold-gear
is when you drop below or above safe RPM range. My father lives at near
the top of Pocono mountains and there are some amazing grades there.
The Sedona has no trouble and holds 2nd or 3rd perfectly. I shift
between them from 20-45 mph. No one has reported ANY trouble such as
yours in ANY review or in ANY forum.
Hmmmmmm. I guess no one else lives in the mountains and has a
sportsmatic tranny.

Dude, you're either full of it or a bad driver. Sorry. And Toyota is
switching to sportsmattic for 2008, Bob. So I guess you won't like it
anymore!

Sienna...4th rated in crash tests!


RB
35s5
NY

Uh, fella's here's the Kia Sedona Autoweb VIDEO....they liked
everything and only said the tranny was sluggish to downshift (needs
break-in).

http://www.autoweb.com/content/resea...na/?vid=r_0212


Kia Sedona....#1 in crash test safety...HIGHEST EVER TESTED, most power
and torque, shortest stopp distance and so on!


Sienna....4th safest minivan!


RB
35s5
NY

wrote in message
ups.com...
Rob:

I drove the Sedona for 5000 miles, I know what it did and the
"sportsmatic" tranny just didnt work. I've driven enough different
vehicles over more mountains than you will see in several lifetimes and
I know how to drive mountains.
Strangely, unlike the AutoWeb review, we thought it had a lot of road
noise compared to our Highlander making conversations tween front and
back difficult.

Of course a Toyota SUV is quieter than the Kia minivan!

The Highlander is built on a Camry chassis.


The AutoWeb review reports trouble getting it to use
the + whereas we had trouble with both the + and - so our experience is
in line with theirs. I am not familiar with the Polomar Mt road so
cannot assess where they drove but I bet my 5000 mile drive was far
more comprehensive.

The magazine is all that matters.

In every other way, it is a fine car and even safe in most situations
but not for real mountain driving. The tranny was unreliable.

Capt. Rob wrote:
8 mile or so
you must be able to use a lower gear and the Kia simply did not work.
I actually did try to use the - to try to keep her in 2nd gear (3rd
gear and you'd be over the side) but it didnt work, no engine braking
at all except on the lesser grade on Towgotee Pass and Signal Mt.



The ONLY time a sportsmatic type tranny will shift out of the hold-gear
is when you drop below or above safe RPM range. My father lives at near
the top of Pocono mountains and there are some amazing grades there.
The Sedona has no trouble and holds 2nd or 3rd perfectly. I shift
between them from 20-45 mph. No one has reported ANY trouble such as
yours in ANY review or in ANY forum.
Hmmmmmm. I guess no one else lives in the mountains and has a
sportsmatic tranny.

Dude, you're either full of it or a bad driver. Sorry. And Toyota is
switching to sportsmattic for 2008, Bob. So I guess you won't like it
anymore!

Sienna...4th rated in crash tests!


RB
35s5
NY

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

I've driven the Toyota Sienna over the exact same roads earlier this
year.
We got 26 mpg


A lie, folks.
No one at Edmunds is reporting such mileage for the Sienna.

You lie! 26 mpg is reported in several places. Even the EPA has tested it to
that. You lie!



Toyota Sienna...4th safest minivan!

Only if you drive on flat ground!