Our 2026 Kia Carnival Reminds Us Why We Love Minivans

• What's new: We've been testing a Kia Carnival Hybrid for nearly a year.
• Why it matters: SUVs might be the most popular vehicle type these days, but minivans are still endlessly useful for a lot of shoppers.
• Edmunds says: You should consider a minivan. Our Carnival is super cool.

What the Carnival has going for it

But let's not dwell on your relative coolness. Let's instead focus on why the Kia Carnival is worthy of your consideration. No, not because it's cool. But because it's so darn good at most everything you'd want it to be. Don't take it from me, though; let's check in with my co-workers. 

"Our Carnival SX Prestige's interior is impressively classy looking," wrote Brent Romans. "I really like the chestnut-colored leather upholstery and the silver-trimmed controls, such as for the window switches and the drive selector. It's luxe for sure, and maybe too much luxe." 

"If I had little kids (mine are grown now), I'd constantly be worried about them putting smudgy, sticky handprints everywhere and carelessly spilling their drinks and food like partying drunks at a bar. (Or worse, like barfing up their food and drink, which has also happened to me in the past. See, little drunkards back there!) This made me think of my grandparents, who covered all of their living room furniture with clear plastic. Apparently, that was indeed a thing to do in the 1970s. It might be time to bring this trend back for the Carnival."

You can get the Carnival in a less classy trim, which I'd recommend if you have little monsters (or worse, their friends) to haul around. But for an adults-only trip to Vegas, the Carnival has serious appeal. 

The Carnival is roomy and practical

"As a longtime minivan advocate, the Carnival's cargo capacity is simply astounding," wrote Jonathan Elfalan. "With the third row folded down, the available space is immense. Even if you don't use every cubic foot, having that extra room for road trip essentials — or just-in-case items — is a wonderful luxury. Very few SUVs, short of massive vehicles like a Chevrolet Suburban, can compete with the sheer hauling power of a minivan. Plus, minivans are generally much easier to navigate and drive. This latest road trip might have just made a minivan convert out of my wife."

And the Carnival isn't just great for long road trips with your family. The flexible storage space in the back has made fans out of childless adults too. 

"Minivan supremacy is real, even if you don’t have a big family," wrote Duncan Brady. "I was bringing a folding table over to my friend's place for a party, and the low load floor and lack of drivetrain hump meant I could easily slide it in just in front of the second-row seats for easy access. And, man, do I love a sliding door. Minivans rule."

Sliding doors! They are great! They are the antithesis of the gullwing door, which has been cool in exactly one context. 

"I recently parked our Carnival in a parking lot overnight," wrote Romans. "I came out the next morning to find that another driver had parked another Carnival minivan(!) perilously close to ours. The driver had angled their van in such a way that it would have been impossible to get in and out of the back with regular rear doors. But with our Carnival's sliding rear doors, there was still enough space to get in and out. People can hate on minivans for the stigma they have, but sliding rear doors are an undeniably fantastic feature."

And kids love them, too

"Minivans get such a bad rep, but my kids love the Carnival," wrote Alistair Weaver. "The sliding doors are cool, they have tons of space, and the seats look like the ones they walk past on airplanes. They're 4 and 7 years old, and thus a fresh palate — to them the Kia is definitely a swagger wagon."

Will Kaufman's son agrees. "My kid is obsessed with the power doors. He won't let anyone open one for him; he had to show his friends at school drop-off. He also loves having his own climate control panel (even if he has to get out of his seat a little to reach it) and he loves the view he gets out of the Carnival. This thing may be uncool to adults, but to my 5-year-old, it's every bit as cool as a Ford Bronco or a Mustang."

The Kia Carnival, more than any other minivan on sale, tries to make you forget what you're driving. Kia calls the Carnival a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), which … hey, if that's the coping mechanism you need, godspeed. 

But if you simply want the right tool for the job and are OK with the unpretentious functionality a minivan offers, give the Kia Carnival a look.