— Leslie Gordon
The minivan sure came in
handy moving stoves, dishwashers, kitchen cabinets, and other items
for a friend renovating her home. Generally, I do not care for minivans,
yet the decidedly unsexy “mom mobile” slowly but surely won me
over. Even my 6-ft tall, 220-lb helper agreed.
Topping both our lists of favorite features is the van’s great visibility
— we both thought
sitting in it is like being
in a giant fishbowl. Another
plus, the slidingdoor
windows roll up
and down, unlike those
in some other vans.
And a nice if somewhat
frivolous touch is
the sunglasses holder
above the dr iver ’s
door. And for some inscrutable reason, there are two glove boxes, one
on top of the other.
On the downside, my helpmate could not stretch out his long legs.
The center console blocked him on one side and the footrest blocked
him on the other. Amazingly, in this health-consciousness time, Sedona
offers a cigarette lighter and ashtray.
Numerous handgrips on the ceiling and walls make it easy to get in
and out. Manually adjustable, bucketlike seats position passengers
comfortably. Levers let riders adjust lumbar support and recline. We
tried the latter on a passenger seat, but it got stuck.
Removing the seats for more cargo room is straightforward. However,
the seats are somewhat heavy and awkward. I prefer seats that
stow inside a floor compartment.
Both of us got a kick out of how the minivan handled. For one thing,
it ran so quietly we couldn’t even hear the engine. And acceleration
is pleasingly quick, no doubt due to the 3.8-liter, 24-valve DOHC V6
engine. Electronic stability control and a firm but comfortable suspension
keep the van tight to the ground, while brake assist makes for
assured stopping. Automatic, adjustable pedals are just the ticket for
us shorter folks.
My friend looked under the hood to check the van’s vitals. The
Sedona offers easy access to check the oil, engine coolant, brake
fluid, and tranny fluid. The plug for diagnostics is also easy to reach.
Another plus is the serpentine-drive belt, which eliminates separate
V-belts.
Suggested retail price on our tester was $20,495. Adding extras such
as roof rails and carpeted floor mats brought it to $21,645. Interestingly,
according to the paperwork, 4% of the car was made in the U.S.
and Canada and 89% in Korea. There was no mention where the rest
was made.