Since people don’t buy minivans for performance or prestige, cargo and convenience are critical elements to get right. The 2006 Kia Sedona lags behind the competition on this front, its maximum 141.5 cubic feet of cargo space unable to match the heavy-hitters in the segment from Chrysler, Dodge, Honda, and Toyota. In fact, if toting lots of stuff on a frequent basis is why you need a minivan, you can’t do better than the Dodge Grand Caravan’s 167.9 cubic feet and innovative Stow ‘N Go system, which collapses both the second- and third-row seats into the floor.

Kia didn’t engineer a similar system into the Sedona because it says Dodge Grand Caravan owners rarely use the feature. That means you must yank the 60-lb. second-row seats out and stow them in the garage when more than 80.1 cubic feet of cargo room is required. The seats are heavy to lift, but there is generous door clearance so you don’t need to wrestle with them much. Just watch your shirtsleeve on the seat latches, because they could deposit grease marks if you’re not careful. Re-installing the seats is not easy at first, and because they are heavy, they are difficult to get lined up and locked into place.

The Sedona’s third-row 60/40-split folding seat is easier to stow away, but is not purely a one-handed operation like the Dodge Grand Caravan or Honda Odyssey. You need two hands to push the seat flush with the cargo floor, and you need two hands to adjust the backrest angle when raising the seat, as in the Toyota Sienna. Loading the van is simple due to a low liftover height, and a six-foot-tall adult’s head will clear the corners and center latch of the raised tailgate.

If you’re using the Sedona for an airport run, there are 32.2 cubes to work with behind the third-row seat. Loading people into the Sedona’s rearmost perch is easy thanks to second-row seats that fold and tumble forward with one-handed operation, creating a wide space through which it’s easy to climb aboard. Assist handles on the Sedona’s B-pillars are helpful when getting out.

For daily driving, Kia supplies the 2006 Sedona with plenty of the nooks and crannies that minivan owners love. For example, facing the front passenger is a dual-door glove box that offers four separate compartments in which to stash stuff. Unfortunately, it adds extra shut lines to the dashboard, presenting a ripe opportunity for misalignments and unsightly gaps, which could lead to a sense of slipshod build quality. Other storage solutions include a covered and lined storage slot in the dash good for holding CD jewel cases; an ashtray with a nicely dampened lid that can double as a coin box; a big bin at the bottom of the dashboard; and an overhead sunglasses storage compartment. Between the front seats there’s a deep folding and extending tray equipped with four large and useful cupholders. In fact, the 2006 Kia Sedona boasts 14 cupholders, or two for every occupant, which is overkill on par with a Quentin Tarantino film. There’s a hook that deploys from the dash in the right front passenger’s space to hold a trash bag, the third-row occupants get a storage box on the left-side trim panel, and Kia offers a total of three 12-volt power outlets on the Sedona LX. EX models get four outlets.

Must be that the extra outlet in the EX assumes more electronics gear will be used onboard the pricier model. The optional DVD entertainment system can accommodate a PlayStation or Xbox gaming system, and while the nine-inch screen doesn’t impede the view to the rear, any wiring hanging off the auxiliary hookups will. Likewise, the handy conversation mirror, a parabolic reflector that lets the driver monitor each of the Kia Sedona’s six passenger positions, won’t block visibility but it’s set a bit far back on the headliner for easy viewing.

Kia offers one-touch down operation only for the driver’s side power window rather than both front windows, and there isn’t a one-touch up function. Likewise, the Sedona EX’s available power sunroof is one-touch open but not one-touch close. In our opinion, Kia missed an opportunity to trump Honda on this front by offering what are fast becoming critical convenience features.