Lifehacks and Momhacks: My Week Driving the Kia Sedona SX – L (Review)
I test drove a Kia Sedona SX – L for one week courtesy of DriveShop, here’s my take on the experience.
I wasn’t home when DriveShop delivered the shiny silver Kia Sedona SX – L to my house. Instead my husband happily signed for the car and was treated to a tour of the features, interior and exterior. As soon as the deliveryman left, he immediately gave me a call. His first words? “You and Gabe are going to love this.”
He was right on the money. My 6-year-old has had a passion for cars – anything in the transportation industry, really – since he was very, very small. So he’s quick to notice all the cool, new features of cars he encounters on our daily commutes. Once, during school pick up, he was amazed that the cross-over next to us had automatic sliding doors. He could not stop staring as his schoolmates climbed into their car seats and chatted happily as the doors closed by themselves.
Ever since that day, he’s tried to convince his father and I to purchase a new vehicle with automatic sliding doors. It’s his mission. So, when I picked him up from school that afternoon in the new Kia Sedona, he was more than thrilled when I pushed a button on the keychain and the doors slid open on their own. He settled into his car seat in his captain’s chair and giggled as the door slid closed behind him.
As our week progressed, we found more and more features and tech that made loading up the car, getting comfortable and driving easy and safe. I would not be surprised if the makers decided upon their features with busy families in mind. This car is jam packed with momhacks.
While I could write about the specs and mechanicals, these are the features that made the biggest difference in my busy, daily life:
Automatic Doors: Not only do the doors open and close with the push of a button, which is so helpful when your hands are full, but so does the rear door, thanks to its Liftgate technology. Once opened, the rear door reveals the deepest trunk I have ever seen. Backpacks, purses and a week’s full of groceries occupied just about a half of the space back there.
DVD Player: Lifesaver. I drove all over town gleefully checking thing after thing off of my to-do list, while my oblivious kiddo was absorbed in his Thomas the Tank Engine DVD. And, thanks to the Bluetooth headphones, I didn’t have to hear any of it. I got to listen to my own jams.
Driver’s Side Comfort Controls: It was mid-January, when I test-drove my loaner. And while a South Texas winter isn’t as bitter as it is for those up north, I was grateful for the heated seat and heated steering wheel.
Backseat Window Shades: This was another bonus my kiddo adored. 
Texas winters can be chilly (well, chilly for us) but also bright and sunny, making sunglasses and window shades essential all year long. If you have a very little one, these shades are perfect for protecting baby from the sun’s strong rays.
Surround View Monitor: The Kia Sedona isn’t a small vehicle. No, it’s comfortable three rows and roomy interior mean a longer vehicle. But it’s still easy to manage and drive, thanks in part to the super helpful Surround View Monitor. Not only do you have the luxury of a rear-view reverse camera, but you can see how the car fits into parking spaces, for example, via a bird’s eye view.
