Offered with a four- or six-cylinder engine and five- or seven-passenger seating, the front-wheel-drive 2009 Kia Rondo may be odd-looking, but this tall wagon is an interesting alternative to the traditional minivan.  Launched in 2007, it enters the 2009 model year with modest horsepower and fuel economy increases that keep it competitive.

Carrying humans is what the 2009 Kia Rondo does best, but it also has the enviable ability to carry cargo. The available third row, as in many of its competitors, is designed for little people, not adults. There is space for two adults and five kids, or two adults, three kids, and a lot of cargo. Both the second and third rows fold forward for a flat loading floor, and the second row slides fore and aft for improved legroom, a little more cargo space, or more balanced legroom between the second and third rows. And there are plenty of cubbies, including a huge recessed tray below the cargo floor in back.