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Had to put the Sedona back in for a couple little tweaks after the fire repair (wetsand the top area above the grill, trim wasn't installed right around the foglights, and the driver side headlight needed to be replaced too) and I have a 2015 Sienna as a rental thought I would post my thoughts vs the Sedona.
This is a pretty low trim Sienna, cloth seats etc. Inside and out the Sedona is finished much nicer as anybody who has shopped them both knows. Kia's paint is better, their gloss black trim is much higher end than the grainy black trim on the Sienna. Inside materials in the Sedona are much better, understanding that this is a low trim Sienna and my Sedona is an SX-L, the bulk of the interior carries over. Better carpet, headlining, dash and door plastics, etc. Infotainment is WAY better in the Sedona.
Seating position is more car/SUVlike in the Sedona which I like. Hard to not make the Sienna feel like a van in the front seat. The side armrest which is attached to the seat vs a console armrest in the Sedona won't go down enough to be comfortable, leaves the driver's elbow hanging up too high. Sedona handles more surefooted and feels more solid and substantial on the road. The Sienna does however ride better and is a little quieter. Powertrain is more refined in the Sedona which surprises me because I've had that engine/transmission in my old ES350 and remember it being smoother than that.
Brakes feel better in the Sienna. Our Sedona has a glazing/warping issue with the front brakes at 6500 miles that the dealer needs to address. Plan to get that taken care of after we get it back while we still have the rental.
I had shopped the Sienna before I got the Sedona and came to all the same conclusions, but its interesting to come back to the Sienna after having been used to the Sedona.
I think the Sedona SX-L is a screaming deal at $5,000 less than a comparably equipped Sienna.
Had to put the Sedona back in for a couple little tweaks after the fire repair (wetsand the top area above the grill, trim wasn't installed right around the foglights, and the driver side headlight needed to be replaced too) and I have a 2015 Sienna as a rental thought I would post my thoughts vs the Sedona.
This is a pretty low trim Sienna, cloth seats etc. Inside and out the Sedona is finished much nicer as anybody who has shopped them both knows. Kia's paint is better, their gloss black trim is much higher end than the grainy black trim on the Sienna. Inside materials in the Sedona are much better, understanding that this is a low trim Sienna and my Sedona is an SX-L, the bulk of the interior carries over. Better carpet, headlining, dash and door plastics, etc. Infotainment is WAY better in the Sedona.
Seating position is more car/SUVlike in the Sedona which I like. Hard to not make the Sienna feel like a van in the front seat. The side armrest which is attached to the seat vs a console armrest in the Sedona won't go down enough to be comfortable, leaves the driver's elbow hanging up too high. Sedona handles more surefooted and feels more solid and substantial on the road. The Sienna does however ride better and is a little quieter. Powertrain is more refined in the Sedona which surprises me because I've had that engine/transmission in my old ES350 and remember it being smoother than that.
Brakes feel better in the Sienna. Our Sedona has a glazing/warping issue with the front brakes at 6500 miles that the dealer needs to address. Plan to get that taken care of after we get it back while we still have the rental.
I had shopped the Sienna before I got the Sedona and came to all the same conclusions, but its interesting to come back to the Sienna after having been used to the Sedona.
I think the Sedona SX-L is a screaming deal at $5,000 less than a comparably equipped Sienna.
It's always nice, after the fact, to get confirmation that you made the right decision.
Our Sedona has a glazing/warping issue with the front brakes at 6500 miles that the dealer needs to address. Plan to get that taken care of after we get it back while we still have the rental.
You think that heat from the recent fire might have contributed to front rotor-warpage? Heat and/or over-tightened lug nuts are the primary causes of runout in disc brake rotors....especially newer ones or ones that don't yet have replacement aftermarket pads on them. Poor-quality or aftermarket pads have also been known, in some cases, to cause warpage....but your van probably still has the original pads at only 6500 miles.
Brake rotors do not warp, the imbalance/pulsating is caused by pad material fused to the rotor. Also over tightening lug nuts is very unlikely to cause a rotor to deform the force required is much greater than most any lug can handle without breaking.
You think that heat from the recent fire might have contributed to front rotor-warpage? Heat and/or over-tightened lug nuts are the primary causes of runout in disc brake rotors....especially newer ones or ones that don't yet have replacement aftermarket pads on them. Poor-quality or aftermarket pads have also been known, in some cases, to cause warpage....but your van probably still has the original pads at only 6500 miles.
No the grinding in the brakes was an issue before the fire. Has been since about 4k miles.
Brake rotors do not warp, the imbalance/pulsating is caused by pad material fused to the rotor. Also over tightening lug nuts is very unlikely to cause a rotor to deform the force required is much greater than most any lug can handle without breaking.
I disagree. Ceramic rotors, of the type found in some exotic or ultra-high-performance cars don't warp........they can usually withstand heat of several thousand degrees. But ordinary steel rotors in most production vehicles, especially those of poor-quality metal, can, and do warp, if the heat build-up gets high or long enough. That's why you have a machine, similar to a metal-lathe, that uses a precise blade to shave off the unevenness on the rotor and true it up so that it spins without deformation. That can only be done, however, until a minimum amount of metal is left on the rotor for safety reasons, as measured with a micrometer...the exact figure, in in that vehicle' official Shop Repair manual, is determined by engineers. Once that minimum amount of metal is gone, it's time to toss out (or recycle) the old rotors and get new ones.
The over-tightening of lug nuts is also indeed a problem with a lot of rotors. That's why most reputable shops have now gotten away from the classic air-impact wrenches and use hand-held torque wrenches....most lugs need 75-85 ft-lbs. of tightening per factory specs.
But ordinary steel rotors in most production vehicles, especially those of poor-quality metal, can, and do warp, if the heat build-up gets high or long enough.
About six months ago grandma was looking for a new van. Grandpa had an auto shop before so Toyota has always been on top of the list. She had two Sienna before so this time is no different. I took her for a test drive. They showed us the base model. We passed. Then they showed us an xle and limited. She fell in love with the xle awd. We took out for a ride. I thought the Saddle leather looks really nice but she doesn't like it. So we decided to take the xle. I did some more research and bargaining and we got a decent deal on it. It came with upgraded paint (I think extra 400ish). My thoughts are:
1. When I drove it for the first time, it felt a bit rough. I thought it would be more smooth. This could be due to the run flat 18".
2. I drove it again and think after it breaks in, it feels more smoothly.
3. Yes, it's purely a van.
4. The arm rest: there's a circular button that allows you to set it to any level you want. The previous generation only gives you two or three levels if I remember correctly.
5. I never checked out the Kia but I thought the Sienna looks nice inside out as a van.
6. I agree on the plastic part. A bit too much and make it look cheap.
7. I like the steering feel, rear shades, the info display within the odometer, bsm, rcta and 3d map
8. I dislike the tiny display you have to display at least two things. Why can't we just display one thing?!
9. Sound is decent.
Not to mention that the Sedona is the best looking minivan - ever. I now consider KIA to be among the best brands. Their biggest "problem" will always be the name "Kia". As well as sticking with many of their old model names that aren't all that great. But I think their products speak for themselves and enough people will look past the names.
As of now, the Sorento is on my top 3 for my next CUV purchase in about a year. It's between that and the revised 2017 Highlander and the new 2017 Mazda CX-9.
So far I converted 4 of my clients/friends who purchasing vans to Sedona, they were all going for sienna, but after they saw my Sedona, they changed their mind, all of them called me after purchase and thank me again, everyone was happy with their purchase.
Btw everytime I see base Sedona owners driving on the road, I can see all of them were checking out my SX lol
So far I converted 4 of my clients/friends who purchasing vans to Sedona, they were all going for sienna, but after they saw my Sedona, they changed their mind, all of them called me after purchase and thank me again, everyone was happy with their purchase.
Car and Driver tested the Sienna/Odyssey/Sedona and put the Sienna on top and the Sedona third, largely because they said the Sienna had the smoothest ride and the fact that the Sedona, even in to-line SXL trim, lacks removable second-row seats and some other features. I agree that the Sienna rides smoothly and quietly (I recently rode with a friend in one for several hours). But, having done a full-review myself on a new Sedona SXL not that long ago, I'm not sure I agree with C&D that the Sedona deserves third place behind the Sienna and Odyssey. And even C&D remarked that, dollar-for-dollar, the Sedona was a better value.
11-11-15, 08:15 AM
Have a 2015 Toyota Sienna rental...
and stoptech - great products! 
