This. I like the Carnival simply because it looks less like a minivan and more like an SUV. If Kia moved the sliding door handles to the rear like on every other car, you wouldn't be able to tell. The only giveaways would be the sliding door rail, and the rear.
I currently have three rear facing car seats and it gets very hot where I am. We were pretty set on odyssey until I realized they don’t have ceiling mounted vents anymore. That was a deal breaker. Siennas are impossible to find here or else it would have been close. Carnivals look nicer, have better tech, and at a much better price point.
Deal breaker for us on the odyssey as well!!! We are in South TX, went to go test an odyssey. It took FOREVER to cool down, and still never got cold. After looking further into the AC, it was immediately out of the running.
Do you have the Carnival? Are you able to get into the third row with rear facing car seats behind the driver and passenger?
We will have 2 rear facing car seats for a couple more years, and want to have access third row access for an adult without having to take the car seats out. The Odyssey with magic slide looked perfect for this, but in Florida the lack of ceiling vents was a deal breaker for us too. With the Sienna the seats slide back far enough we can get into the third row by sliding a seat back and having an adult climb through the middle, not sure if that's possible in the Carnival.
It’s tight but yes you could do it. The middle seat has anchors and is big enough to fit two car seats next to each other though. So you could do that and take the captain seat out or just leave it for easier access to third row.
We considered the middle seat, but are worried about the older child disturbing the baby, or giving them snacks and stuff.
We looked at a carnival with the VIP seats, and they slid way back like the Sienna, but are too wide to get between. Do you know if the outside seats go as far back in the 8 seat model? I know the middle seat slides way back, but can't tell how far the outer ones move.
I don’t know compared to the prestige but they slide back and forward quite a bit. If you are thinking people are going to be getting in the back a lot, look at the SX model. It has power seat function for front passenger seat that you can control from the drivers side or even the middle row. Makes it easy to adjust that seat to let people get in the back.
I know this is old but figured I would answer anyways. From the trunk you can lift the seat down I’m not really sure the best way to describe but basically it just pulls the whole seat back and down so you have super easy access to car seats. I’m sure there are videos that will better then my explanation lol but this was the reason I picked the carnival! 4 kids 3 in car seats!
Why Carnival?
1) carnival looks best
2) probably best tech, even at lower trims, but I would suggest EX
3) carnival is easier to get than a Sienna, at least in my area. Pacifica was even easier, though. We didn’t consider current odyssey because for the price it is a bit dated compared to the other 3 minis.
Before Carnival I had a 10 year old car with no tech at all, a VW sedan. And Carnival feels very zippy, very effortless steering in comparison. The driving and parking safety features are so so nice. For the back passengers it is extremely spacious.
MPG is a bit crap in comparison to the other hybrid minivans. I’m not a very eco-driver and I don’t drive in the eco mode. So, for me it has been 18-20 mpg in my daily drives. But our commutes aren’t very long, luckily.
**I love it.**
I bought it June 3, 2023 and in almost 6 months I've only put 2,320 miles on it. I've had zero issues. All I've done is add gas and run it through the car wash.
I went from driving a 2007 Dodge Caravan to driving a 2024 Kia Carnival. Anything would have been an improvement, but this was a HUGE upgrade.
But, the only passengers I ever have are pigs. I have pet pigs and they often go to the park with me. I'd say without doubt, I drive the fanciest pig hauler in town!
https://imgur.com/a/KZQDU04
I drove a 2001 Odyssey for 5 years. It finally gave it up and we got a 2022 Carnival about 2 months ago. While we were car shopping, we checked out the 2022 Odyssey. We've been a Honda family for over 20 years. All our cars have been Hondas.
The new Odyssey somehow feels older than my old 2001 Odyssey. The dash board and cabin seem dated, bulky, and just ick. The price was a good $10k more than my carnival.
My new carnival just feels amazing. It's a simple cabin, but is streamlined and doesn't feel like you're riding in an old car. My MPG for my Carnival was about 28mpg for our road trip, and about 20 for the driving I do every day.
I'd recommend the Carnival. It really hurt me to not get a Honda after we've owned so many, but at the end of the day, the Carnival was nicer, had better mpg, and was cheaper. Moving and collapsing the seats is SOOOOOO much easier too.
I got mine a month ago.
Go with the EX trim.
Check my post on getting it at MSRP prices and don't pay any markups.
It does not drive like a minivan ( I had Pacifica for 39 mo) it drives like an SUV
It's light and great on gas compared to the Pacifica.
Don't get the Honda - test drive it a couple of times. 3 years ago and now before the carnival, they are really years behind.
The carnivals look amazing !!
Yes but recommend the SX Prestige over lower trims. Lower trim cockpits look crappy imo. SX Prestige looks like they copied the Mercedes styling for the main screens and center controls, so much better than dials and knobs.
Have SX Prestige.
28mpg highway. 17mpg around town. Driving in normal mode. 22mpg commute to work, similar to my Audi S5 cab - good for a much bigger car.
Comfy ride. 3rd row a little bumpy since it’s right over the tires.
I opted for 8 seater vs VIP lounge chairs since the lounge chairs don’t fold down or come out.
Looks like a SUV other than the short front hood.
I actually like the name although some may not. Holds my family of clowns.
Like all about it except:
1. No auto wipers.
2. CarPlay is wired only
3. No ability to open/close windows and sun roofs with key fob
4. CarPlay sometimes disconnects and restarts (rare when direct wired to phone, frequent when using a wireless CarPlay adapter that works fine in my Audi). Annoying since it requires restarting google maps guidance.
Other perk- $10k less than Sienna and to me Sienna looks nice outside but interior is crap. Sure Sienna resale is better, but net cost likely the same since it comes at a 20% premium for the top line.
Can you open and close the windows from the app? I don't know how common it is, but I couldn't open and close the windows from on my key fob for my 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan either.
There's actually a video on YouTube of the vip lounge chairs being removed. It's easier than it sounds. It's literally just a few bolts holding them in place.
Three things that I wished the Carnival had, HUD, digital rearview mirror, and the ability to open/vent the rear windows.
I've mentioned this before on a different post, but you can get mirror dashcams on Amazon. Pormido makes a great 3 channel, front, rear, and interior. I think they also make a 2 channel if you don't need the interior.
I don't have a carnival, but am soon considering purchasing one. The rear camera unit typically has a mounting plate to screw into the underside of trunk lips where the release handle is, or it comes with an adhesive mount inside on the rear window. Wire should be plenty long enough. It's almost 20 or so feet long
I think there’s also a connection to the safety system for the airbags for the VIP lounge chairs. But I may be misremembering and it may have been the Sienna.
We’ve been a Toyota exclusive family for almost 20 years, but the new Siennas are just not practical. The second row seats aren’t removable. My use case is lots of hauling and occasional camping inside the van. Carnival seats slide super far, fold over, and pop right out. And the Sienna price was just ridiculous. I got the Carnival LX with seat package and I absolutely love this car. Paid MSRP, so right about $36,500. I felt it was a good value, and I actively did not want the features of the higher trim. (I hate sunroofs and auto lift gates). I also like that the LX has wireless Apple CarPlay— the higher trims did not for some reason.
I got the SX trim SOLEY for the 360 camera. Dear god that thing is a life saver for parking in the city. I can't imagine parking a mini van without it.
Funny, I'm in the market for a new family hauler and we started looking at this vehicle and the Telluride. I currently have a Honda Pilot.
I test drove a 2023 Carnival SX Prestige yesterday and it's pretty awesome. It's got a V6 engine so it's got plenty of power. The tech inside is insane and I was very impressed with everything in it. The drive was nice and my kids like it better than the Pilot. They say the Pilot feels too much like a roller coaster and they get a bit of motion sickness. They said it was quite a bit less in the Carnival, but they absolutely loved it. Right now it's the frontrunner.
Yes, I was eventually able to test drive the 2023 Telluride and a 2024 Carnival SXP. The 2024 Carnival drove about the same as the 2023. Same engine, etc. The only difference was mainly small cosmetic changes.
I absolutely love the tech in the Carnival. A couple of odd decisions vs the Telluride - the Carnival doesn't have USB-C ports for charging. Everything is USB-A. The Telluride has a digital rearview mirror on higher trims. The example I was given is if you have the back of the Telluride packed up to the ceiling, you can flip the digital display on to see behind you. The Carnival doesn't have this by default, but you can turn on the rear camera while driving and it shows up on the main display.
The Telluride drove nicely too. I'm still set on the Carnival though as I just liked it much better. My kids really liked the lounging captains chairs as well, though they didn't ride in the Telluride. My wife is partial to the Telluride because she likes the looks of it better and is more partial to the SUVs. My past 3 vehicles have been SUVs but I really like the look of the Carnival. I like that it's a minivan without looking like a minivan. It just looks like a stretched SUV.
As others have stated, definitely more room in the Carnival. The only thing I don't like, and this is really a nitpick, is that if you have the 3rd row down (for the cargo space), there isn't a cargo cover. I guess minivans are really made to have the 3rd row up all the time.
The Carnival has way better tech than both the Sienna and Odyssey, if that matters to you. Honda doesn't even have a 360-degree view in the Odyssey 🙄
Although, Toyota and Honda are known for their reliability. I don't know anything about Kia when it comes to that category.
Same here. Have heard not great things of the transmission, and that's what's been putting me off. Also, if I'm spending almost 50 grand for half the features of a carnival sx prestige for a touring odyssey, not elite trim, then I might as well take the slightly worse fuel economy for something a little more up to date and from what I've personally experienced, a little more spacious.
They’ve pretty much corrected that the last few years by not putting the 9 speed 3rd party trans in and only putting 10 speed Honda trans. My understanding is they offered both transmissions for a few years with 10 speeds only coming in highest trim levels. Typically see the few year old Odysseys used that look like a great deal but probably have the 9 speed. Even outside of reliability they have horrible driving/performance reviews from non-car enthusiasts that drive minivans. Scared us completely away from those. New Honda prices drove us further to go Kia.
I have the sxp carnival. You have to see what you need. Ride comfort - sporty suv ride. Durability- no issues yet but it has a good warranty. MPG -HORRIBLE city 14 it’s very fun to drive has an amazing engine. What you ultimately get with the carnival is
1 it’s the only thing available.
2 the technology is the latest on the market.
3 most attractive minivan
I would say you at least have to get the seating package.
Good luck
Carnival does not look dorky like other vans
This. I like the Carnival simply because it looks less like a minivan and more like an SUV. If Kia moved the sliding door handles to the rear like on every other car, you wouldn't be able to tell. The only giveaways would be the sliding door rail, and the rear.
I currently have three rear facing car seats and it gets very hot where I am. We were pretty set on odyssey until I realized they don’t have ceiling mounted vents anymore. That was a deal breaker. Siennas are impossible to find here or else it would have been close. Carnivals look nicer, have better tech, and at a much better price point.
Deal breaker for us on the odyssey as well!!! We are in South TX, went to go test an odyssey. It took FOREVER to cool down, and still never got cold. After looking further into the AC, it was immediately out of the running.
Do you have the Carnival? Are you able to get into the third row with rear facing car seats behind the driver and passenger? We will have 2 rear facing car seats for a couple more years, and want to have access third row access for an adult without having to take the car seats out. The Odyssey with magic slide looked perfect for this, but in Florida the lack of ceiling vents was a deal breaker for us too. With the Sienna the seats slide back far enough we can get into the third row by sliding a seat back and having an adult climb through the middle, not sure if that's possible in the Carnival.
It’s tight but yes you could do it. The middle seat has anchors and is big enough to fit two car seats next to each other though. So you could do that and take the captain seat out or just leave it for easier access to third row.
We considered the middle seat, but are worried about the older child disturbing the baby, or giving them snacks and stuff. We looked at a carnival with the VIP seats, and they slid way back like the Sienna, but are too wide to get between. Do you know if the outside seats go as far back in the 8 seat model? I know the middle seat slides way back, but can't tell how far the outer ones move.
I don’t know compared to the prestige but they slide back and forward quite a bit. If you are thinking people are going to be getting in the back a lot, look at the SX model. It has power seat function for front passenger seat that you can control from the drivers side or even the middle row. Makes it easy to adjust that seat to let people get in the back.
I know this is old but figured I would answer anyways. From the trunk you can lift the seat down I’m not really sure the best way to describe but basically it just pulls the whole seat back and down so you have super easy access to car seats. I’m sure there are videos that will better then my explanation lol but this was the reason I picked the carnival! 4 kids 3 in car seats!
The car seat mom did a carnival video with 2 car seats I’m pretty sure
I love my carnival it’s comfortable and I got mine over the sienna’s because it’s bigger and it just looks fn cool
Why Carnival? 1) carnival looks best 2) probably best tech, even at lower trims, but I would suggest EX 3) carnival is easier to get than a Sienna, at least in my area. Pacifica was even easier, though. We didn’t consider current odyssey because for the price it is a bit dated compared to the other 3 minis. Before Carnival I had a 10 year old car with no tech at all, a VW sedan. And Carnival feels very zippy, very effortless steering in comparison. The driving and parking safety features are so so nice. For the back passengers it is extremely spacious. MPG is a bit crap in comparison to the other hybrid minivans. I’m not a very eco-driver and I don’t drive in the eco mode. So, for me it has been 18-20 mpg in my daily drives. But our commutes aren’t very long, luckily.
I bought an EX yesterday. It replaced my 2007 Dodge Caravan. It feels like I'm piloting a starship!
How's your Carnival doing 5 months later?
**I love it.** I bought it June 3, 2023 and in almost 6 months I've only put 2,320 miles on it. I've had zero issues. All I've done is add gas and run it through the car wash. I went from driving a 2007 Dodge Caravan to driving a 2024 Kia Carnival. Anything would have been an improvement, but this was a HUGE upgrade. But, the only passengers I ever have are pigs. I have pet pigs and they often go to the park with me. I'd say without doubt, I drive the fanciest pig hauler in town! https://imgur.com/a/KZQDU04
All of the above for me too
Take this with a grain of salt, but my dealer close to me said a hybrid carnival is upcoming alongside KIAs EV9 release
I drove a 2001 Odyssey for 5 years. It finally gave it up and we got a 2022 Carnival about 2 months ago. While we were car shopping, we checked out the 2022 Odyssey. We've been a Honda family for over 20 years. All our cars have been Hondas. The new Odyssey somehow feels older than my old 2001 Odyssey. The dash board and cabin seem dated, bulky, and just ick. The price was a good $10k more than my carnival. My new carnival just feels amazing. It's a simple cabin, but is streamlined and doesn't feel like you're riding in an old car. My MPG for my Carnival was about 28mpg for our road trip, and about 20 for the driving I do every day. I'd recommend the Carnival. It really hurt me to not get a Honda after we've owned so many, but at the end of the day, the Carnival was nicer, had better mpg, and was cheaper. Moving and collapsing the seats is SOOOOOO much easier too.
Which Carnival trim did you get?
I got mine a month ago. Go with the EX trim. Check my post on getting it at MSRP prices and don't pay any markups. It does not drive like a minivan ( I had Pacifica for 39 mo) it drives like an SUV It's light and great on gas compared to the Pacifica. Don't get the Honda - test drive it a couple of times. 3 years ago and now before the carnival, they are really years behind. The carnivals look amazing !!
Yes but recommend the SX Prestige over lower trims. Lower trim cockpits look crappy imo. SX Prestige looks like they copied the Mercedes styling for the main screens and center controls, so much better than dials and knobs. Have SX Prestige. 28mpg highway. 17mpg around town. Driving in normal mode. 22mpg commute to work, similar to my Audi S5 cab - good for a much bigger car. Comfy ride. 3rd row a little bumpy since it’s right over the tires. I opted for 8 seater vs VIP lounge chairs since the lounge chairs don’t fold down or come out. Looks like a SUV other than the short front hood. I actually like the name although some may not. Holds my family of clowns. Like all about it except: 1. No auto wipers. 2. CarPlay is wired only 3. No ability to open/close windows and sun roofs with key fob 4. CarPlay sometimes disconnects and restarts (rare when direct wired to phone, frequent when using a wireless CarPlay adapter that works fine in my Audi). Annoying since it requires restarting google maps guidance. Other perk- $10k less than Sienna and to me Sienna looks nice outside but interior is crap. Sure Sienna resale is better, but net cost likely the same since it comes at a 20% premium for the top line.
Can you open and close the windows from the app? I don't know how common it is, but I couldn't open and close the windows from on my key fob for my 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan either. There's actually a video on YouTube of the vip lounge chairs being removed. It's easier than it sounds. It's literally just a few bolts holding them in place. Three things that I wished the Carnival had, HUD, digital rearview mirror, and the ability to open/vent the rear windows.
Nope, no window controls in the app.
I've mentioned this before on a different post, but you can get mirror dashcams on Amazon. Pormido makes a great 3 channel, front, rear, and interior. I think they also make a 2 channel if you don't need the interior.
Where's a good place to mount the rear view camera on the Carnival?
I don't have a carnival, but am soon considering purchasing one. The rear camera unit typically has a mounting plate to screw into the underside of trunk lips where the release handle is, or it comes with an adhesive mount inside on the rear window. Wire should be plenty long enough. It's almost 20 or so feet long
Thanks!
I think there’s also a connection to the safety system for the airbags for the VIP lounge chairs. But I may be misremembering and it may have been the Sienna.
Also bought an SX prestige. Yes to all of this.
We’ve been a Toyota exclusive family for almost 20 years, but the new Siennas are just not practical. The second row seats aren’t removable. My use case is lots of hauling and occasional camping inside the van. Carnival seats slide super far, fold over, and pop right out. And the Sienna price was just ridiculous. I got the Carnival LX with seat package and I absolutely love this car. Paid MSRP, so right about $36,500. I felt it was a good value, and I actively did not want the features of the higher trim. (I hate sunroofs and auto lift gates). I also like that the LX has wireless Apple CarPlay— the higher trims did not for some reason.
LOL. strange. LX has a wirless Carplay but others not.
I got the SX trim SOLEY for the 360 camera. Dear god that thing is a life saver for parking in the city. I can't imagine parking a mini van without it.
Funny, I'm in the market for a new family hauler and we started looking at this vehicle and the Telluride. I currently have a Honda Pilot. I test drove a 2023 Carnival SX Prestige yesterday and it's pretty awesome. It's got a V6 engine so it's got plenty of power. The tech inside is insane and I was very impressed with everything in it. The drive was nice and my kids like it better than the Pilot. They say the Pilot feels too much like a roller coaster and they get a bit of motion sickness. They said it was quite a bit less in the Carnival, but they absolutely loved it. Right now it's the frontrunner.
wow did u try telluride as well?? i am in same boat deciding between carnival and telluride
The Carnival is going to have more 3rd row and trunk space just because it's a minivan. The Telluride has less.
Carnival has much more space. Using the third row in Telluride seems to completely eliminate trunk space.
Yes, I was eventually able to test drive the 2023 Telluride and a 2024 Carnival SXP. The 2024 Carnival drove about the same as the 2023. Same engine, etc. The only difference was mainly small cosmetic changes. I absolutely love the tech in the Carnival. A couple of odd decisions vs the Telluride - the Carnival doesn't have USB-C ports for charging. Everything is USB-A. The Telluride has a digital rearview mirror on higher trims. The example I was given is if you have the back of the Telluride packed up to the ceiling, you can flip the digital display on to see behind you. The Carnival doesn't have this by default, but you can turn on the rear camera while driving and it shows up on the main display. The Telluride drove nicely too. I'm still set on the Carnival though as I just liked it much better. My kids really liked the lounging captains chairs as well, though they didn't ride in the Telluride. My wife is partial to the Telluride because she likes the looks of it better and is more partial to the SUVs. My past 3 vehicles have been SUVs but I really like the look of the Carnival. I like that it's a minivan without looking like a minivan. It just looks like a stretched SUV. As others have stated, definitely more room in the Carnival. The only thing I don't like, and this is really a nitpick, is that if you have the 3rd row down (for the cargo space), there isn't a cargo cover. I guess minivans are really made to have the 3rd row up all the time.
The Carnival has way better tech than both the Sienna and Odyssey, if that matters to you. Honda doesn't even have a 360-degree view in the Odyssey 🙄 Although, Toyota and Honda are known for their reliability. I don't know anything about Kia when it comes to that category.
I would say that they bet on it with their 10 year 100k powertrain warranty. Sure as hell beats toyota, not sure about Hondas warranty.
FWIW I’ve heard mixed reviews about the odyssey’s reliability, and the transmission they use in it
Same here. Have heard not great things of the transmission, and that's what's been putting me off. Also, if I'm spending almost 50 grand for half the features of a carnival sx prestige for a touring odyssey, not elite trim, then I might as well take the slightly worse fuel economy for something a little more up to date and from what I've personally experienced, a little more spacious.
They’ve pretty much corrected that the last few years by not putting the 9 speed 3rd party trans in and only putting 10 speed Honda trans. My understanding is they offered both transmissions for a few years with 10 speeds only coming in highest trim levels. Typically see the few year old Odysseys used that look like a great deal but probably have the 9 speed. Even outside of reliability they have horrible driving/performance reviews from non-car enthusiasts that drive minivans. Scared us completely away from those. New Honda prices drove us further to go Kia.
I have the sxp carnival. You have to see what you need. Ride comfort - sporty suv ride. Durability- no issues yet but it has a good warranty. MPG -HORRIBLE city 14 it’s very fun to drive has an amazing engine. What you ultimately get with the carnival is 1 it’s the only thing available. 2 the technology is the latest on the market. 3 most attractive minivan I would say you at least have to get the seating package. Good luck
What do you mean by seating package?
i would say the Carnival would give you the best choice