2002 Kia Sedona EX review from North America

Recalls only. Nothing. Nada.

K-K-K-Kia pet.

This is a low mileage vehicle, but that can often be a killer for cars. So far, so good. I think there are hundreds of us satisfied KIA owners out here, but while happy customers won't bother to write, the few unlucky owners will vent - often without cause in my opinion. Stop and talk to a KIA owner. We'll be honest with you. This is a budget econobox car that represents very fair value for money. We don't expect Honda or Toyota long-term quality. We made trade-offs in our purchasing decision and opted for a cheap car with a lot of features against an expensive Honda with far fewer features.

I earn over $100K a year and I'm no longer buying expensive "quality" cards that cost a fortune to own, insure, and service. What I saved on the KIA will more than pay for any conceivable out-of-warranty repair in its first 5 years of ownership.

My wife uses it mostly, and she has a very short commute. On summer weekends, we drive a regular 240 mile round trip, often towing a trailer. I use it when I need to take the trailer to Home Depot and load it up with building materials. I like the fact that this minivan can easily pull (and more importantly stop), a 3500lb trailer.

We have not had any significant problems with it. It still drives well and is comfortable. There is road and wind noise, but that has not worsened and there are no hardware rattles or squeaks. The tires are holding up very well.

During a recent service visit, the dealership skimmed the brake rotors under warranty even though we had not noticed any brake shudder (and with a trailer, that shudder shows up fast). I think they are watching this brake issue now.

Fuel economy is as bad as it was when we bought it, but fair enough for a 6-person people mover and tow vehicle. I'd recommend this car for owners of small campers or light travel trailers.

The seats are extremely heavy, but I often remove them all to create cargo space. (it actually improves gas milege a bit when they are out.). I find them firm and supportive - comfortable on our weekly 120-mile runs.

The value-add features in the Sedona are still very good compared to the competition. You get a lot of options for the money.

Contrary to other reports, the hardware has held up very well and the car looks good.

On the whole, I'm very happy with the first three years of ownership. It's been the least troublesome vehicle that I have ever owned.

When we bought the Sedona in 02, I was nervous enough to buy a top-up warranty. With that additional cost, we still came out at thousands less than any other comparably-equipped minivan at that time. Even my friend who owns a Dodge dealership could come nowhere near the price for a similarly-equipped Caravan.

So, even if the Sedona needs a whole new engine and tranny and the warranty fails me, I STILL have not lost any real dollars. (Think about that as you read comments by the KIA nay-sayers.)

One downside is the availability of repair parts. I was broadsided by a Saturn and it took 10 days for the body shop to get door skins. On the other hand, the KIA was like a rock in the crash, yet the Saturn had substantial front-end damage. My repair costs were very reasonable at only $1500. The only pain I suffered was after my wife found out about me damaging her KIA pet. (wasn't even my fault!)