Good Family Hauler

I bought this van new in Austin, Texas back on Labor Day Weekend 2005. We had test driven the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Chevrolet Venture, Chrysler, Dodge and Ford Minivans. The fact is, we would have preferred to purchase the Honda or Toyota, they really are great vans but they also cost a premium. That left us with comparing Kia with the domestic vans on the market. After driving all the vans it was a simple decision. The Sedona was comfortable, peppy, attractive, best warranty and had a heck of a lot more features on is then its domestic counterarts did for the money.
We had never owned a Kia, nor did we know anyone who did. Sure, the brand made us nervous, we know Kia is not known for quality. We figured we would take a risk and I am glad that we have. 3 Years later we still have the van, it now has 41,000 miles on it and we have had no serious problem with it. It has not had to go to the shop for any repair work, so I am happy. Like all vehicles, it has its flaws and when you get a van this nice, for this price there are some upgrades to it that you should have done.
The front rotors that come with this van are terrible. They are too small for this 5000 pound beast. They get wrapped and they get wrapped quickly. I had the rotors machined before we headed to Seattle from Austin, TX. While coming down a very long hill that required a lot of braking the rotors cause the van to begin shaking violently when the brake was applied. It was terrible. After getting to our destination I had the brakes looked at again. The shop (not dealer) said they were wrapped and needed to be turned again or we could purchase new rotors. I had them machine them again. 3 monthslater the pulsating came back. I finally went online and purchase drilled/slotted high performance rotors. I have has no problems with my brakes for more than 10,000 miles.
The Van drives better on highways than in the city. Due to the heavy weight of the van you get a lot of body roll going around sharper corners. This can be minimized by purchasing new tires with stiffer sidewalls. It makes a huge difference on the Sedon's handling. The stock tires are fine until you wear them out, but do not replace them with the same tire. You will be glad you didn't.
Other than those two items, the van has been perfect. Its comfortable for the family. The rear seats are easy to take in and out of the Sedona for more room if needed (we take out the middle seats for camping trips).
We go camping a lot and therefore use this van for a lot of towing. This van tows awesome! I have been extremely impressed with its towing capabilites (3500lbs MAX, does this easily). It pulls better than I ever thought it would.
Overall, the Sedona is a great buy. If you are looking for a minivan and are on a budget, i suggest this van. If you have a muchhigher budget, buy the Toyota Sienna.
Oh one more thing, make sure yhat if you do the maintenance as suggested for this vehicle. I have been told that Sedona's who do not get regular maintenance WILL have problems.