More Than Expected
Okay, so you've come to your senses and accepted the fact that a minivan is for you - or rather for the family. At least that's what you'll be telling the SUV and sports car crowd at the gym.
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| So you've finally decided that your family needs a minivan? Kia might just have exactly what you're looking for. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
As you visit dealership showrooms you'll surely realize that nicely equipped minivans are not cheap. Of course the dealer has strategically situated a similarly priced convertible next to the minivan on display, allowing the mind to escape free from the ties-that-bind; a visualization of you and your new sports model travelling down a country road with the wind in your face, sipping an Americano and eating Tim-bits. Your partner's elbow in your ribs shatters that short-lived nirvana like a stick of dynamite in a china shop.
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| The Kia Sedona "offers more value and comfort than you'd probably expect, as well as the peace of mind of knowing it comes with the federal government's highest safety rating," states Kia Account Director Mike Dillon. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
Back to the challenging business of selecting a minivan that incorporates the two critical elements of every purchase, quality and value. Well, the Korean auto manufacturer, Kia, has hugely simplified that challenge. Applauded for their ability to deliver sensational value, Kia continues to evolve and mature with each passing year. That maturation is reflected in the Sedona, which was one of just four minivans to be awarded the five-star rating in both frontal and side impact crash tests for the 2003 model year, according to information released by the U.S. National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).
"The takeaway is really quite simple," said Kia Account Director Mike Dillon. "The Kia Sedona offers you more value and comfort than you probably expected, as well as the peace of mind of knowing it comes with the federal government's highest safety rating."
Although 18 cm (7 inches) shorter than Honda's large Odyssey minivan, the nicely sized Sedona is 13 cm (5 inches) longer than the base Dodge Caravan. The Sedona is eye pleasing from any angle too, but not eye-popping. The exterior design is definitely - yawn - mainstream if not a little like Ford's Windstar and Freestar designs; not that there's anything particularly wrong with that. It's just that the design envelope has been nudged ahead by the likes of the new Toyota Sienna and Nissan Quest vans, which leaves the mainstreamers a little further downstream.
