If you're too young to remember when Japanese cars were merely an asterisk on North American roads, maybe you've been around at least long enough to remember when Korean cars were more reliable as punch lines than transportation. Today, the majority of Korea's newest entries are being met with more smiles than laughter. Case in point: the all-new, second-generation Kia Sedona minivan. It looks good, drives well and offers enough quality and refinement to qualify for the big leagues. Not yet as sophisticated as the category's best, the Sedona's $2,000 to $3,000 MSRP advantage over its competitors is enough to make it a legitimate alternative—although a predicted resale value that's improved but still unremarkable can negate much of that advantage in the long term.

* Ratings from previous model year shown