For me it came down to price. The Kia had way more value for the money. The same money spent on a Pacifica wouldn't have had nearly as much.

I also don't like the second row seats compared to the Kia. The Pacifica seats are designed to stow and go and therefore are little square bricks. Where the kias don't stow, but they are able to be slightly bigger and more comfortable.

 

Good to know. Didn't notice that when I drove it, probably because I didn't really spend much time in the back. I can't think of a time when I had to haul 8x4 sheets of drywall or plywood so I don't see the need for the 2nd row seats to disappear. And I agree with the value, however it seems Chrysler is currently giving heavy discounts to new vehicles, so what I am seeing is a new Chrysler Pacifica Touring L for around $24k is the same price as a very slightly used Kia Sedona LX premium package but the kicker for me is the lack of Kia warranty transfer. I can go CPO and get the 10/100 drivetrain but not having a few years of bumper to bumper is sticking in my craw.

 

I did as well, it really boiled down to price, reliability and styling. The kia is certainly more "muscular" looking than the pacifica. Also, we don't have kids in our family, so some of the features the pacifca has are not such a big selling point; long distance comfort for adult passengers was more important, and I felt the sedona was better, especially in the 2nd row (stow n go really does affect this) when comparing bench to bench. I did not like the reclining 2nd row in the upper sedona trims.

Price-wise, we were looking at CPO/used, so the pacifica was just not there yet in terms of pricing.

Reliability was a big factor, as we were planning to keep this for the life of the vehicle. The sedona is a 3 year-old chassis with a proven track record, whilst the pacifica was/is a first year model (which I would never buy in the first place), and maybe more important, an FCA product - 'nuff said.

 

For me, hands-down....I liked the styling of the Sedona much more. I loved the center console between the driver/passenger seats. And while I haven't been following the Pacifica forums any longer, WAY too many people were having transmission issues with the known, problem plagued, 9-speed.

 

If we weren't trading in our 2014 Town& Country, we quite possibly have considered the Pacifica more seriously. As it was, the T&C's refinement level soured our taste for Chrysler products. I was trying to keep an open mind about the completely redesigned Pacifica, but my wife was adamant against it, unfairly as it might have been.

That said, I do like the Pacifica better than Odyssey/Sienna. The Stow-n-Go 2nd row were the bee's knees and worked fantastically for our needs with 3 kids. Most often, we fold one 2nd row seat down, which opens up ingress/egress no other vans can match. The fold forward 2nd row seat in our Sedona SX, while not as trick as Stow-n-Go, come closest to matching Chrysler's utility. As far as reliability is concerned, the T&C was excellent too, which is more than I can say about the '04 Sienna we had. Pacifica's suspension is markedly better than the clunky T&C, but still not as refined as the Sedona.

Styling wise, the new Sedona beats all other minivans by a long shot. We cannot stand the last 2 gens of Odyssey, they just get weirder and weirder. Sienna is not bad, but getting a bit long in the tooth. Pacifica is fairly smart looking but, to me, it's a look that just doesn't appear likely to age well. Peter Schreyer has been waving his magic wand at Kia and the Sedona is no exception.

We also much prefer Sedona's SUV-like front row interior. Other than having only 2 cup holders up front, we just like the ergonomics of the high continuous center console, with the shift lever where God intended it to be.

 

Good info folks, and I am tending to agree. The warranty thing just kills me though. Why Kia refuses to let even the 5yr/60k mile warranty transfer is beyond me. Cars are becoming more and more complicated and especially minivans with heavy power doors, seats that can be configured 50 ways, multi zone AC, and even entertainment systems. I know I can always buy a warranty but aftermarket warranties are a nightmare and generally a poor investment. Just amazing I can buy a car with 8k miles on it and if the power door breaks in a few months nobody will stand behind it.

 

I'm pretty sure Kia's 5/60 bumper-to-bumper warranty is transferable. It's only the 100/10 powertrain that is limited to the first owner.

See here: https://www.kia.com/us/k3/content/media/all/warranty/2017_Warranty.pdf

 

Yes, if you're the second or above owner, the 10/100000 powertrain warranty goes down to "only" 5/60,000.

 

My Kia has been a great van, but it just doesn't hold up to the much newer, more refined Pacifica. Technology is way better, better riding, quieter. Sedona is better looking still, but that doesn't overcome the other benefits of the Pacifica. Will be trading the Sedona on a new Pacifica Limited anytime now.

 

Hi SWSedonaSX-L
Been a long while...

So did you trade in the Sedona for the Pacifica?

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I did test drive the Pacifica before buying my Sedona. It mainly came down to styling and reliability. I simply don't trust a first-year FCA model.

 

ya I agree. My daughter bought a new 2016 FCA fan and it was a disaster from a reliability standpoint. So many things failed on it until it finally quit one night in the winter out in the country (she had her 7 year old daughter with her) and after that she refused to drive it anymore. i went and picked them up (thank goodness for cel phones) and she had already decided to get rid of it, and she did.

So be careful about FCA products. They don't have a great reputation for reliability. I'd never let anyone I know buy one if possible. Too much FIAT in them now maybe.

 

I'm not worried about reliability. I wouldn't buy a brand new model FCA vehicle, but I've had a couple of recent Jeep Grand Cherokees, and I know lots of people with them as well as with Pacificas and all have been fine. The Pacifica has been out a good while now, and the 2018 models are getting ready to come out. Although deals are so good on 2017s on the lot I would do that without concern too.

 

well I suppose they might make a good one every now and then....good luck with it if that's what you decide to do.

 

Chrysler's been lagging behind the other 2 US manufacturers before Fiat came along, ever since the Daimler merger, which basically left Chrysler a skeleton of its old Mopar-self. Blame bad management leading to the engineers having less resources to make a competitive product.

Back to the Pacifica, my biggest concern is it's using the ZF 9 speed transmission that's plagued the other cars that have it (200, 300, Cherokee, 500x, etc). This was also the same transmission that led to a million-car recall last year for shifting into N involuntarily. Hopefully, theyve sorted it out in this car.

 

Back to the Pacifica, my biggest concern is it's using the ZF 9 speed transmission that's plagued the other cars that have it (200, 300, Cherokee, 500x, etc). This was also the same transmission that led to a million-car recall last year for shifting into N involuntarily. Hopefully, theyve sorted it out in this car.

All of the reviews i've read/watched of the Pacifica mention that ZF 9 speed is implemented much better in the Pacifica, and thats been my experience also. In any event, my only drivability issue with the Sedona is actually the transmission. Its really lazy and poor shifting in any sort of quick driving, worst attribute of the van IMHO.

well I suppose they might make a good one every now and then....good luck with it if that's what you decide to do.

We're definitely going to be trading the Sedona, its just a question of whether it will be on the Pacifica or the Odyssey.

We test drove the new Pacifica prior to looking at Kia (and in fact, Kia wasn't even on our radar until a few days later). At the time, the Pacifica had only just been released, and the price difference between the Chrysler and Kia was substantial. For the same price we would get the base Pacifica, we could get a lot more Kia, and in fact, once I read several reviews of the Sedona, we started talking to a dealership who got us a great deal on an SX (when we'd only been looking at an EX).

So, it came down to price. Really, the only thing the Pacifica had we'd have wanted more was the stow n go second row, but outside of that, we're pretty happy with our choice.

Now you can get $10k+ off a Pacifica easily

 

We test drove the new Pacifica prior to looking at Kia (and in fact, Kia wasn't even on our radar until a few days later). At the time, the Pacifica had only just been released, and the price difference between the Chrysler and Kia was substantial. For the same price we would get the base Pacifica, we could get a lot more Kia, and in fact, once I read several reviews of the Sedona, we started talking to a dealership who got us a great deal on an SX (when we'd only been looking at an EX).

So, it came down to price. Really, the only thing the Pacifica had we'd have wanted more was the stow n go second row, but outside of that, we're pretty happy with our choice.

 

We just bought a 2017 Kia Sedona fully loaded. The Pacifica has the same transmission as these other FCA models which have already shown to be problematic. The other thing is my buddy is a mechanic and he follows a lot of Facebook groups and the consensus on FCA is to stay away. He said the Kia is good to go so we went for it. Also the Toyota has been reported to have strange vibration issues and the new 8 speed also shifts all over the place when trying to accelerate. The Honda has been reported from buyers to have quality control issues, so we ruled that out as well. So far we are happy with our choice. Time will tell I suppose. Also we got a really really good price on ours. Saved at least $10k off the already very competitive Kia pricing.

 

The Sedona is a great van, IMHO it just lacks polish, and quite frankly its older now, its the second oldest van in the segment behind the Sienna (why on earth they didn't redo it is beyond me). Newer vans do things better. There are certain things about it as a "van" that once you've lived with it with young kids and taken a bunch of trips and things stick out at you. For instance the console, which we loved when we chose it because we were used to cars and SUVs, we don't like now. Its not convenient for my wife's purse, drive thru bags, less storage, etc. Big one for me is seating, can't access the third row when carseats are installed in the second row. Newer vans like the Pacifica and Odyssey have designed around that problem. Its not as polished and premium feeling on the road as the newer vans, louder on the highway, etc.

Kia will learn from little things such as these when they redo the Sedona, I would definitely buy another one when that time comes, and another Kia/Hyundai product in general. I just wouldn't choose my Sedona today compared with the new Pacifica or the new Odyssey.

 

Our little one just switched from rear to front facing. There is now plenty of room for the big kids to pass through to the third row (we removed the 8th seat) without having to move anything. I agree that the Honda layout is superior, either sliding the seat inward or allowing the whole thing to tilt with the car seat in place. But our temporary inconvenience has now passed, and I still find the Sedona far more attractive inside and out, and remain impressed with the ride and handling and comfort. Only fuel economy has been disappointing. When our lease is up in a couple years, we will review the competition, but it'll take a lot to change my loyalty at this point. Bring on an upgrade to the driving assistance features (stop n go for the auto cruise control, rather than cutting off entirely at 6 mph) and keep everything else the same, I'll be more than satisfied. Word is a refresh is coming soon, not sure if that includes any mechanical updates or just cosmetic.

 

Hyundai/Kia typically does a minor update & facelift every 3yrs, and a complete redesign every 6yrs. For us here in NA, that would be 2018 MY at the earliest for some front fascia restyle and package reshuffle. Since the minivan isn't one of Kia's big volume seller, don't be surprise those timelines get stretched quite a big. Last generation Sedona stayed in production for 9yrs from 2006-2014.

 

Well, its a general trend for minivans since their market has shrunk considerably in the last 15 years. The sienna is going on its 9th year, the caravan on its 10th. Even the Odyssey was at its 7th year mark before being replaced this year. For those in the market for a minivan, they may end up being left with not much of a choice, or be driven to the "alternative" CUV segment.

 

Wife wanted to try the 3-row SUV route, so we went with a Veracruz for a few years. While we loved the ride, comfort and luxury, the interior space utilization just isn't as efficient as a true minivan, when you have a car full of kids. Personally, I don't get the "soccer mom" stigma and couldn't care less what others think of what I drive.

IMHO, the minivan market won't shrivel up and die completely and probably has bottomed out to a stable volume. There will always be car buyers that appreciate the ideal kid hauler and aren't so image paranoid.

I prefer to think of it as glass half full. Competition in a shrinking market has weeded out the weak and less desirable. The minivans that have survived are the best of the best, and you really can't go wrong with any of them. Okay, with the exception of the quirky Nissan Quest, the latest iteration of which looks like an phat hearse and probably is not long for this world.

 

Issue is she lives down the street, so we do things together on a regular basis. If we go away or something we put one in the back since we’ll all be riding together for a while. If we want to say, all go out to dinner one Tuesday, it’s really annoying.

 

Not even close!

I'm a "car guy" from the '60's and was pretty much loyal to MoPar (Chrysler) products during that time. Over the years, time hasn't been kind to Chrysler. Today, I wouldn't consider any Chrysler product for ownership. All you have to do is check out the car mags, Consumer Reports and other auto-related info sources to realize that Chrysler products are less-than-reliable, low on quality and way short on resale value. Granted, there have been a few improvements over the last 5 years or so, but no where near what it would take for me to even think about buying one.

About 12 months ago, we bought a new 2016 KIA Sedona SXL. Based on all my research, it sounded like a nice vehicle and certainly worth our consideration. I'm happy to say we've loved it ever since we got it. Yes, we though about Honda and Toyota models, but ultimately went with the KIA...and glad we did. It's certainly got the best "looks" of all the mini-vans and loaded with features that we wanted.

Yeah, the Pacifica may be less expensive (equally equipped), but the Sedona is far and away a better, long-run purchase!

 

I'm a "car guy" from the '60's and was pretty much loyal to MoPar (Chrysler) products during that time. Over the years, time hasn't been kind to Chrysler. Today, I wouldn't consider any Chrysler product for ownership. All you have to do is check out the car mags, Consumer Reports and other auto-related info sources to realize that Chrysler products are less-than-reliable, low on quality and way short on resale value. Granted, there have been a few improvements over the last 5 years or so, but no where near what it would take for me to even think about buying one.



About 12 months ago, we bought a new 2016 KIA Sedona SXL. Based on all my research, it sounded like a nice vehicle and certainly worth our consideration. I'm happy to say we've loved it ever since we got it. Yes, we though about Honda and Toyota models, but ultimately went with the KIA...and glad we did. It's certainly got the best "looks" of all the mini-vans and loaded with features that we wanted.



Yeah, the Pacifica may be less expensive (equally equipped), but the Sedona is far and away a better, long-run purchase!

I couldn't agree more with you...

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Interestingly Consumer Reports have ranked KIA 3rd in overall brand reliability for at least 2 years running I think. Higher than parent company Hyundai and much higher than the FCA brands, although I think Chrysler is usually the least nonreliable FCA brand compared to say Fiat for instance.

Not sure about CR's methodology in determining reliability, but they typically have the Japanese cars at the top (along with Buick for some reason) and Chrysler/Dodge products near the bottom, so it is interesting that lately the 2 Korean brands are closer to the top than the bottom.

 

For Consumer Reports predicted reliability, Kia Sedona is actually the #1 rated minivan for 2018 model year. This is probably because the Sienna is getting a refresh for 2018 (1st year models always take a ding from CR) and the Sedona is pretty much a carryover from 2017.

I just bought a 2018 SXL last week so I'm probably a little biased at the moment, but I'm happy with my decision. We also test drove an Odyssey. I didn't like that it was too big (even Sedona is a tight squeeze in my garage) and my wife didn't like lack of sunroof in the back. Also, I'm terrified of the 9-speed ZF transmission on the Odyssey, and I don't want to beta-test the 10-speed Honda transmission for the Touring/Elite either.

As for the Pacifica, a quick hop over to the NHTSA database told me to steer clear despite the fact that I could probably get pretty good pricing (especially with rebates on the hybrid). I'd already been following Pacifica reliability issues on their forums and NHTSA database, and I couldn't even convince my wife to test drive one with me after I showed her the data. The day after we bought the Sedona was when all the articles broke about the Center for Auto Safety calling on an NHTSA investigation and for Chrysler to issue a recall for loss of throttle/power steering while people are barreling 60mph down a freeway. Bullet dodged as far as I'm concerned.

 

These days, Japanese cars no longer rule supreme in the reliability department. A great number of older drivers/owners still have that biased mindset, and that affects how they fill out the surveys. Consequently, they still get an unfair advantage in the numbers game. If you could filter that bias out of these ownership surveys, Japanese cars would rank even lower.

Personally, I don't give too much credence in these ownership surveys, mostly because they assume every driver answers in the exactly same objective manner, which is patently unlikely.

 

Recall for the Pacifica. IMO not surprising. Almost par for the course for Chrysler.