2002 Kia Sedona

It looks like a duck and quacks like a duck. But the all-new 2002 Kia Sedona minivan -- the first Korean minivan in North America and a visual knockoff of the popular Ford Windstar -- is priced thousands of dollars cheaper than its domestic rival.

Outside of a few quality glitches and the occasional design lapse, Paul was generally impressed by the long list of features and above-average performance on the $23,805 Sedona EX that we tested. But then he was never the primary minivan driver in our family.

He: The new Sedona may be the nicest Kia we've tested. It certainly is the most lavishly equipped. Starting at $21,000, the Sedona EX comes with such standard features as dual air conditioning, power driver and passenger seats, CD player, overhead console and keyless entry.

She: Let me stop you right there. You sound like a brochure. And from what I understand, most dealers are getting rid of those. The big question: Will the Sedona hurt my image?

He: Not if you live in a neighborhood full of Windstars. You'll blend right in. That's a strength and a weakness. The Sedona has no real personality. But it makes for a terrific generic minivan, with more equipment for the money than most competitors, including the class-leading Honda Odyssey.

She: We'd be misleading people if we conveyed the wrong impression -- that this is anything but a bargain-basement minivan. If they sold cars at an outlet store, the Sedona would be there. The Koreans have made no advances on the minivan front. And understand that you can't order such goodies on the Sedona as power sliding doors, a power liftgate and a rear-seat entertainment system. I'm going by my nephews, Steven and Nick. They are demanding entertainment systems -- and they're only 10 and seven.

He: Typical mom, right? I don't recall you letting your kids spec your last minivan, dear. And speaking of advances, what's wrong with putting together a very competent package that does many things well, does it at a reasonable price and backs it up with one of the best warranties? Oldsmobile offers the same five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty on the Silhouette, but that's a lame duck that's going out of production soon. The Volkswagen EuroVan has a four-year/50,000-mile warranty, but it costs $5,000 more than the Kia, and I'd rather drive the Sedona.

She: I agree that Korean quality has risen. I was impressed by the thickness of the carpeting in the Sedona and the quality of the seat fabric and stitching. When I attended the Sedona preview in Detroit, I met one of the Kia product guys -- and he had spent much of his career at Toyota. So some of that Japanese obsession with quality is rubbing off on the Koreans. Kia is competitive with most of the big players when it comes to horsepower, too. Like the Windstar and Odyssey, it comes with a V-6 engine. The new Odyssey makes 240 horsepower, the Windstar 200 and the Kia 195. But the Sedona doesn't feel underpowered at all, especi ally with the five-speed automatic. The fuel economy isn't much to brag about, though, at 15 miles per gallon in city driving.

He: The Sedona is a good first effort for Kia. You're right in that it doesn't yet offer a full range of extras, like some rivals. But I'm impressed by stuff like the folding tray table, which Kia appears to have lifted directly from Honda, and the clever center-mounted shift lever in the console. I'm disappointed that you have to pay extra for antilock brakes, and you won't be able to get side air bags for another year. But this is still a competent minivan with lots of features that's easy to drive and operate, and the price is sensational.

She: You're conveniently forgetting some of the problems we encountered. Like the rear seat back that didn't want to latch and flew forward the first time you braked hard. And what a dumb location for that big storage bin in the center of the dashboard, where the lid blocks your view through the windshield whe 's open. I couldn't get the ashtray to close and some mornings couldn't get the engine to start right away. But the price is right. I'd say this is a great first minivan for families watching their pennies, but if you've owned a Chrysler or a Ford minivan, driving the Kia may feel like a step down.

2002 Kia
Sedona EX

Anita's rating: (Acceptable)

Paul's rating: (Above average)

Likes: Loads of features for under $24,000, including leather seats and sunroof. Thousands cheaper than comparably equipped domestic competitors. Decent engine power. Nice folding tray table (copied from Honda). Dual glove boxes. Clever center-mounted shift lever. Easy-to-use climate controls. Dynamite 60/60 warranty with free roadside assistance.

Dislikes: Generic styling on this Windstar lookalike. Doesn't like to start when cold. No power doors or liftgate. No side air bags. No rear-seat entertainment system. Rear seat back difficult to latch, flew forward when braking. Dumb location for cargo bin in center of dash, where lid blocks vision. Couldn't shut lid on ashtray. Mediocre fuel economy.

Type: Front-engine, front-wheel drive, seven-passenger minivan.

Price: Base, $20,995; as tested, $23,805 (inc. $595 destination charge).

Engine: 3.5-liter V-6; 195-hp; 218 lb-ft torque.

EPA fuel economy: 15 mpg city/20 mpg highway.

12-month insurance cost, estimated by AAA Michigan: $1,230 (Rates may be higher or lower, depending on coverage and driving record.)

Where built: Korea