Kia Sedona

Is the Kia Sedona a Good Minivan?

There's a lot to like in the 2017 Sedona, starting with its reasonable base price. The cabin looks and feels more high-end than many rivals' cabins do. If you opt for the available second-row lounge seats, you'll easily have the most comfortable back seats in the class. Still, the Sedona isn't as family-friendly as many rivals that offer more features to make life with kids and pets a little bit easier.

Should I Buy the Kia Sedona?

The Kia Sedona's low starting price and upscale cabin make it an appealing option in the minivan class, but we think if you cross-shop, you'll likely find a better match for you and your family. Sure, the Sedona has nice interior materials and a user-friendly infotainment system, but it doesn't have the sorts of family-focused features you'll find in rivals like the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, or Chrysler Pacifica. The Odyssey and Sienna offer more space inside for your family and all your stuff. And just because you're buying a minivan doesn't mean you won't want to have a bit of fun. The Pacifica and Odyssey are both more thrilling to drive than the sedate Sedona.

Compare the Sedona, Odyssey, and Sienna »

We Did the Research for You: 24 Pieces of Data Analyzed

If you're a soccer mom or lacrosse dad interested in buying a new minivan, odds are you've already got a lot going on in your life. Let us save you some time when you're ready to buy. We've compiled 24 different data sets, including published automotive reviews, predicted reliability ratings, and crash test scores, to help give you the information you need to make the right buying decision. We focus on the needs of everyday buyers instead of how fast a car can circle a track.

Why You Can Trust Us

The U.S. News Best Cars staff has a combined 75 years of experience working in the autos sector, and we've been ranking cars for nearly a decade. Our reviews are written without bias, as we don't accept expensive gifts or trips from automakers. We're so serious about maintaining the impartiality of our reviews that even the ads you see around our site are handled by an outside partner.

How Much Does the Kia Sedona Cost?

Pricing for the 2017 Sedona starts at $26,900 for the base L model. That's several thousand dollars less than the base prices of competitors like the Chrysler Pacifica, Honda Odyssey, and Toyota Sienna. The priciest trim, the Sedona SXL, is $41,900, which is in line with the prices of rivals' top trims. A well-equipped Sedona LX starts at $28,900 and comes with more desirable interior features. Still, some rivals offer more family-friendly tech for only a bit more money.

Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Kia dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Kia deals page.

Kia Sedona Versus the Competition

Which Is Better: Kia Sedona or Honda Odyssey?

The Honda Odyssey ranks near the top of the minivan class because it meets the needs of most families better than the Sedona and many other rivals. The Odyssey has one of the largest overall cargo capacities in the class, and there's plenty of space for your passengers too. This contrasts with the Sedona, which falls behind rivals in both categories. The Odyssey is fitted with lots of features to keep your family safe, comfortable, and entertained, including Honda's LaneWatch passenger-side blind spot camera, tri-zone automatic climate control, and a rear-seat entertainment system. As an added bonus, the Odyssey is fun to drive for a minivan, with fairly agile handling and quick acceleration. The Sedona has sedate handling, though its ride is smooth. Further, the Odyssey's V6 engine uses less fuel than the Sedona's.

Which Is Better: Kia Sedona or Toyota Sienna?

Most buyers should go with the Toyota Sienna rather than the Sedona. The Sienna is the only minivan that's available with all-wheel drive, providing added traction and security on slick roads. There's more cabin room in the Sienna than in the Sedona, both for passengers and cargo. The Sienna's second and third rows are both roomy enough to keep adult passengers comfortable. The third row in the Sedona, on the other hand, is only spacious enough for kids. You have to completely remove the Sienna's second-row seats to have maximum cargo room, but when you do, there is significantly more space than in the Sedona. The Sienna also has an upscale cabin with lots of features, similar to the Sedona.

Which Is Better: Kia Sedona or Chrysler Pacifica?

Even though the Sedona has an upscale cabin with lots of tech features, it can't match the family-friendliness of the all-new Chrysler Pacifica. Some of the Pacifica's standout features include a built-in vacuum and a dual-screen rear-seat entertainment system that can play DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, or even video games. None of those options are available in the Sedona. As easy as it is to slide the Sedona's second-row seats forward to maximize cargo space, they're not as user-friendly as the Pacifica's Stow 'n Go seats, which fold flat into the floor with little effort. On the road, the Sedona is smooth but not particularly engaging to drive. The Pacifica pairs some modicum of sportiness with its cushioned cruising.

Compare the Sedona, Odyssey, and Pacifica »

Sedona Interior

How Many People Does the Sedona Seat?

There are seats for seven in the base Sedona. An optional insert for the second row (between the main seats) increases seating capacity to eight. The Sedona's second row isn't quite as roomy as the ones you'll find in the Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna, but that's probably OK if you'll mainly be transporting kids. The third row is even more cramped; it’s really only spacious enough for little ones. Since Kia recognizes that lots of minivan drivers have children, the standard cloth upholstery is stain-resistant to help keep your new Sedona looking fresh.

If you need a little more luxury, leather upholstery is available, along with heated and ventilated front seats and heated second-row seats. You can even get lounge seats for the second row that recline and have footrests to make passengers as comfortable as possible on the road.

Sedona and Car Seats

There are three full sets of LATCH car-seat connectors in the Sedona. They are located on the outboard second-row seats and the passenger-side third-row seat. There's an additional upper tether for the third-row middle seat. It can be hard to find the upper tethers, but the lower anchors are easy to access.

Sedona Interior Quality

With top-notch materials, ergonomic controls, and an exceptionally quiet cabin, the 2017 Sedona has a pleasant interior to keep you and your family comfortable while on the go. The SXL trim is especially luxurious, with plush leather covering most surfaces.

Sedona Cargo Space

Many competitors offer more overall cargo room than you'll get in the Sedona, including the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey, both of which have nearly 150 cubic feet of overall cargo space. The Sedona has a maximum of 142 cubic feet of cargo room, but it has a trick up its sleeve: simply slide the Slide-N-Stow second-row seats up against the first row to use all available cargo space. In comparison, you have to completely remove the second row from the Sienna and Odyssey. While Slide-N-Stow is a convenient storage solution, it can't match the Stow 'n Go seats found in the Chrysler Pacifica. The Stow 'n Go seats fold flat into the floor, giving you a wide open hauling area.

Sedona Infotainment, Bluetooth, and Navigation

From the driver’s seat, you'll have no trouble reaching the controls to adjust the temperature and audio settings when requests are shouted from the rear seats. The Sedona has an easy-to-use infotainment system with straightforward menus and large, easy-to-see buttons on the touch screen.

Despite the lengthy list of optional features you can get with the Sedona, it lacks some of the most useful family-friendly options you'll find in some competitors. For example, both the Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica have rear-seat entertainment systems to keep the kids entertained during lengthy road trips. You can even play video games with the Pacifica's dual-screen system. Both the Odyssey and Pacifica have built-in vacuums to suck up messes, too.

Read more about interior »

Sedona Performance

Sedona Engine: Strong, Smooth Powertrain

The Sedona gets plenty of power from its 3.3-liter V6 engine to help you get up to freeway speeds. The engine feels refined, meaning it is free of harsh vibrations or noise. A six-speed automatic transmission comes paired with the V6, and while it makes seamless shifts, it sometimes hunts for the right gear when driving uphill.

Sedona Gas Mileage: Not as Fuel-Efficient as Rivals

Most other minivans are more fuel-efficient on the highway than the Sedona, which only gets 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. The Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, and Chrysler Pacifica are all significantly more fuel-efficient in highway driving, earning ratings of at least 18 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. This translates into an annual fuel savings of $150 over the Sedona. The Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid is easily the most eco-friendly minivan in the class. It gets 84 mpg-equivalent when using electric power from its batteries as well as its gasoline engine. To learn more about mpg-equivalent, read Decoding MPG-e.

Sedona Ride and Handling: Comfortable Commuting

Minivans spend most of their time hauling kids to and from school and extracurricular activities, and the Sedona can do all that comfortably, thanks to its smooth ride. At highway speeds, rough patches of pavement can be felt a bit more. The Sedona's not as agile around corners as the Honda Odyssey, so drivers looking for a minivan with some semblance of sportiness should check out the Honda. The Sedona only comes with front-wheel drive, which is typical for the class. However, the Toyota Sienna is available with all-wheel drive for added traction in slippery conditions.

Sedona Towing Capacity

You can tow a trailer weighing up to 3,500 pounds with the Sedona. Most minivans can tow the same amount, but you can tow a slightly heavier trailer with the Chrysler Pacifica. The Sedona's towing capacity is more than enough to pull a couple of Jet Skis on a trailer.

Read more about performance »

Sedona Reliability

Is the Kia Sedona Reliable?

Predicted reliability ratings for the Sedona are lower than those of other vehicles. The Sedona earns the same below-average score as the Honda Odyssey and the Chrysler Pacifica. The Toyota Sienna earns a slightly higher reliability score.

Kia Sedona Warranty

The Sedona comes with a five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. None of the Sedona's competitors can match its warranty. The Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Pacifica, and Honda Odyssey all have three-year/36,000-mile basic warranties and five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranties.

Read more about reliability »

Sedona Safety

Sedona Crash Test Results

The Sedona is one of the safest minivans in the class, tying the safety scores of the Chrysler Pacifica and the Honda Odyssey. It earns a Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives it a five-star overall rating.

Sedona Safety Features

The Sedona is available with a full complement of active driver assistance features to help prevent an accident, including blind spot monitoring, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, and rear cross traffic alert. Most rivals can be equipped with the same features.

Read more about safety »

Which Kia Sedona Model Is Right for Me?

Stick with the base L trim to get a well-equipped and inexpensive minivan. The L model has a good number of tech features and a starting price that's nearly 10 percent lower than those of the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. The base L model isn't available with any optional extras, though, so if you want a more advanced infotainment system or high-tech safety features, you'll have to move up to the LX trim and add the available packages. Still, you'd have to pay closer to $40,000 to get the same features in rivals, while you'd only pay around $33,000 for the Sedona.

Kia Sedona L

The Sedona starts at $26,900 with the L trim, which comes standard with a V6 engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive, stain-resistant cloth upholstery, Slide-N-Stow second-row seats, a 5-inch touch screen, Bluetooth, a USB port, a four-speaker audio system, satellite radio, and a rearview camera. The L model isn't available with any option packages.

Kia Sedona LX

The $28,900 LX trim adds power-sliding rear doors, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, and a six-speaker audio system. The LX Essentials Premium package ($2,400) gets you leather upholstery, heated front seats, a 7-inch touch screen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, a proximity key, push-button start, a cooled glove box, and front and rear parking sensors. The LX Advanced Technology package ($1,900) requires the previous package and adds adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, and forward collision warning.

Kia Sedona EX

The EX model is priced at $33,600. It gets you a hands-free power liftgate, a cargo-area flashlight, leather upholstery, heated front seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, a 7-inch touch screen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, two additional USB ports, a proximity key, push-button start, a cooled glove box, and rear parking sensors. The EX Advanced Premium Technology package ($2,800) comes with an eight-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, heated second-row seats, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, and forward collision warning.

Kia Sedona SX

The SX trim starts at $36,900 and comes with Drive Mode Select for altering the vehicle's driving dynamics through different modes, an eight-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, an 8-inch touch screen, navigation, an eight-speaker Infinity audio system, HD Radio, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert. The SX Advanced Touring package ($3,900) gets you automatic high beams, a heated steering wheel, a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking.

Kia Sedona SXL

The top-of-the-line SXL trim costs $41,900 and adds automatic high beams, a heated steering wheel, a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking. The SXL Prestige package ($1,000) comes with a dual-pane sunroof, Nappa leather upholstery, and second-row lounge seats.

Who Makes the Kia Sedona?

The Sedona is manufactured by the Kia Motors Corporation, which is a South Korean automaker. Kia assembles the Sedona at the Sohari Plant in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi, South Korea.

Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Kia dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Kia deals page.

See 2017 Kia Sedona specs and trims »

The Final Call

The Sedona has a low starting price for a minivan and should be a solid choice for most families, but for a bit more money, there are minivans that will likely better fit your needs. The Sedona has a comfortable, quiet, and upmarket cabin, though the rear seats are less roomy than those in some competitors. The Sedona has fewer features and a smaller cargo area than many other minivans. Its V6 engine delivers plenty of power, although the transmission sometimes hunts for gears when driving up hills, and fuel economy is low for the class. The ride is generally smooth, but potholes will lead to some roughness.

Don’t just take our word for it. Check out comments from some of the reviews that drive our rankings and analysis.

• "The 2017 Kia Sedona is a worthy alternative to the top-rated minivans from Honda and Toyota. Besides the lower price and higher feature content, the Sedona scores points for its quick acceleration, quiet ride and carlike interior. The powerful engine does put a dent in fuel economy, and the cargo capacity is a bit smaller than that of rivals, but neither should be a deal breaker for savvy shoppers. Furthermore, its top safety score will give you some reassurance when transporting your most precious cargo, and Kia backs the car with the most generous warranty in the industry." -- Edmunds
• "If you want a lot of space for the least amount of money, the 7-passenger 2017 Kia Sedona L, with a starting price just over $27,000, is a fantastic value. It offers a smooth ride, stylish design and standard features like a tilt/telescopic steering wheel, 12 cup holders and keyless entry." -- Kelley Blue Book
• "With the third-generation Sedona, Kia has focused too much on appearances and not enough on basic minivan tenets such as comfort, practicality, and family friendliness. Its luxury and style impress on the red carpet, but there's not enough substance underneath to bring Kia's MPV up from the B-list." -- Automobile Magazine (2015)