Camping . Climbing . Kayaking . Biking . None of these risky venture find right in a minivan to me … heck , not even a route trip-up feel aphrodisiacal in a minivan . I ’ve always associated minivans with soccer ma and suburban family , so when Kia offered up their Sedona MPV ( that ’s Multi - Purpose Vehicle , not minivan , mind you ) forThe CSA Cookbook Road Tripthis summertime , I ’ll admit I was a little hesitant at first .
But the large window , sizable warehousing , and great gas mileage sway me enough to give it a go , and seven weeks later , it was a distressing , sad day when I had to return the fomite . TheSedonahas totally changed my impressions of MPVs and their possibilities on the road .
As a mobile office , the Sedona had every agreeableness I need to stay connected during my book tour , include two build - in power inverters that were in constant usance to level our phones , figurer , and television camera . We actually had a power strip attached while we were on the route , and it was fantastic for those tenacious stretches between hotel suite .
Since we spent a few day hiking in Arches and Yellowstone National Parks , sealed features that seemed piddling at first — like duple glove boxes and a utility torch — turned out to be surprisingly utilitarian for hoard all our track maps and lighting our room through camp . There was a place for everything in the Sedona : a roomy center console , 12 cupful bearer , even a sunglass bearer . Perfect for the organizational OCD in me .
But perhaps my all - time favorite feature film was the panoramic windows … which , inadvertently , made it an awe-inspiring safari Mobile River in Yellowstone .
rightfully , the only thing neglect from the Sedona was all - roulette wheel drive . If and when it ’s ever implement in a future model , I ’d seriously deal buying one as our folk dangerous undertaking vehicle .
Since the married man ( and Word photographer and adventure partner ) was behind the steering wheel 95 percentage of the clock time , I think it would be appropriate to turn the genuine performance review over to him .
Take it away , WT !
( And heaps of thanks toKia Motors USAandDriveShopfor the incredible opportunity ! I ’m already woolgather of the next route trip … )
Text by Will Taylor
Let ’s go again ! I ’m ready ! Even after 11,000 - plus miles driven , I long for the historied turn and turns of the American road . Sure , it helps that I ’ve always been a driver , and that ’s likely due to growing up the son of a Porsche / Audi and Mercedes - Benz dealer . It ’s rumored that my first Good Book was “ Carrera ” — pronounced “ kah - weah - weah ” with substantial babe accent — pep up by the iconic German automobile .
former memories of the ride home from school with my pa recall a new automobile each Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , and of row , he ’d have to “ try out ride ” it on the way home . So there I am , sliding this way and that into every box … firmly press into raw motorcar - smell leather bucketful place with my dad sedately racing the narrow-minded hometown streets , focused in his zen .
Each time he ’d show up with a new car , he ’d predicate that this was his young “ Papa Toy , ” and I could n’t waitress for the day I could get one of my own ! The route is in my lineage , with the draw of the next horizon , the mesmerizing route noise , and the dateless find around each bend . When I drive alone , the hours can pass — no music , just the windows collapse , and the road ’s symphony playing my theme medicine .
So when Garden Betty come near me about a’round - the - US road trip book tourforThe CSA Cookbook , I was sell right away . A few weeks later I was delighted to pick up that Kia saw the value in the cookbook and the message it promote , enough to trust us with theirSedona EXfor the total tour … nigh 2 months of driving and over 11,000 miles !
I had a bit of trepidation , however , concerning the choice of vehicle we were granted . I ’d never driven a “ minivan ” before , and at first glance , that ’s what their Sedona model seemed to be . I have to acknowledge I ’ve got a thing against minivans , and I ’ve had a rule for years where I never get behind a minivan at a brake light , since it ’s always the slowest to start up again when the light turn green . Always !
I ’m pleased to report that the Kia squash these stereotypes , and I ’m stronger for it . Now I know , first off , that the Sedona is not a minivan but an MPV ( Multi - Purpose Vehicle ) , and secondly , the departure between the two is not insignificant , as I was shortly to find out .
My primary demand in vehicle selection revolve around manipulation and stableness , not only for the fun of the drive , but also for the safety . In my listing of favourite rides to date , the Mini Cooper and my Subaru Outback mount to the top of the tilt , expressly ’cause they puzzle to the road like nothing else . In my current Outback , the Subaru Boxer engine is specially project to drop lower when you decelerate into a corner , a cardinal feature of the railroad car for both of the aforementioned reasons . So moving to a minivan had me implicated that I was going to be sacrificing those capabilities . ( Spoiler alert : I was very incorrect . )
The Sedona arrived , cede right to our door , and I was amazingly impressed when I construe it at first hand . I ’m used to little round sausage - looking minivans , but that ’s not the grammatical case with the Sedona . flop off the bat , its potent and hardy appearing caught my care , with its square - off exterior sitting on a broad chassis .
It had two big pluses right off , the first being that low and wide cars be given to hug the road and provide stableness in challenging road conditions ( of which we would later find many ) . The second plus we found when we first unfold the auto - sliding side doors and auto - raising rearward room access , was realizing that the squared - off position , combined with its width , provided us slews of cargo space with elbow room for everything we want to take on the trip , from ring of clothes to loge of Koran and everything in between . So far , so good !
The delivery driver gave us a warm tour of some of the features that Kia included in the fomite , which is no easy exploit as I think there could be a whole class in Sedona sport — we would end up find a fresh button , dial , or sneaky compartment weeks into the trip !
A primal feature film he sate us in on was the folding rear seats , themselves a piece of work of impressive technology . A pull on a little lever tumbler devolve the third run-in of seats directly down and into the floor of the fomite , closing flat with the rest of the rear compartment like it was never there .
take this thing just got a whole lot easy ! I ’m kind of a Tetris captain packer and intend that ’s actually a fun part of every route trip ; I ’ve hear over the years that optimum car boxing does n’t reveal itself until the last sidereal day of each outing . Such is the pane of the road , I pretend …
But I digress . We formulate a programme of pack in stratum , so we slid bin of tenting and sporting paraphernalia onto the theme , with case upon case of cookbook next to them , and even with all those supplies , we had more than enough room for all our wearing apparel , cameras , laptops , skateboards , ice chest , etc . Everything heap up so easily and we did n’t even have to strap anything to the roof . It was time to hit the route !
The risky venture began beneath a cloudy sky , an ominous send - off foretelling a very crocked cause to come . Normally in May in Southern California , we ’re in full beach weather , tops down on all the convertible , and the only board meetings going on are bechance in the surf . But not this day , as the clouds closed in and obliterate the sun , casting glowing orange shafts of Inner Light onto the shimmering road ahead and igniting the sky in an eery glow .
Despite the slick route experimental condition , I commence to note right aside that I felt very comfortable in the Sedona . As I ’d anticipated , it grip the sidewalk hard , feel tight and solid on the route .
I find the driver ’s amenity well positioned , with all the advanced driver enhancement technology one could ask for just a clit press or finger flick away . USB port wine , 12 - volt outlets , and 115 - volt power inverters were everywhere which , in our advanced twist - riddled world , is a welcome advance over the welter of wire I have overload up the fundamental cabinet in my Subaru .
We drove out of the Los Angeles basin , climb toward the gamy desert and ontoour first stop in Vegas , baby ! At this full stop , the Sedona really get my attention . Heading toward the deserts of Nevada , you go up a brace thousand feet in elevation out of LA , and it ’s usually a engorged and slow experience .
That was n’t the cause with the Sedona , however . Though loaded down with all our power train , its 3.3 - litre V6 engine stepped to the plate and power the climbing , easily passing all the other vehicles when need . It would n’t be the last time the Sedona ’s tycoon came into play either . Over the line of 11,000 miles , that mogul would prove exalt at times and living - saving at others .
One memorable experience of the Sedona ’s ability come up when locomote slowly , oh - so - excruciatingly lento , northward through Virginia on a two - lane freeway . We were stuck behind an oblivious van driving 10 mph below the amphetamine demarcation line , mightily next to a truck go that exact same velocity , for what seemed like hundreds of miles ( it was in all probability only 20 ) . Dozens and slews of cars stacked up behind , each of them scarily gun and running in set essay to get around .
I noticed an forthcoming expressway entrance lane exsert about a twenty-five percent - mile up a hill . Not a braggy windowpane to make a passing game , plus I was about 10 railroad car behind the motortruck , but I had to try it . Made it to the entrance lane and luckily no one was trying to enter at that time , so I pulled into the lane and floored it . roaring — the Sedona leapt to legal action . Next thing I knew , I was easily excrete up the truck with good deal of way to conflate onto the freeway again , and I was in front of the avant-garde as well !
I was the only one who made it around them , so I find out myself completely alone on the freeway for knot and miles . After driving nonstop for a month , present moment like this are blissful as you may loosen up , take in the put across scene , and not have to pay never-ending attention to the other cars darting around you . The ability to have that burst of business leader enable me to enjoy the candid road all the more . Thanks Kia !
But I ’m leap out front of myself … The road trip-up began by heading into the desert southwest , along the wide - open , laser - straight roads of Nevada , Utah , Colorado , and New Mexico , and provided plenty of meter to examine the many boast the Sedona placed around the driver ’s seat .
One of the first ones I find was the cruise control , of which I ’m a big fan in general , especially when I ’m on overt highways . I was proud of to discover an epic newfangled plus to the standard sail control applied science , where Kia equipped the Sedona with a next - generation forward - mounted radiolocation that automatically slows your fomite when you get too close to the machine in front of you , equal the speed of the traffic you ’ve fare in behind . you’re able to even do how raw you want it to be , and how much space you need to have between you and the railcar in front before it slack down . This proved to be an oftentimes - used feature article throughout the entire duty tour .
There were a few other gadget driver enhancements establish as well , which at first I call back were a flake gimmicky , like the Lane Departure Warning , Blind Spot Monitor , and Parking Assist Sensors . Due to all their blare , I found them annoying at first and figured I ’ve done fine without them all these years , so I just did n’t picture needing ’em . But hey , when someone offer you some help , why turn it down ?
I accepted the Sedona ’s helping bridge player more and more throughout the tour , and ended up using the Parking Assist Sensors and unreasoning Spot supervise all the time . The Parking Assist afford me valuable audible cues for the front , rear , and sides of the fomite every metre I pull into a space . The Blind Spot Monitor provided a subtle but warm hearable monition , while at the same time flashing a small picture in the side mirrors , whenever I attempted to alter lanes with someone hide in my blind dapple .
The Lane Departure Warning come in in handy on a numeral of occasions , ranging from drowsy drive when my coffee IV was run low , to muzzy , rainy , or dark precondition when the lane were hard to see .
For good example , I do n’t know who designed the discussion section of Highway 70 in Colorado that drops from Loveland Pass eastern United States toward Denver , but they take to be fired ! At twilight , with the sky shine a lovesome purpleness on the towering fresh snowbanks of Loveland Pass , we record the westerly end of the Eisenhower Tunnel , which gores straight through the Great Divide . Upon our exit as we descended toward Denver , it looked like someone had work out the lights , leaving the craziest , glum road I ’d ever run into , with hardly any lane markings visible . I tell ya , having the assist of the Lane Departure System unquestionably helped !
I ’d refer earlier that we will Los Angles in an unusually late rainstorm ; as it turned out , that was a forerunner of things to hail and we promptly profit a substantial apprehension of what rain really was . Across the normally drought - stricken panhandle of Texas , through the verdant South into the rainforests of North Carolina , and even all the way up the Eastern Seaboard , we find rain like I ’d never witnessed , much less drive in before .
I intend I ’d figure some vivid storms rip into California , wreak the fury of the Pacific Ocean along with them , but nothing could have develop me for what we drove through !
It all started in Texas , where we learned from the locals that 12 year of drought had been made up for in only a few scant week of late rainwater that deluged the area — so much so that dams were break away and sink whole urban center beneath the inundation H2O . The skies open up up and rivers of water dumped onto the freeways , encouraging all the big rigs on the road to pick up speed and pass you at 90 miles per hour ! ( push back friendly , as they say in Texas . )
Despite the punic conditions , there were a turn of features in the Sedona that put me at simplicity in these less - than - prosperous circumstances . Kia equipped it with an almost flat , gravid - screen , HD - esque windscreen , which not only makes wash and squeegee - ing extremely easy , it also sheds pee in backbreaking rainstorm exceedingly effectively . Couple that with secure and effective windshield wipers , and I was able to see the route amazingly well .
But the savior was the lineament I mention at the very get-go of this Emily Post : the Sedona ’s stalwart step , which provided amazing constancy and adhesive friction . Numerous times we found ourselves dodge the edges of fierce thunderstorms ( and even twister ) , but we were n’t always successful . When we of necessity found ourselves in soaker conditions , we were very thankful for the Sedona ’s ability to hack through flood of piddle running across the route and almost never rent loose into a hydroplane berth .
We had so much practice in crazy route conditions that by the clip we fix to the flooded and traffic - choked freeways of New York and New Jersey , I feel like one of the locals there ( who all labour like maniacs , as if the road was bone - dry ) .
And then , pop in Cape Cod , Massachusetts , at the bittersweet moment when all the route sign began to study “ West , ” it was as if someone had turn off the spigot . Other than a couple of random showers here and there , motor through inclement weather was now behind us , discover cheery skies with minuscule tumescent cloud dotting the rolling landscape of the Great Lakes and Plains body politic .
The pace of the Koran tour also began to slow here , as the population center ( where the talking were taking place ) became further apart , will us no choice but to roll down the window , crank up the XM stereo , and get in the channel of the candid route .
I ’d be neglectful if I did n’t mention what turned out to be a splendid godsend of a characteristic in the Kia UVO Voice - Command Navigation and Infotainment System . Many of us have experience with one nav or another , whether it be a dedicated building block or through our roving gimmick , but cause those capabilities so easy get at made the driving force rich and enhanced the experience tenfold .
As a lensman , I love to get lost and trust the best shot are usually down the dusty lane , off the dirt road , off the country route , off the back road , off the state highway … you get the idea .
We found ourselves look for those treasure all the more , comfortable in the knowledge that each meandering route , each serendipitous second , would still be leave us to our destination , as the nav adjusted its instruction with each capricious decision we ’d make .
One route in particular stood out above the repose for the pure joy and exhilaration , and I never would have found it without the piloting unit . After a farsighted and lovely day of research the Adirondacks in Upstate New York , we pulled over near a bridge to take some photograph . After getting back into the Sedona , the nav noticed we ’d start down another side road when we park , so it rout us a minute out of the style but in a braggy discharge to our final destination … and we thought , why not essay it .
Best decisiveness ! It was like someone had dropped us right into a driving video recording biz , on an empty , picture - unadulterated , impertinently - pave farm route with no painted line , and each quoin bank to perfection like a professional racecourse . The Kia came to light like I ’d never seen , embrace every street corner like a long - lost lover , glowing golden with the setting sun , enticing my catalyst pedal ever lower to the floor , all the while transfuse me comfortably in its well - apportioned bucketful seats . I never desire it to end , and I would n’t have another opportunity to feel the Sedona come alive like this until one of the final 24-hour interval of the trip .
Over the next couple of calendar week , the forever immature plains of the central United States Department of State grant style to the towering northerly Rocky Mountains and onto our dear Pacific Coast again . Few roads will test a car ’s agility and cover more than the infamous Highway 1 that follows our dramatic coastline , and the Kia began to glow once again in these experimental condition .
Not content to give the Sedona just an average exercising , we settle to head out to a very removed section of the California coast that we ’ve always wanted to get to , a little Ithiel Town called Shelter Cove , deep in an area known as the Lost Coast . The designers of Highway 1 wanted to keep the main road along the coast as much as potential , but the rugged topography of the Lost Coast realm made this unacceptable .
So we were leave with a extensive exposed and angry slice of California , with what is the crazy , curviest , most intense road I ’ve even driven , crest by gorgeous deep sequoia timberland and consuming bird’s-eye Pacific view .
One ca n’t focalise on the sights too much , for the route is a beast , ready to feed you if you permit your eye linger on beauty too long ! Picture climbing a hill of switchbacks so steep , the road locomotive engineer apply up on trying to pave the corners , and in some parts even the majority of the route itself . You ’ve capture one 180 ° curve ball after another , directly up a mountain , so dry , moth-eaten , and shoot up that the trees and every other mo of flora were coated in gray monotonic moonstone junk .
The Sedona would lose adhesive friction in one wheel , only to grab hard with another , drag us capably to the top and out onto the all-inclusive open golden hillsides , high above the boundless Pacific , where the road began plunge , spin , plunging , and climbing each unnumerable roll and contour of the striking landscape .
Then it beat real . The route dove back into the tree - delineate maze - similar vale leading out toward the glide , and would track with no rhyme or reason , this way of life and that … sheer heavily around one 10 - miles per hour corner after another , then opening up to straightaways that would last for mayhap 100 thousand elevation … only to be crest by a route get going almost directly up a ridgeline at what must have been a 40 ° slant , and straight down the other at a alike point .
I ’m find it hard to put into words the calibre of road I ’m attempt to convey here , but you get the trend . I paint this picture to rent you know that the Sedona ate this road up , like a chance Sunday brunch , without so much as a belching or hiccough throughout .
Kia has designed such a hearty ride that my good half sitting scattergun , who normally bugger off car - sick on the slightest of curvy roads and just run to sleep , was up and snappy and feeling not bad the entire path — and I was not going easy on the corners by any mean .
The suspension , handling , braking organisation , and acceleration were all so smooth that she felt well-fixed and delight in the whole experience throughout . give her awake and enjoying that full drive turned into such a wonderful and memorable experience for me as well , as I ’ve been saddened in the past when we get to these majestic place — inevitably along minute roadstead and hairpin turn — only to determine her slumped in agony and not taking in the journeying that we live to experience .
After seven weeks circling the country , I thank the Kia for catch us home safely to the snorting smile face of our pugs , our poulet , and our garden . I ’m still enliven by memories of expansive vistas out the Sedona ’s expansive windows , and I find a renew focus on adventure and exploration after power through a once - in - a - lifespan route trip with the char of my dreaming .
And I keep thinking back to the twenty-four hour period they came to take our Sedona away . I ’d just finished giving ‘ er a serious particularisation before reach her back to the pickup number one wood , very aware that each scrub of my brushing was removing a bit of dust or a speck of clay , each and every one a story to order . And I was still divulge new little features , tucked indoors and out , even after nearly living in the vanguard for so long .
When I intend of the moment the Sedona disappear down our street , I feel like we ’ve been separated from a bang-up Quaker , or lost a part of our family unit . But despite the loss , I ’m ever thankful to have had the experience .
