2007 Hyundai Entourage Review

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Introduction

Hyundai Entourage - Review: They say no one wants to buy minivans anymore. The reasons run to the typical: not sexy enough, not enough status in it for mommy or daddy. Yet minivans like the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna sell briskly, often with waiting lists and salespeople click-clacking over MSRP deals. Perhaps, then, it's really that a minivan has to be darn good to make it, thanks to picky shoppers and clever automakers who innovate and keep family needs front and center.

What We Drove

As the new competitor in the minivan segment, we wanted to see how Hyundai was bringing their version of the Kia Sedona to market. That's no surprise, of course: Hyundai owns Kia, and with ownership comes perks such as the right to rebrand a top-grade minivan such as the Sedona. In this case, our tester was a base $23,745 Entourage GLS, including $595 destination, with cloth seats and body-color plastic trim on the outside.

Why We Drove It

Funny thing: minivans are the love secret most automotive journalists hold in the deep, dark corners of their souls. We can't help it. Despite their boatish, awkward appearance and clumsy performance, they represent the pinnacle of interior innovation, these most usable of vehicles. Sure, they don't look like much, but yessir, they sure are handy to have. That includes the Entourage, which like the Sedona is a serious player in the minivan segment and another good reason why General Motors and Ford should not bother attempting to get back into this market anymore. As such, we drove the Entourage to see if Hyundai was able to take the Sedona blueprints and transfer the good stuff over to the "other" brand.