SecondhandSense: Kia Sedona:Underpinning the success of Korean car manufacturers is the value-for-money principle, something some people are more than happy to favour over other considerations.
And there is no doubt there are many happy owners of Korean-built cars who are content with what they have bought and the fact that they have probably been able to afford a better equipped car than they previously might have.
However, there are some things one just has to gloss over to appreciate these cars - bland design, extremely dull interiors covered in acres of dull plastic and sometimes questionable safety records.
The latter comes to mind when considering the Kia Sedona as a second-hand option. It has been around for some eight years now and was originally introduced as a value-for-money MPV with lots of room, a family-friendly interior, a big diesel engine for economy and a practical design. It was intended as a competitor on the American market and only came with a 2.6-litre petrol engine and a 2.9-litre diesel engine, of which the diesel was the preferred model for the Irish market.
There is no doubt that it is big and spacious and comfortable to drive, at least when driving in the city and cruising. It becomes very disappointing when you have to tackle any kind of rough surface or tight corners, with neither ride nor handling to accommodate either. The diesel engine is also a noisy one but it does return over 30mpg and is economical even when fully laden to its seven-passenger capacity.
The seats are big and comfortable but the rear row is made up of those removable seats which are the bane of peoples' lives when it comes to removing and replacing them.
My biggest problem with the Sedona is its EuroNCAP crash test rating because it is aimed at families. It scored only two out of a possible five stars. Let me quote from the test report to show why: "The driver risked damage to the head, chest and legs and the front passenger risked chest injury too. The Sedona's body was badly damaged in the frontal impact and became unstable. It did worse in the frontal impact than in others because the driver's head hit the steering wheel, the footwell ruptured and the pedals were pushed backwards by the impact." However, the child restraints were praised as having done a "good job". This test was carried out only three years ago.
After a result like this it is hard to awaken any enthusiasm for the Sedona. It does have a reasonable mechanical reliability record and recalls have affected only small numbers of Sedona's, but then only small numbers have been sold.
A 2003 model with 69,000 miles on the clock and a 2.9-litre diesel engine is on offer at one garage for €15,950.
A 2005 model with 17,500 miles costs about €26,500.
The prices are not bad but the car's safety record precludes any further interest on my part.
FOR: Big and spacious good diesel economy AGAINST: The crash test results are frightening