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The first six vehicles on this list are the only six models of minivans currently available on the market, and the Kia Carnival has replaced the Kia Sedona.
The list may grow ever smaller as the number of crossovers and SUVs increases, which can haul as many people as a minivan and a boat.
The one thing SUVs and Crossovers lack that makes minivans great for carrying a crowd is sliding doors. They allow easy access, but they also make customization of the vans easy for special needs. Whether that need is easy wheelchair access, for delivering food, or as a camper, conversion vans are still a big deal.
However, an SUV has other attributes. For example, the lack of sliding doors does not outweigh higher ground clearance, more powerful engines, better mileage, or the same mileage.
Looking at each type of vehicle from that perspective means that other minivans are not the only vehicles similar to the Kia Sedona.
2021 Kia Sedona Features
The last Kia Sedona was built in 2021, and its departure was met by the arrival of the 2021 Kia Carnival. So, in this instance, a 2021 Kia Sedona could be considered a Kia Carnival, its biggest competitor. From there, the list grows; however, it is a shortlist.
The entry-level MSRP of the 2021 Sedona was $30,400, and it has seating for eight. Powered by a 3.3 L V6 that produces 276 horsepower, the Sedona has a towing capacity of 3500 pounds. Unfortunately, its mileage falls short, at 18 city and 24 highway miles per gallon.
Minivans similar to the Kia Sedona
1. Kia Carnival
Released in 2021 as a 2022 model, the Kia Carnival went head to head with the Sedona for the year. The MSRP is a little higher, at $32,100, but it is still in the ballpark. Almost identical in size to the Sedona, the Carnival has a bit more power, standard seating for seven, and available seating for eight.
Powered by a 3.5 L V6 that produces 290 horsepower, the fuel mileage of the Carnival is 19 city/ 26 highway and 22 combined miles per gallon. The towing capacity for the Carnival is the same as the Sedona, at 3500 pounds when properly equipped.
2. Toyota Sienna
With a base MSRP of $34,710, the Toyota Sienna is priced a little higher than a Sedona, and it is still being built. In addition, for 2022, the Sienna is available only as a hybrid, unlike other years where you had a choice of power. The Sienna, although more expensive than the Sedona, is available with seven or eight seats and is similar in many ways.
Power for the Sienna comes from a 2.5 L Hybrid system that produces 245 net hybrid horsepower and drives the front wheels.
This configuration gives the Sienna 3500 pounds of towing ability, less than the similar V6-powered Sedona. Fuel mileage is estimated at 36 city/ 36 highway miles per gallon.
3. Honda Odyssey
The Honda Odyssey is one of the five minivans similar to the Sedona. Still, it is more similar to its replacement, the Kia Carnival. Priced a few thousand dollars higher than the Sedona and the Carnival, the MSRP of the Odyssey is $34,355 in base trim.
Powered by a 3.5 L V6, putting out 280 horsepower, the Odyssey has a towing capacity of 3500 pounds and seating for seven to eight passengers. Unfortunately, fuel mileage is on the lower end of this group and comes in at 19 city/ 28 highway miles per gallon.
However, what you get with a Honda is gold-clad dependability and high resale, which not every car here can brag about.
4. Chrysler Pacifica — also known as the Chrysler Voyager
The Pacifica was Chrysler’s first foray into the crossover market. The Plymouth Voyager was one of the brand’s first minivan concepts.
In 2017, they melded brand names and platforms to create the Chrysler Pacifica. In 2020, they introduced the Voyager in the United States and then badged the same car, the Chrysler Grand Caravan, in Canada.
The Pacifica is available as a gas-powered 3.6 L V6 or a plug-in hybrid. The lowest-priced touring model has an MSRP of $38,690, while the hybrid comes in at almost $58,000. The Pacifica may be a minivan, similar to the Sedona. Still, the price puts it into another car shopping category.
Seating for seven and a 3600-pound towing capacity makes the Pacifica a powerful enough vehicle to haul a load. Also available with all-wheel drive, this option puts the Pacifica on an even keel with SUV features. Except for the ground clearance.
Gas
Gas power for the Pacifica is a 3.6 L Pentastar V6 that produces 287 horsepower and drives the front wheels through a nine-speed automatic transmission.
Fuel mileage for the Pacifica with this power option is 19 city/ 28 highway miles and 22 combined miles per gallon. Not exactly stellar numbers, but better than many vehicles with their capacity for people.
Plug-in hybrid
When equipped with plug-in hybrid power, the Pacifica uses the same 3.6 L V6, with 27 fewer horsepower, at 260.
The engine still drives the front wheels in this configuration; however, it uses a CVT (continuously variable transmission) instead of the nine-speed.
What you get for the added price is an electric-assist that will power the Pacifica 32 miles on electricity alone. The combined fuel mileage is 89 miles per gallon.
5. Ford Transit Connect Passenger Wagon
As one of the producers of vans of any type, Connect continues Ford’s tradition. The Passenger Wagon is one of the few minivans remaining on the market. Although the first Transits went into service in 2002, they have proven themselves in a world that needs small delivery vans.
The MSRP of the Transit Connect XL is $31,860, placing its price a little lower than the similar Sedona and other minivans.
It is powered by a 2.0 L inline 4cylinder that produces 162 horsepower and uses an eight-speed gearbox. The optional 2.5 liter produces 169 horsepower and mates it to a six-speed transmission.
Fuel mileage for the Transit Connect passenger with the 2.0 L engine is 21 city/ 27 highway and 23 miles per gallon combined.
When equipped with the 2.5 L motor, the Transit Connect returns 20 city and 27 highway miles per gallon. In addition, the towing capacity of the Ford Transit Connect, with either engine option, is 2000 pounds. That gives this minivan the lowest tow weight of any car on this list.
Cars Similar to the Kia Sedona, which are not minivans
The Kia Sedona has other competitors that are not minivans yet have the ability to carry passengers. This is where SUVs and crossovers have become similar to minivans and have taken their place in many driveways.
Listed below are SUVs with the same seating capacities and similar prices to the Sedona. When looking for a vehicle large enough to carry you and half a dozen or more passengers, the size of the engine, the space, and the price of the car are all factors to consider.
1. Nissan Pathfinder
Priced slightly higher than the Sedona, the Nissan Pathfinder has an MSRP of $34640, and mileage of 21 city/ 26 highway, and 23 combined miles per gallon. Available in front or all-wheel drive, the Pathfinder can tow 6000 pounds when properly equipped.
In addition, the three-row seating of the Nissan will accommodate you and seven passengers. Or, as in other models here, you can opt for the second-row captain’s seats, which drops the overall seating capacity to seven.
Power for the Pathfinder comes from a 3.5 L V6 that develops 284 horsepower and 259-pound feet of torque. That’s where the towing capacity comes from.
Considering the fuel mileage of the Pathfinder is better than the Sedona and equal to the Carnival, the Pathfinder is a suitable option for a minivan.
2. Kia Telluride
Another of the Sedona’s siblings, the Kia Telluride, has hit the market with a splash. With a price not much higher than a used Sedona, the Telluride offers a high stance, off-road ability, and room for a crowd.
With an MSRP of $33390, the Telluride is very similar to the Sedona due to the branding. However, from there, the newer design of the Telluride outshines the dated Sedona.
Powered by a 3.8 L V6 that develops 291 horsepower, this Kia has a 5000-pound towing capacity. Admittedly, that is not the highest capacity.
Still, it’s close, and mileage for the Telluride is 20 city/ 26 highway, and 23 combined miles per gallon, putting it in line with the other cars on this list.
3. Toyota Highlander
The base price of a Highlander L model is $35,855, which prices it close to a used Sedona. The Highlander has front-wheel drive powered by a 3.5 L V6 that develops 295 horsepower. An all-wheel-drive system is an option on all trim levels.
Gas
Fuel mileage for the Toyota Highlander is 21 city and 29 highway miles per gallon. This, again, is in keeping with every vehicle here and better than the older Sedona.
Hybrid
Also available as a Hybrid powered by a 2.5 L 4cylinder, with front or all-wheel drive, the Highlander gets 36 city/35 highway and 36 combined miles per gallon. However, the base price as a hybrid increases the cost of entry to $42555.
The towing capacity of the Highlander is 5000 pounds for the gas-powered version and 3500 for the hybrid. Combine that with the seven to eight-seat capacity and the mileage, and the minivans look less appealing.
4. Hyundai Palisade
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Another V6-powered SUV, the Palisade, looks like a big vehicle, and its boxiness offers a lot of interior space. With seating for seven to eight passengers, that space can be configured in several ways. The engine puts out 291 horsepower and gives this SUV a 5000-pound towing capacity.
The Palisade has mileage similar to the Sedona, at 19 city/ 26 highway and 22 combined miles per gallon. However, the towing capacity of the Palisade is superior. All trim levels of the Hyundai Palisade are front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available.
5. Subaru Ascent
Available with room for seven or eight passengers, the Ascent is the most spacious Subaru ever. With a base price of $32795, the Ascent is similar in price to the Sedona, but likenesses end there.
The Subaru has an all-wheel-drive system, standard. It is powered by a 2.4 L 4cylinder turbocharged boxer engine with 260 horsepower.
Fuel mileage for this big Subaru is 21 city and 27 highway miles per gallon, which is in keeping with all of the cars on this list. The Ascent is available in seven trim levels.
Four are configured for eight passengers, and the other four are configured for seven. The towing capacity of the Ascent is 5000 pounds when properly equipped.
Related: Toyota Highlander vs. Subaru Ascent
6. Honda Pilot
Last but not least is the Honda Pilot. Another crossover, the 2022 model of the Honda Pilot, is one of the best looking yet. To me, it has the appearance of a pumped-up CR-V.
It is powered by a 3.5 L V6 that produces 280 horsepower and gives the Pilot a towing capacity of 5000 pounds when properly equipped. Fuel mileage for the Pilot is 20 city and 27 highway miles per gallon.
The MSRP of the Pilot is $38080, which is higher than the Sedona. However, that price is for a new vehicle, not several years old. The Pilot’s Seating is for seven or eight, depending on your chosen options.
This Honda is similar to the Sedona in space, power, and seating capacity and is worth looking at if you are in the market for an SUV or a minivan.
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