As you may know, I’ve been doing car reviews since last June and I love it! The chance to put a brand new whip on the road is an amazing feeling, especially since most have been sports cars of some sort. So when Rod, Drive Shop’s local representative, pulled up with this influencer loan the first thing I said was, “So, ya’ll hit me with the mommy van this time, huh?” We both laughed and he simply replied, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Due in part to the confidence in his tone, I followed his advice and hopped in the driver’s seat to begin my test drive of the 2016 Kia Sedona EX.

To my surprise the Sedona EX is actually quite the comfortable minivan. Features like safe zone alerts on the rear view mirrors to let you know that a car is in your blind spot and climate control functions like heated & cooling leather seats make for a cozy Kia experience for the driver and passenger. While the folk in the back enjoy rear air control and a dual sunroof to take in as much or as little sunlight as they like.

https://www.instagram.com/p/7vVRVCQ7vl/

For road trips I’d imagine that all of your passengers will be thoroughly entertained with two convenient and uber necessary in today’s hyperconnected world AC power outlets on the second row and in the trunk. The rearview camera is also a useful feature because on the 2016 Kia Sedona EX not only can you see directly behind you, the aerial view helps make parallel parking easier than it’s ever been.

https://www.instagram.com/p/7viuJUw7iJ/

During this loan I cruised the scene here in D.C., but I had several photography gigs where I was hauling around lights, backdrops and other cumbersome equipment. There was ample space for it all. The remote controlled sliding doors and trunk were especially helpful too when my hands were full and it was impossible for me to grab a handle of any sort.

And as if that wasn’t enough to blow my mind, the two power outlets and 1 USB port made staying connected a cinch. I was able to charge my Macbook Pro, iPad and sync my iPhone to the radio where I could control track selection and volume both from the iPod function on the phone and music streaming apps like Spotify all from the touch screen display panel in the dash. When I didn’t feel like playing DJ, I was able to kick it over to the Sirius XM satellite radio option. What else stood out to me was the custom Kia car ringtone when my iPhone was connected via Bluetooth. It’s a cute little jingle that will inspire you to answer the phone for anyone, including your pesky in-laws, with the tap of your thumb on the steering wheel.

Speaking of the steering wheel– this bad boy serves as the ultimate control panel, obviously keeping safety in mind. The rolling volume control wheel, reminiscent of the trackball on a Blackberry or Sidekick, was a great feature for me. The in-dash entertainment view was also helpful and kept me from having to ever take my eyes of the road.

At night, I noticed that there is a sensor to trigger a spotlight on the driverside door handle once you unlock the car using the remote. Also, have you ever had your GPS tell you something like, “next left in a quarter mile,” and you have to wonder just how far is a quarter mile then miss your exit? Well, the in-dash navigation system on the 2016 Kia Sedona EX addresses that with a meter display bar both on the display screen and dashboard that counts down how close you are to performing your next action.

It’s safe to say that this isn’t your average van. While I probably wouldn’t drive it personally because I don’t have a need for a car this big, but if luxury + space is what you’re looking for this is certainly your best bet.