Entry-Level Minivans

Kia Sedona and Hyundai Entourage

If your budget can't accommodate a $30,000 or $40,000 minivan, reviews say you can opt for the least expensive full-size minivan on the market -- the Kia Sedona (*Est. $21,065 to $26,595) -- without sacrificing one bit of safety, horsepower or passenger/cargo room.

The Sedona's near twin, the Hyundai Entourage (*Est. $23,995 to $29,895), is identical in all of those areas, but it does not offer the less expensive short-wheelbase model (that's exclusive to the Kia) and costs more.

Kia and Hyundai lead the minivan pack in terms of safety (along with the Honda Odyssey), with the highest crash-test scores at both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Both come with standard 250-horsepower, 3.8-liter V6 engines -- comparable to the top-rated Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. As for roominess, one top consumer testing organization found that the Hyundai and the long-wheelbase Kia actually have the roomiest third row seating of any minivan (reviews say minivans' third rows often feel like sardine cans).

Both the Kia and the Hyundai include all of the major standard niceties you'll find on more expensive minivans: traction control, cruise control, keyless entry, three-zone climate control and foldaway third-row seats. The Hyundai Entourage also includes standard rear power windows and roof rack rails. The long-wheelbase Kia can be had with a backup warning system, but buyers must also select the power package or luxury package, depending on trim level, to get it. You can trick these vans out with DVD players, heated leather seats and the like -- it just costs extra, as it does on more expensive minivans.

So what's the tradeoff? Reliability and resale value, according to reviews. Unlike the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna, the Kia Sedona and Hyundai Entourage both tend to break down more than the average car, one top consumer organization found. And although reviews say the Kia Sedona's resale value has been improving lately (in an early 2008 Forbes analysis of the top 10 value-losing vehicles, the Sedona was the worst), the Sedona and Entourage both still lose their value faster than the average minivan, according to Kelley Blue Book.

Unlike the Honda and Toyota minivans, the Kia/Hyundai offers seating only for seven; seating for eight is not an option. Gas mileage is a little lower (18 mpg combined) than on the base Toyota Sienna (19 mpg) and Honda Odyssey's top trim line (20 mpg). Various review sources say the Kia/Hyundai handles safely, but heavily. The Kia Sedona also lacks the polish of a Honda or Toyota minivan, according to the Institute for Consumer Automotive Research. "It gives up little to pricier competitors in comfort, refinement, safety, and even luxury, and it's less expensive," IFCAR states. "But while it gives up little, the little things do add up."

IFCAR still highly recommends the Sedona, rating it third, right behind the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna minivans among 31 seven-passenger vehicles. The Sedona is also a top pick at the National Motorist Association and at Kelley Blue Book, where editors call the 2008 model "a nightmare for rival manufacturers."