Kia Sedona Brand Reputation: Cons | ||
Year | Comment | |
There aren't any strong reasons not to buy the Sedona. Yet when a friend recently bought a minivan his wife wouldn't even look at the Kia. Why not? Because it's a Kia. Some bases for this prejudice remain. Past Sedonas haven't been nearly as reliable as a Sienna or an Odyssey. Plus many Kia dealers have been with the company since its less illustrious days. Their showrooms can be small and shabby (though some newer ones are anything but), and they developed a culture that focused on buyers most other auto makers would not loan money to. I recently stopped into a Kia dealer to research how the seats operate in a lower level Sedona--and was kicked out. I'd folded and unfolded the seats a couple of times, and was in the driver seat when the sales manager informed me: "We're going to be showing this van soon, and can't have you slamming stuff around in here. So I'm going to have to ask you to leave." I've been visiting car dealers to gather information for my reviews for over 15 years. The great majority have been very helpful. This is the first time I've been bounced from one. Maybe the manager didn't have faith that the seat mechanisms could withstand a couple of folding and unfolding cycles? Whatever the manager's motivation--I still can't believe it happened--that dealer isn't doing much to improve Kia's image. see full Kia Sedona review |
Kia Sedona Brand Reputation: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2009 | 4dr Minivan, ext. 250-horsepower 3.8L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
It says "Kia" on it, and people still think that Kia means "unreliable" - Wife and I love driving the thing. see full Kia Sedona review |
2006 | 4dr Minivan, ext. 244-horsepower 3.8L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
Sedona and Kia have a reputation for low cost but also low brand image for quality. I think they have made great strides on the quality side and in improving the overall designs in the latest models see full Kia Sedona review |
Hyundai Sonata Brand Reputation: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2009 | 4dr Sedan 175-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
Hyundai has made major strides in reputation for reliability, build quality and style in the last few years, especially for the price. For value oriented customers who keep their cars a long time, these are major positive factors. see full Hyundai Sonata review |
2008 | 4dr Sedan 162-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
Hyundai is emerging leader in quality and reliability see full Hyundai Sonata review |
Hyundai Sonata Brand Reputation: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2015 | 4dr Sedan 185-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
The Customer Service folks at Hyndai are weasels. see full Hyundai Sonata review |
2011 | 4dr Sedan 200-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
People seem to be living in the past in regards to this. Hyundai is probably more reliable than the average brand but people who have never owned one only want to remember the days when they were considered a joke. Most problems I have heard of are only minor in nature. The pulling issue is the only legit one I've read about often and they seem to have fixed that. I've had no issues other than a dead battery which is irritating but not really Hyundai's fault. Really impressive considering this was a completely new design in its first model year. Great warranty makes this a non issue in my opinion. see full Hyundai Sonata review |
2009 | 4dr Sedan 175-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD |
It does not have the cache of honda or toyota, which will hurt resale. However, at the price paid, and with that warranty, I still like the Sonota. see full Hyundai Sonata review |
2009 | 4dr Sedan 175-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
Cheap and low class. see full Hyundai Sonata review |
2008 | 4dr Sedan 162-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
Hyundai has not had a great reputation for high quality cars for most of its history. see full Hyundai Sonata review |
2002 | 4dr Sedan 149-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
Well, it still does not have the class. I do not care that much but you specially feel it when you want to trade it in for something else. see full Hyundai Sonata review |