So I recently bought a kia sedona for hauling and dd duty. This is the first minivan I've owned ever. I feel silly asking this but whenever I buy a car I go out and find the limits. I'm scared to do that in the van. Will this thing get up on 2 wheels if tossed hard into a corner or will it understeer first? Can I still drive it around like a clown in the winter time doing such things as the Scandinavian flick?
I chose 2" spacers at all wheels as well as shorter tires to achieve a van that is wider than it is tall.
It will understeer no matter what
I'd assume that if you bolted on a set of Hoosiers and got really stupid you could flip it, but on normal tires you'll just push.
(and I went full send on a race track in an Aztec, it was unnerving but ultimately wouldn't roll)
The only absolute answer is that all maneuvers are ultimately bound by physics. Sounds like you'd be a good candidate for a dash cam!
maschinenbau (I live here) said:It will understeer no matter what
Say it with me, mazdeuce:
it depends!
It will push before it flips.
Not long after we got our '14 Town & Country I had a nice drift in the rain around one of the I-55 ramps in Memphis. So I say drive it like you stole it.
I didn't flip my stock height astro on wide grippy 17's, so you're not flipping a sedona.
In reply to Patrick (Forum Supporter) :
Tell me more about this Astro on wide sticky 17s.
While moderately tall, they're also wide. I'm not sure how new you're talking, but the track vs height on the current gen Sedona is almost exactly 1:1. It also has a relatively low CoG to go with that.
Beyond that, it has a heavy front weight bias, strut front suspension, lots of body roll, and (unless you're on 20"+ wheels) tall floppy tires...In other words it has pretty terrible front cornering grip. Rear grip is considerably better, so expect lots of natural understeer long before flipping.
In the snow though?...Do the 'press and hold for 3 seconds' ESC off and go nuts. There is a bit of technique to assisting with the foot-pedal e-brake, but it still gets the job done.
Based on the things I did in minivans as a teenager, I'm pretty sure you'll be fine. If any of these were an actual rollover risk then consumer reports would be all over it, they love to find that stuff, like the Trooper and Samurai and GX460 to a lesser extent.
I once tossed a set of ho-hos onto a rental grand caravan and took 5 scrutineers around Sebring for 20 minutes. At one point the rear hatch opened, but we didn't roll, not even once. It'll push, it'll plow in ways that would impress a farmer. Wheel bearings, rotors and pads will be destroyed, coolant hoses will be tested, but you'll stay vertical.
"It'll push, it'll plow in ways that would impress a farmer. "
If that don't make the magazine.. There is no justice in this world.
In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :
And his daughter...
I have an 06 Sedona that I have been unable to roll to date.
In reply to captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :
Please tell us there is video of this event.
In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) (Forum Supporter) :
Scrutineers would definitely not allow for such, also neither would the employing sanctioning body, doubly so as the van was a rental.
I've experienced enough high-speed trail-braking in various minivans to confidently say that they're significantly more difficult to flip than you'd think.
In reply to G_Body_Man (Forum Supporter) :
Speaking of trailbraking in vehicles not designed for it. My current rental is a Jeep Gladiator. It was damp and foggy today, with driver aids off, as much as capable without pulling fuses, trailbraking with that long of a wheelbase and solid axles was understeering to a land of deathwobble, chatter, shuttering noises. More throttle would allow for rotation, but not in a manner that I'd consider confidence inspiring. Attempting to left foot braking while keeping power applied created a confused response of electronic controlled revolt that showed the vehicle's Italian side.
It may have anti-rollover software incorporated into any stability-control system it has.
HOWEVER, that is not to say it can't be rolled. You can always roll if you hit something sideways. A "moose test" might overwhelm any stability system.
But, on "normal" tires I doubt you can roll it through hard cornering. Just don't see-saw the wheel. Which means: if you have to counter-steer you better be smooth and fast!
Anything can be flipped if you try hard enough:
But cars are usually designed to stay sunny-side up.
Keep it stock, make sure the tire pressures are good and you'll be fine
I've gotten a small number of vehicles up on two wheels and rolled one. I guess I have more experience driving minivans aggressively than most people. None of my vans have ever come close to rolling.
I've been much more scared of spinning the minivan via lift-off oversteer than I have been flipping it. Of course I usually have the wife and baby in it when I'm driving so that limits the fun.
Go get a rental with full coverage and see what happens.
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