2015 Kia Sedona minivan makes huge strides but still has ways to go

The 2015 Kia Sedona minivan has shed the old model's bland appearance, manners, and accommodations in an attempt to be more competitive and appealing with the dominant Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. The redesigned Kia Sedona mostly succeeds, with a plush interior and pronounced nose and side windows that give it a silhouette that resembles a tall wagon—or even a Honda Odyssey.

The two-tone black-and-tan leather seats—heated in both the first and second rows—on our white Sedona EX ($34,795) give it a sumptuous look. In contrast, the padded door panels and dashboard make the Honda and Toyota interiors look like they belong in the toy aisle.

On the road, the Kia Sedona is a first-rate isolation chamber, with a whisper-quiet engine and well-suppressed wind and road noise. The 276-hp, 3.3-liter V6 engine is the strong and smooth, and the six-speed automatic transmission never left us wanting.

Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for the noisy suspension, which clomps over cracked backroad bumps, nor the numb steering that requires frequent corrections in the middle of sweeping highway curves.

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If the Sedona isn’t great dynamically, it’s also a lot less capable for weekend home-improvement warriors. Its second-row seats do a neat folding trick, snugging up against the front seatbacks to make rear access pretty easy. But they can't be removed, preventing owners from maximizing cargo space. Even the third row doesn’t sit flush with the floor when folded into its well.

In addition to the heated second-row captain’s chairs, you can get the Barcalounger treatment in the full-boat Sedona SXL, complete with individual footrests. However, they lack the removable center seat our Sedona has, which increases seating capacity to eight. If seating capacity is your priority, you'll want to opt for the three-position second-row bench, which is an extra $400.