2012 Kia Sedona Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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The 2012 Kia Sedona takes a double whammy and gets it pretty much from both sides, from within its own family and the outside as well, leaving it in the dust as far as some are concerned. Kia upgraded and freshened up several of its offerings for the model year, but paid little heed to its minivan. At the same time, the Sedona’s rivals, the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna, along with the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, were shown more love by their makers in the way of improvements.
That may be a function of the rumors in recent years that Kia plans to phase out the Sedona with the idea and hope of steering those in the market for a seven-seater to its four-wheel-drive Sorento.
Despite the lack of attention and an uncertain future, the 2012 Kia Sedona, while perhaps not shining, manages to persevere and still has a fair share of fans among buyers and reviewers. After all, soccer moms and dads may have long ago moved on to the next great thing for transporting half a team’s worth of kids, but when it comes right down to it, the ease of access and egress and overall roominess of a large rig equipped with sliding back doors have not lost all their appeal. The Sedona continues to offer that at a competitive price and with a more-than-competitive warranty.
The 2012 Kia Sedona again comes in two trims, a base LX and an EX. Both are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 that was new for 2011 and is good for 271 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque and teams with a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control. Fuel mileage estimates are 18 mpg city/25 highway.
The LX comes with 16-inch wheels, front and rear air conditioning, rear parking sensors, full power accessories, a tilt steering wheel with audio controls and a 6-speaker CD/MP3 stereo with satellite radio. It features a table between the front-row seats, the second-row captain’s chairs are removable and the third-row bench seat folds flat.
The EX gets 17-inch alloy wheels, a power tailgate, a trip computer, heated outside mirrors, foglamps, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and a rear-view camera.
Kia groups several options for the EX into packages. Heated front seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, a sunroof and leather upholstery come with a Luxury package. Buyers who go for the Luxury package can also add either a Premium Entertainment or Navigation package. A navigation system and an 8-speaker Infinity audio system make up the latter. The Entertainment setup offers a 10-speaker Infinity audio system and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system.
Most experts call the 2012 Kia Sedona roomy for passengers in all three rows and equipment alike, and it’s loaded with cupholders and assorted storage spaces.
The 2012 Kia Sedona, to be sure, receives mixed reviews. While some experts laud the safety and comfort of its ride and feel it has plenty of power and boasts good value, others are quick to label it tired and uninspiring in design, both from the outside and on the inside, as well as in its drivability. They also find fault with its reliability and resale value. A common complaint seems to be that the cabin in particular, while functional, uses too many low-quality materials.
The Sedona has long scored well in safety tests conducted by the government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and features a full array of airbags, traction and stability control, and antilock 4-wheel disc brakes with brake assist.
User reviews for 2012 Kia Sedona
Write a review2012 Kia Sedona Pricing
Trims & specs
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Dual front air conditioning zones · Dual rear air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Third row side curtain airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: element · Auxiliary audio input: jack · Single disc in-Dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · AM/FM radio · Satellite Radio: SiriusXM · Total Number of Speakers: 6 · 172 watts
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 11.7 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 11.9 · Rear brakes: disc
Comfort Features
Armrests: dual front · Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Mats: front
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Cupholders: rear · Multi-function remote: keyless entry with panic alarm · One-touch windows: 1 · Power outlet(s): two 12V · Reading lights: third row · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable · Steering wheel mounted controls: audio · Storage: accessory hook · Universal garage door opener: Homelink · Vanity mirrors: dual
Doors
Side door type: power sliding
Driver Seat
Adjustable lumbar support: manual · Manual adjustments: 4
Drivetrain
Axle ratio: 3.04
Exterior Features
Body side moldings: body-color · Door handle color: body-color · Front bumper color: body-color · Mirror color: body-color · Rear bumper color: body-color · Rear trunk/liftgate: liftgate · Side door type: dual manual sliding
Headrests
Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 2 · Number of third row headrests: 3
Instrumentation
Warnings and reminders: low fuel level
Mirrors
Auto-dimming mirrors: rearview · Exterior mirrors: integrated turn signals
Passenger Seat
Adjustable lumbar support: manual · Manual Adjustments: 4
Rear Seats
Type: removable captains chairs
Roof
OEM roof height: undefined · Roof rails: black
Safety
Active head restraints: driver · Camera system: rearview · Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Crumple zones: rear · Parking sensors: rear
Seatbelts
Front seatbelts: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front · Second row seatbelts: 3-point · Third row seatbelts: 3-point
Seats
Driver seat manual adjustments: reclining · Front seat type: captains chairs · Passenger seat manual adjustments: reclining · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat manual adjustments: reclining · Third row headrests: adjustable · Third row seat folding: fold flat into floor · Upholstery: cloth
Spare Tire
Mount Location: underbody · Size: temporary
Spare Wheel
Rim Type: steel
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Suspension Classification: independent · Rear Suspension Type: multi-link · Stabilizer bar(s): front
Telematics
Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth
Third Row Seat
Type: 40-60 split bench
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheels: alloy
Windows
Front wipers: variable intermittent · Power windows: front · Rear quarter windows: manual · Rear wiper: with washer · Tinted: windshield
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Dual front air conditioning zones · Automatic climate control rear air conditioning · Single rear air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Rear side curtain airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: element · Auxiliary audio input: jack · Wireless headphones · 6 disc in-dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · AM/FM radio · Remote control: audio and video · Satellite Radio: SiriusXM · Total Number of Speakers: 8 · 172 watts
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 11.7 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 11.9 · Rear brakes: disc
Comfort Features
Armrests: dual front · Center console trim: wood · Dash trim: wood · Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Mats: front · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Adjustable pedals: power · Center console: front console with storage · Cupholders: rear · Memorized settings: driver seat · Multi-function remote: keyless entry with panic alarm · One-touch windows: 1 · Power outlet(s): two 12V · Reading lights: third row · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable · Steering wheel mounted controls: audio · Storage: cargo tie-down anchors and hooks · Vanity mirrors: dual illuminating
Driver Seat
Adjustable lumbar support: power · Power adjustments: 8
Drivetrain
Axle ratio: 3.04
Exterior Features
Body side moldings: chrome · Door handle color: chrome · Front bumper color: body-color · Mirror color: body-color · Rear bumper color: body-color · Rear trunk/liftgate: power operated · Side door type: dual power sliding
Headrests
Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 2 · Number of third row headrests: 3
In Car Entertainment
Video system: DVD player
Instrumentation
Warnings and reminders: low fuel level
Lights
Headlights: Auto on/off
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: integrated turn signals
Passenger Seat
Adjustable lumbar support: power · Manual Adjustments: 2 · Power adjustments: 4
Rear Seats
Type: removable captains chairs
Roof
OEM roof height: undefined · Roof rails: black · Sunroof: power glass
Safety
Active head restraints: driver · Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Crumple zones: front · Parking sensors: rear
Seatbelts
Front seatbelts: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front · Second row seatbelts: 3-point · Third row seatbelts: 3-point
Seats
Driver seat manual adjustments: reclining · Driver seat power adjustments: height · Front seat type: captains chairs · Heated: front seats · Passenger seat manual adjustments: reclining · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat manual adjustments: reclining · Third row headrests: adjustable · Third row seat folding: split · Upholstery: leather
Spare Tire
Mount Location: underbody · Size: temporary
Spare Wheel
Rim Type: steel
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Suspension Classification: independent · Rear Suspension Type: multi-link · Stabilizer bar(s): front
Telematics
Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth
Third Row Seat
Type: 40-60 split bench
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: variable intermittent · Power windows: front · Rear quarter windows: power · Rear wiper: with washer · Tinted: windshield
