What do you look for in a minivan? Where family's concerned, a minivan should have lots of space, plenty of comfort, and, most of all, safety. The redesigned 2006 Kia Sedona has returned with vast improvements in all these areas.

Eight inches longer means its overall length now exceeds the Odyssey and the Grand Caravan. A new third row also folds flat into the floor for 141.5 cubic feet of cargo room (up from 127 last year). A new 3.8 V6 that hits 240-hp with a 5-speed Sportmatic transmission, combined with lighter aluminum body parts, improves power and performance. But most of all, the Kia Sedona has earned the first ever IIHSA "best safety" award for a minivan, with its newly standard ABS brakes, traction and stability control, and front-side and 3-rows of side curtain airbags.

The 2006 Sedona comes in LX and EX trims. The base LX features tri-zone climate control, a CD player, keyless entry, second row captain's chairs, and a CD player. The EX bumps you up to a power driver's seat, heated mirrors, MP3 player, wood and leather trim, larger tires, and a roof rack. Power sliding doors and a power liftgate are only optional, however. A Luxury Package adds heated leather seats, a sunroof, and parking sensors. A DVD player is also optional, and comes with surround sound in the EX.

Drivers of the 2006 Sedona rave about the power and solidity, but also the long list of features that make it competitive with more expensive minivans. Handling is first-rate, and the extra room a big help. However, the third row is cramped. The second row seats do move back and forth, but are cumbersome to lift out. Drivers also wish there were more options, like a navigation system, and that the power sliding doors were standard. The wood trim looks very fake to most people.