Whether you are just driving your children to school or taking a long road trip, you want a family vehicle that is safe, reliable, and comfortable. I am pretty sure this is why most families have either an SUV or a Minivan in the driveway. You need extra space for the family and for all of the stuff we like to bring along. When you are a parent, safety becomes the biggest reason why you purchase any vehicle. I know many people who traded in their cars for “something safer” when their first child arrived.
The trade off is usually that, while safe and reliable, family vehicles are usually not the most stylish cars on the planet. The front of most Minivans look like a Dustbuster and the bench seating looks like something from a school bus. It can be hard to find a family vehicle with style.
The designers at Kia aimed to change this when creating the 2015 Kia Sedona. The vehicle’s front looks very similar to the Sorrento and from the side the doors and windows look like something you would find on an SUV. Kia packed a lot of style into the latest Sedona and they also delivered on the safety and comfort you would expect from a family vehicle.
When you get inside the Kia Sorrento, you can’t help but notice that this isn’t your typical family transporter. The two tone plush interior looks high end and immediately makes you ask why this wasn’t around during your own childhood. One of the seating configurations has this ridiculously comfortable captains chairs in the second row, which recline and have footrests. I have to admit, I even took a nap in one. The back seats have multiple power outlets, USB ports, a sunroof, and cup holders galore.
I love playing with gadgets and the 2015 Kia Sedona has plenty to offer. My favorite was the Surround View camera system which uses four mounted cameras to give you a 360 view of the vehicle. I really like the back up camera on our Sorrento, but the camera system on the Sedona takes things to a new level. It was very easy to parallel park the Sedona using this 360 degree camera system.
Another neat feature is the Smart Power Liftgate which senses when you approach (using the key fob in your pocket). You hear a couple beeps and then the tailgate opens. You don’t have to wave your foot or press anything to get the liftgate to open, which is super convenient when your hands are full.
The 2015 Kia Sedona has many of the alert systems that you would find on high end cars, such as collision warnings, lane drift alerts, blind spot alerts, and a rear alert. When you are trying to keep your family safe on the road, all of these alert systems are great to have. There is also a low tech wide angle mirror in the ceiling so you can keep an eye on the children secretly plotting your demise behind you.
Under the hood, the 2015 Kia Sedona has a 276 horsepower V6 engine that gives you plenty of power (18/25 city/hwy mpg). I found that the Sedona didn’t have any issues keeping up with traffic as I sped along some steep mountain passes. It also handled like a champ through some winding mountain curves.
The large side doors on minivans make it great for children getting in and out of the vehicle. The downside is that those large side openings usually mean the frame of the car flexes a lot while driving. Kia says that they reinforced the frame of the 2015 Sedona with 55% of it constructed from advanced high-strength metals. The vehicle felt solid during my extended test drive, even while going over some significant road construction bumps. It felt like I was driving a quality made vehicle, not the minivan from my childhood memories.
The 2015 Kia Sedona can seat seven or eight (depending on your seating configuration), but the real story is with the cargo space. The third row seats fold flat to give you plenty of room for the dogs. We have two golden retrievers who I think would be very happy back there. If you need more space, the second row seats slide forward and then fold flat against the front seats to give you a ton of cargo room. I couldn’t help but think that this would be ideal for hauling home all of my Home Depot purchases.
The 2015 Kia Sedona has something for everyone in the family. With a base MSRP of $25,900 the 2015 Sedona offers much more than you would expect from a family vehicle in terms of design, amenities and value.
