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re2boys's avatar
re2boys
Explorer
Jun 16, 2013

Kia Sedona as tow vehicle

I'm looking at a Kia Sedona (2011 or newer) as a replacement tow vehicle for my 2005 Ford Freestar minivans.

Would be towing an 8ft box Viking pop-up. Curb weight is about 1600lbs, probably closer to 2000lbs loaded. No brakes on trailer.

Anyone here tow a pop-up with a Sedona? Would like to hear your experiences with your Sedona, it's weaknesses or strengths.

I've been real pleased with the Ford as a tow vehicle. But Ford doesn't make the minivan anymore. Brakes stopping power very adequate. Our pop-up is very stable back there with just some loss in performance and lose only about 3-4 mpg when towing (17-18 range)

I'm posting here under Folding Trailers as I don't want to hear from the truck folks who aren't familiar with minivan towing capabilities. Been towing my Viking for 12 years from New England to Florida to Wyoming (though I've learned a lot about big rig towing by reading this forum from them).

7 Replies

  • The 2010 Kia Sedona's #2 ranking is based on its score within the 2010 Minivans category. Currently the Kia Sedona has a score of 8.9 out of 10, which is based on our evaluation of 49 pieces of research and data elements using various sources.

    Dimensions
    Maximum cargo capacity 141.5 cu.ft.
    Maximum payload 1511 lbs.
    Maximum towing capacity 3500 lbs.
    Rear track 66.3 in.


    https://cookip.com/2010-kia-sedona-towing-capacity/
  • We'll See wrote:
    I've heard good things about the Kia Sedona but I believe they are not going to make them anymore for 2014 - I could be wrong.



    Kia has really confused things. They discontinued the Sedona for the 2013 model year promising a redesign. Then in early May 2013 they announced they will be coming out with a 2014 Sedona (in dealerships now). But it is only a re-hashed 2012 Sedona.
  • pcfeld wrote:
    My only concern would be the brakes. Depending on where you tow would the brakes handle the extra weight over the longterm. Towing my pup with and without brakes working properly makes a big difference on my van.


    Yep, that is a concern of mine also. I was hoping to get some feedback from current or past Sedona owners if the brakes (or tranny, or rear springing) were issues in using the Sedona as a tow vehicle, but there must not be many out there.

    My Ford minivans have performed very well, though I did warp the front discs after a trip through eastern PA mountains on back roads with trailer. But they always did the job of quickly stopping the van and trailer.

    The Sedona owner's manual specifies max trailer of 1,000 lb without trailer brakes but does not specify the loading in the vehicle. 3500lbs with trailer brakes, so I assume the transmission and cooling systems are up to the task. Ford specifies that brakes are designed to stop a fully loaded van (1200lb payload).

    Any current or former Sedona owners out there??
  • My only concern would be the brakes. Depending on where you tow would the brakes handle the extra weight over the longterm. Towing my pup with and without brakes working properly makes a big difference on my van.
  • I've heard good things about the Kia Sedona but I believe they are not going to make them anymore for 2014 - I could be wrong.

    The transmission should be a 5 speed or 6 speed. Hopefully you can lock out top gear or shift them manually when towing.

    Towing with a van is great. I am very pleased with mine.
  • Google tells me that the Sedona has a 3500 lb towing capacity so it should tow your 2000 lb setup without any issues. Our trailer loaded is about 1900 lbs and our Ford Escape (3500 lb capacity) tows it very well. - Lots of power and lots of stopping power. It is much nicer than my previous van because the trailer hitch is 18" off the ground. I only had about 6" of clearance to the ground with the van and its "hidden" hitch. I did a lot of scraping.

    The best way to accurately determine capacity is to read an owners manual. I purchased a Ford Escape with the towing package and it is rated at 3500 pounds of towing capacity. Sounds great until you do some detailed reading with a calculator at your side.
    Yes, it will tow 3500lbs but only with one 200 lb person in the Escape - no gear, no family before I hit the gross capacity. In reality, it will safely tow 2500lbs plus family and gear.
    The other number that I hit is the Escape cargo capacity = 1013lbs = max vehicle axle/tire capacity subtracting the actual Escape weight. Since the tongue weight of my trailer with propane and battery is 290lbs and that is on the Escape, I am limited to people and gear weight of 723lbs inside the vehicle. That is okay because we load the trailer for the summer so it is carrying most of the cargo.

    What the calculations above tell me is I should not be looking to purchase a small hybrid or a large popup. We really like our trailer anyway.

    One final note. I did weigh my vehicle and trailer setup at a weigh station once so I could confirm we had not overloaded the trailer. I was always nervous about doing so - would I be fined if I was overweight. The station was closed, but the scales was on and pointed so I could read the display. I was all good.