The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Huge cabin
- Refined ride
- Approachable tech
- Good safety record
- Sleek lines
Dislikes
- No hybrid or AWD version
- Silly lounge seat option
- So-so fuel economy
- No stowing second-row seats
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2024 Kia Carnival is a stylish minivan for those who won’t be caught in a minivan.
What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Kia Carnival? What does it compare to?
The Carnival is a minivan with SUV-esque good looks. Shop it against the Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey.
Is the 2024 Kia Carnival a good car/SUV?
It’s a strong overall choice for those in the market for a three-row vehicle. Spacious, suave, and loaded with tech, the Carnival’s only demerits are its lack of a hybrid powertrain and the lack of an all-wheel-drive option. It’s a 7.0 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2024 Kia Carnival?
The Carnival sees minor feature tweaks to its EX trim level but otherwise carries over unchanged.
Its sliding rear doors place the Carnival firmly in the minivan camp, but this is one stylish choice. SUV-like details such as a broad front end, oversize fenders, and chunky taillights aim to lure SUV faithful.
It’s modern and sophisticated inside, with great attention to detail throughout. We’re less enamored with all the shiny black plastic, which begs to be scraped up. But otherwise, this is a proper executive express—even if those bosses may be your kids. (We know who’s really in charge.)
Ride-and-handling-wise, the 2024 Carnival tops most SUVs with its buttery smooth ride and quick handling. It’s quiet, too. With 290 hp on tap from its 3.5-liter V-6, it can lug a 3,500-pound trailer, too. Sadly, there’s no all-wheel-drive version. Then again, how often do you really need power going to each corner?
The Carnival’s big top interior offers up comfortable accommodations in all three rows. Most versions have second-row captain’s chairs, though a small mid-row middle seat that folds into a console table is available. Don’t look for the second-row seats to tumble into the floor like in the Chrysler Pacifica, though they can be removed.
Befitting its family-hauler status, the Carnival boasts excellent crash-avoidance and driver-assistance tech plus an IIHS Top Safety Pick award.
How much does the 2024 Kia Carnival cost?
The base Carnival LX is a bargain at $34,565 to start, or $2,000 more with second-row captain’s chairs and synthetic leather trim. The intuitive infotainment system displayed via the 8.0-inch touchscreen also includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
We’d probably spend up to $40,065 for the mid-level EX and its digital instrument cluster and upsized 12.3-inch touchscreen.
Where is the 2024 Kia Carnival made?
In South Korea.
2024 Kia Carnival Styling
An SUV from the front, a minivan from the back, the Carnival creates its own attraction.
Is the Kia Carnival a good-looking car?
The Kia Carnival does its best to approximates SUV style despite its power-sliding rear doors. From the front doors forward, it looks like a Kia Sorento. From the side, it’s upscale, with Telluride vibes. Inside, it goes all in on Telluride-like looks, albeit with even more passenger room. We call it a 7 overall.
The Carnival’s profile looks more like an SUV than a van, aside from the location of its rear door handles. Bright detailing gives it a classy look, and the big 19-inch wheels fitted to most versions fill its pronounced wheel arches nicely.
Inside, a broad, low dash pairs two screens under a single pane of glass in most versions. While Kia is too reliant on glossy black plastic trim for our tastes, this cabin is otherwise a timeless, stylish affair. Higher-end versions are offered with particularly pretty upholstery options, too. We might spend up just for the two-tone caramel and black cabin.
2024 Kia Carnival Performance
The 2024 Kia Carnival boasts a sophisticated ride.
Kia has tuned the 2024 Carnival’s suspension for a soft, compliant ride, even with the 19-inch wheels fitted to most versions. That butter smooth ride nets it a point above average, bringing it to a 6 on the TCC scale.
Is the Kia Carnival 4WD?
No, it is not. You’ll need to look to Kia’s SUVs for all-wheel drive.
How fast is the Kia Carnival?
It’ll keep up with traffic just fine. The quiet and refined 3.5-liter V-6 puts out 290 hp and 262 lb-ft of the torque to the front wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. This combo delivers adequate grunt, and it’s enough to lug a 3,500-pound trailer for shorter stints.
The Carnival’s real asset is its hushed demeanor. Most versions have insulated glass throughout, which makes it even more serene. The fully independent suspension swallows up big bumps and helps this van feel planted at highway speeds.
The steering has decent heft for smooth highway cruising, and it’s light enough around town to make this big vehicle feel fairly nimble. A sports car it is not, but the Carnival is hardly a chore to hustle around.
2024 Kia Carnival Comfort & Quality
Minivans are hard to beat for flexibility, and the 2024 Kia Carnival is no slouch.
Looking for a spacious vehicle with a stylish cabin? Forget about Kia’s own Telluride. The Carnival boasts room for up to eight, plus their gear, and nearly everyone has stretch-out space. It’s a 9 on our scale. The only way to a 10 would be if Kia offered Genesis-level interior trim—but that’s not to say that the Carnival is a penalty box for anyone.
The front seats are comfy enough, though they benefit from more adjustment the more you spend. Rear-seat riders can choose between a three-piece bench or, more commonly, individual captain’s chairs with a narrow pass-through to the spacious third row. Those with the three-piece bench have a clever middle seat that folds down to create a pseudo-console with cupholders.
While the Carnival’s second row doesn’t tuck into the floor like the Chrysler Pacifica, the seats themselves are relatively easy to remove for maximum storage capacity. Row three does fold away cleanly into the floor, though.
The swankiest SX Prestige versions can be further upgraded with second-row captain’s chairs that have chaise lounge-style footrests, but this is a niftier option in principle than it is practice. There’s just not enough legroom to emulate, say, American Airlines Flagship business seats in a 787. Then again, a roundtrip flight to Paris costs about as much as a Carnival, so spend wisely.
With row three upright, the Carnival boasts a hefty 40.2 cubic feet of cargo space. Fold it and that grows to nearly 90 cubes, before maxing out north of 145 cubic feet with the second row stowed away in your garage. (But not beneath the floor, natch.)
Materials are good throughout, though it takes stepping way up to the SX Prestige to net real leather rather than synthetic hides. Then again, synthetic trim will be easier to clean.
2024 Kia Carnival Safety
The 2024 Kia Carnival has a great crash-test record.
How safe is the Kia Carnival?
It’s a strong choice, that’s for sure. When fitted with the top headlights, it’s a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS. Combine that with impressive standard crash-avoidance tech and decent outward vision, and we land at an 8 for safety. There’s room to grow, too, since the NHTSA has yet to test the Carnival.
All models have automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and blind-spot monitors. Kia’s a bit stingy with adaptive cruise control, restricting it to EX and higher versions. Those models also add a system that warns passengers of approaching traffic as well as front and rear parking sensors.
2024 Kia Carnival Features
The 2024 Kia Carnival is a screaming deal in most configurations.
Sure, most new cars are quite expensive. But few lavish passengers with as many features for the money as the 2024 Kia Carnival. The lineup starts at $34,595 for the base LX version, which comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, cloth seats, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, basic driver assistance tech, and room for eight. All those features are backed up by a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Starting from 5, we add a point for standard fare, another for quality infotainment, one for a big warranty, one for additional customization options, and a fifth for overall value. The 2024 Carnival is a 10 on our scale.
Which Kia Carnival should I buy?
The LX isn’t a bad buy for most shoppers, but we’d spend the extra $2,000 for the LX Seat Package that includes eight-passenger seating, synthetic leather trim, and heated front seats.
Then again, the EX at $40,065 includes a bigger 12.3-inch touchscreen, rear-seat sunshades, adaptive cruise control, a wireless charging pad, 19-inch alloy wheels, and a host of little upgrades that make it worth the spend for us.
How much is a fully loaded Kia Carnival?
The range tops out at $47,665 for the SX Prestige with its power passenger’s seat, leather upholstery, surround-view camera system, and Bose audio system. Kia offers a no-cost upgrade to second-row lounge seats over the standard bench, too.
2024 Kia Carnival Fuel Economy
The 2024 Kia Carnival is not the most eco-friendly minivan choice.
Is the Kia Carnival good on gas?
It’s not great for a minivan. Using EPA test procedures, the 2024 Carnival is estimated at a dismal 19 mpg city, 26 highway, 22 combined. That’s in line with the Chrysler Pacifica, but far off of that brand’s hybrid option and the Toyota Sienna.
