2006 Kia Sedona EX

Anyone who argues that minivans aren't as useful as SUVs should take a gander at the mileage on our Sedona. In just 13 months, our big Kia has amassed nearly 27,000 big ones. How? Photographers and parents. Why? Practicality. Thanks to dual power sliding doors, not to mention flat-folding second- and third-row seats and a cavernous cargo bay, the Sedona has been the ideal rig for shutterbugs who need to shoot car-to-car photos from several angles. And for parental staffers, few transporters in our fleet are as kid-friendly as the Kia.

Technical editor Reynolds recently hauled his wife and two kids to Yosemite for the July Fourth weekend and reports "zero fireworks the entire 700 miles." With all that mileage, the Kia did require another service stop at 25,000 miles -- $64.27 for an air filter and an oil change/tire rotation/brake inspection.