2006 Kia Sedona EX

Some Vehicles are so revered by their customers that replacing them presents a daunting task. Mazda's Miata, the original Chrysler minivans, and Ford's F-150 spring to mind--the Kia Sedona does not. Korea's first minivan was a lackluster, inexpensive small van designed to compete abroad, and converting it for U.S. duty left it grossly overweight. Some 50,000 customers per year have been lured by its low price, not its innovation nor excellence.

Improving that van would've been child's play, but Kia assigned the job to savvy adults, just the same. While it took Toyota four swings at the minivan market before connecting with the current Sienna (its first real success), this second-generation Sedona arrives with the form, function, and mechanical aptitude to go toe-to-toe with the big sellers from Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota.

The new Kia's exterior measures within tenths of an inch of all three vans, and this summer a short-wheelbase model sized like the little Chryslers will arrive. Inside, the Sedona trails the name-brand vans in most dimensions, but not by much. Maximum cargo space is 141.5 cubic feet versus 147.4 at Honda and 148.9 at Toyota. The 60/40-split rear bench folds into the floor, but the standard middle-row captain's chairs must be removed. (They weigh 60 pounds, but ride on rollers.) The sliding-door windows roll down, and the optional power third-row vent windows can be controlled from the back seat (Kia's sole minivan innovation). Front-seat side airbags and curtain bags for all three rows are standard, as are stability control, a tire-pressure-monitoring system, three-zone climate control, and keyless entry. Power for the sliding doors and tailgate is optional.

A new all-aluminum 3.8-liter DOHC V-6 matches the benchmark Honda's 244 horses and trumps it on torque, with 253 pound-feet (those figures drop to 242 and 251 running on the recommended regular unleaded). It even rivals the Japanese engines on refinement. A five-speed auto with Sportmatic shifting sends power to the front wheels; all-wheel drive isn't offered. The bigger Sedona is 30 percent stiffer in torsion, yet weighs 400 pounds less than the outgoing model, starting at 4400 pounds--about the same as a base Odyssey. Credit the all-aluminum engine, lighter transmission, multilink rear suspension, and more astute CAD engineering.