2019 Kia Sedona Pros vs Cons. Should You Buy?
In the minivan segment, the Korean automobile giant Kia is still considered as one of the latecomers. In 2002, the company introduced the Sedona in North America, more than 16 years since then, remains the top practical minivan. It has become a capable and relaxed daily driver. During the 2018 New York International Auto Show, Kia unveiled the 2019 Kia Sedona minivan. It features several tweaks and minor revisions.
What’s New For 2019?
For this year, the Korean automobile giant gives the Sedona its first major update since a total redesign several years ago. There are fresh rear and front bumpers, a redesigned grille, revised wheels and fresh sets of fog lights and LED headlights.
Top 10 Reasons to Buy a 2019 Kia Sedona – The Pros
1. Captivating Design
The 2019 Kia Sedona can comfortably seat eight passengers in its expansive cockpit. It features the Slide N Stow seating that allows you to fold the second row easily while the third row expediently stores under the floor. This provides you with more space without the need to remove any seats. If you want to have more room, you can easily take out the center section of the second row. This latest model offers an easy to configure design to perfectly match your needs and preferences.
2. A Collection of High-Tech Must-Have Features
This latest offer for the minivan segment from the Korean automobile giant offers convenient for modern society. It offers fast USB charging, glove box with built-in cooling and wireless charging for smartphones. It also comes with Harman Kardon Surround Sound audio to give you high-quality sound while on the road.
3. Provoking Style
The new 2019 Kia Sedona sports an audacious front grille and a curved beltline. Its style breaks tradition and orders attention. It flashes the redesigned LED headlights and its 18 –inches alloy wheels that are machine finished. It also boasts its smart exit strategy that enables the anti-pinch power sliding door to stop when the sensors sense that there is an object in the way. It also has the Smart Key button that enables you to control it in a fast and convenient way.
4. Intelligent Technology
This latest minivan from Kia is equipped with the latest innovations that help you stay in total control. It comes with intuitive technology like the Android Auto™, Apple CarPlay™ connectivity, and rear camera display. Its technology can transform your driving performance with several notable features. This includes hands-free texting, calling, and music management. These are all accessible on the color touch screen display in the vehicle.
It also comes with voice-activated technology that offers maximum convenience and undivided attention on driving. Aside from those, it also has several active technologies that are made to notify you of possible accidents and to help you avoid them. Its Blind Spot Collision Warning technology produces auditory and visual signals to warn you of the objects that are not visible in your field of view.
5. Instinctive Safety
It utilizes Surround View Monitor that enables you to navigate tight spots confidently. With the help of four cameras, this vehicle offers a bird’s eye view perspective of your vehicle right into your dash screen. As a result, you get a 360 degrees perspective that enables you to maneuver the vehicle in a safe and convenient way.
It also comes with passive and active safety technologies that will help you stay right on your track. Intuitive technologies like Cornering Brake Control and Electronic Stability Control give you better control of the vehicle. It also has advanced active technologies such as Hill Start Assist Control and Traction Control System that lets you concentrate on having fun driving.
The passive safety technology is integrated to ensure that you and your passengers are kept secure and well-protected. This includes the seat-belt pretensioners and airbags. The vehicle also has 50 percent high-quality steel to ensure that you have command on the road.
6. Perfect Combination of Refinement and Power
The 2019 Kia Sedona utilizes a powertrain that has been tested for endurance. It can deliver 276 horsepower while offering an impressively smooth and quiet driving. This vehicle is engineered with Amplitude Selected Dampers, all-new high-strength chassis, and an extra rear strut reinforcement to enhance dynamics and handling.
Functioning under the hood of the 2019 Kia Sedona is the 3.3 –liters V6 Gasoline Direct Injection engine that loads 248 pound-feet of torque. Each engine is meticulously tested for 300 straight hours at the red line to let it deliver a long-lasting performance that you can rely on.
7. A Powerful Tow
The 2019 Kia Sedona exudes towing power perfect for long hauls. It has an optimum towing capacity of 3,500 -pounds. In addition, its six-cylinder engine produces 276 horsepower. This vehicle is designed to take you and your entire load on your getaways.
8. UVO Makes It A Whole Lot Easier
It is equipped with UVO, which is an advanced technology that offers convenience. It provides speed notifications, points of interest, vehicle maintenance, and curfew. The eServices of UVO comes with navigation that allows you to prepare your trip using My POIs. You can include your favorite places to find POI while you are at home. You can simply sync it with your car for turn by turn instructions.
UVO also offers service and maintenance so you don’t miss scheduled maintenance checks. You can set a schedule with your dealer on the app or in your car when diagnostics sense several issues. Also, you can easily set intervals, recommended service, and take note of the results for your digital history.
9. Three Comfort Levels
The 2019 Kia Sedona allows you to dial three various comfort levels instantaneously. The Tri-Zone automatic climate control includes the front passenger, the driver, and the rear zone temperature settings. In these areas, you and your passengers can enjoy heating and cooling. Also, you can enjoy an indoor comfort that will not be affected by the climate outside.
The heated front seats provide three heating levels to offer you warmth. Also, the front seats are ventilated and have three fan settings to cool you and your passengers down.
10. Fabric That Resists Stains and Odors
The cloth inside the 2019 Kia Sedona is made by Yes Essentials that has the ability to repel odors, stains, and even static. Having dried mud or spilled coffee inside your vehicle is not anymore a problem with this type of fabric. Its repel-and-release technology allows for easy and convenient cleanup and fast drying time. Aside from this, the fabric can help eradicate odors to achieve a cleaner fresher interior.
Reasons Not to Buy a 2019 Kia Sedona – The Cons
1. Lesser Cargo Capacity Compared To That Of Rivals
The 2019 Kia Sedona is just at par with several other minivans in the market but not really at the top of the class. When the front seats are unfolded, it offers 34 cubic feet of cargo space. It has a maximum cargo capacity of only 142 cubic feet.
2. A Busy Ride Quality
It appears that the overall ride quality of this model is overly busy. Although the suspension helps make the ride to be smooth at slower speed levels; when you speed it up especially on the highway, you can feel the bumps particularly when passing rough surfaces of the road.
3. Meager Fuel Economy
Some of the minivans have the same fuel economy ratings. However, this year’s Sedona has an EPA rating of 18 MPG when in the city. It has an EPA rating of 24 MPG or when on the highway. Although it appears like a decent EPA rating, it could not beat the EPA of competing minivans like Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey. These minivans will help you save $50 every year in gas compared to that of Sedona.
How It Stacks Up To The Competition
According to the Initial Quality Study released by J.D. Power and Associates in 2017, it revealed that Kia vehicles are much better to Honda vehicles in terms of initial quality. The team ranked Kia first in initial quality way higher than the average in the industry. On the other hand, Honda ranked 20th with 33 problems for every 100 vehicles.
In another survey in 2018 conducted by the same team, it turned out that in terms of long term durability, Kia vehicles are much more reliable compared to Honda vehicles. In terms of reliability, Kia ranked fifth while Honda ranked 12th.
When it comes to brakes and stopping the Sedona has much shorter brakes compared to the Honda Odyssey. In terms of maximum cargo space, Sedona has a total of 142 cubic feet; Pacifica has 140.5 cubic feet, while Odyssey has 88.8 cubic feet of maximum cargo space. For total passenger volume, the Sedona offers 166 cubic feet; Chrysler Pacifica offers 165 cubic feet while Honda Odyssey offers 164 cubic feet.
The Sedona offers a very safe ride. When you require a sudden stop, you can count on the quality of brakes that the Sedona has. In a test conducted by Motor Trend, Kia’s minivan stops from 60 mph in 118 feet while the Odyssey stops at 127 feet. Kia offers a surround view monitor while the Odyssey only offers a rear view mirror.
The 2019 Kia Sedona offers generous warranty coverage. It provides a 5-year warranty or 60,000 miles and a 10-year warranty or 100,000 for the engine. Odyssey and Pacifica offer a 3-year or 36,000 miles basic warranty and 5 years or 60,000 miles engine warranty.
Conclusion
Overall the 2019 Kia Sedona has a lot of amazing features and qualities in store for its users. While it seems that it falls behind its top competitors in terms of class, it is still a powerful choice that stays above other competitors. It does not only allow more cargo space, more passenger space, and greater dependability. It is also the vehicle that does not take for granted the interior details.
The stain and odor-resistant cloth inside the vehicle, the high-strength materials, the cutting-edge intelligent technology, and the passive and active safety features make the 2019 Kia Sedona one of the top choices in the minivan segment today. The 2019 Kia Sedona is a powerful minivan running on 3.3 –liters V6 engine that produces 276 horsepower. It has an 8-speed automatic transmission that comes with overdrive. It also comes with four-wheel ABS or anti-lock brakes as well as airbags that are mounted on the side seats. It is sporty, classy and athletic looking, reflecting contours and proportions just like a crossover.
