Believe it or not, my first minivan was way before I had the twins. The summer after my freshman year of college at University of Wisconsin, I inherited my Great-Grandma Betts’ 80s-something Dodge Caravan. The first week I was mortified to be driving around in a powder blue van from decades before–how could my parents sell my awesome Nissan Altima with leopard seat covers?! Then, I realized how awesome it was to be able to haul ALL OF MY FRIENDS around all summer. We had so many great memories heading around the state to concerts, the beach and more.
Once I headed back to Wisconsin for school that fall, Boxy Roxy was super helpful for grocery hauls or getting a whole crew from campus to work at the Telefund, where many of us worked together for 3-4 hours shifts calling alumni for donations. If only I had thought of Uber back then…I would have been rich!
Roxy only lasted a few more years and then my next van was a necessary purchase after the twins were born. I was trying to drive two babies and an English Bulldog around in a regular car–nearly impossible! From that point on, I’ve been a Chrysler Town & Country gal.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to test drive a 2016 Kia Sedona and let me tell you, we were BLOWN AWAY. First I was a bit overwhelmed by all of the buttons. Push start was something that I had to get used to!
Inside the front seat, the Kia Sedona looks like a “regular car”. It has ever bell and whistle you could ask for: rear-view backup cameras, satellite radio, bluetooth connection for your phone, GPS and more. Another perk I LOVED was the second rear-view mirror for the back row. It made it super easy to check on the kiddos without moving the main mirror. High five for that, Kia!
There are two rows of seating, just like any other van. Instead of captain chairs, which our Town & Country has, there are bench seats. This would be the only issue I had with the van–it was hard to get my 3 girls in and out of the car. They still have booster seats, so all three couldn’t fit in one row. Having one in the very back was a slight hassle to do quickly.
The Kia Sedona comes with two sets of wireless headphones and a fold-up TV with a DVD player, which the girls LOVED. The headphones were truly amazing, although one of my kids was always angry she couldn’t listen along with the movie.
My favorite perk of the car was the navigation system. I know most newer cars come equipped with GPS, but this was unlike any other I’ve seen. I truly loved using the GPS through the car rather than my phone, I could easily follow the instructions that were shown on the dash! I mentioned the amount of buttons earlier, but I will admit EVERYTHING was super user friendly. By day 2, I was able to easily do everything I needed to.
If you’re on the market for a new van, I suggest checking out the 2016 Kia Sedona. I almost forgot I was driving a minivan half of the time, it truly seems like a luxury SUV inside. There is plenty of space for everything and everyone rides in comfort.
What made you take the leap and get a minivan? Have you driven a Kia before?
Disclosure: All thoughts and opinions are my own, not that of #DriveShop or Kia Motors USA.
it’s impressed me.thanks for sharing with us