Honda Odyssey vs. Kia Carnival Hybrid vs. Toyota Sienna: Which Minivan Is Right for You?

• The new Kia Carnival Hybrid goes up against the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey.
• The Sienna is the only other minivan here to offer a hybrid powertrain.
• Each minivan has strengths that could make them better for different families.

Rather than make you wait until the end, we'll come right out with the winner: It's the Toyota Sienna, which had the highest overall rating of 8.3. But both the Carnival Hybrid (8.0) and Odyssey (8.1) were hot on its heels, and as you can see from the category scores below, not far off from the Toyota in most cases.

Even though the Sienna is the winner of our comparison, the other two minivans have strengths of their own that might make them a better choice for families with specific needs. Here are a few scenarios in which each van excels.

Kia Carnival Hybrid

• You're in denial that you need/want a minivan
• The kids will be fine back there
• Gotta carry lots of stuff

From an aesthetic standpoint, the Kia has the most attractive interior and exterior of the bunch, even if you account for varying tastes. It's inarguable that a minivan is the superior carrier of cargo and people over a three-row SUV, but for some folks, being seen in something with sliding doors is simply a no-go. And for them, the Carnival should impress with its wide grille and aggressive nose. On top of that, its interior feels the most modern of this trio by a wide margin.

The Carnival Hybrid is also the most comfortable up front, with an excellent pair of supportive and well-cushioned seats. So if your primary concern is parental comfort, the Kia will deliver even if it's a bit tighter in the second and third rows than the other vans.

The final area where the Carnival Hybrid wins is cargo room, with the most space behind the third row (40.2 cubic feet vs. 33.5 cubes for the Sienna and 32.8 cubes for the Odyssey) and the most room with its third row folded and second-row seats removed, at 145.1 cubic feet. We should note, however, that if you opt for the seven-passenger version of the Carnival Hybrid with the "VIP" captain's chairs, those can't be removed.

Honda Odyssey

• Families with young children
• You need to carry eight people
• You like to stop at the gas station

OK, that last bullet is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it's important to note the Odyssey's biggest deficiency against the Carnival and Sienna: fuel economy. The Odyssey lags far, far behind at just 22 mpg combined (the other two vans are in the mid-30s). And that means its range also suffers, as you'll get around 430 miles out of a tank in the Odyssey but right around 600 miles in both the Toyota and Kia. That means the Odyssey requires more time and money spent at the pump.

Even so, the Odyssey's super-flexible second row makes it the best minivan for families with young children. With the second row's center seat installed, the Odyssey seats eight passengers. But if you don't need it, the seat can be easily taken out and it only weighs about 20 pounds so it's pretty easy to maneuver. You can remove the same seat in the Kia, but it weighs at least double because the seat-belt apparatus is contained within the seat, and it's hard to lift out of its spot.

With the center seat out, the Odyssey's captain's chairs can slide forward and back as well as side to side. This means that, if you have to sit next to a child, you can do so without having to be in the middle seat and be a lot more comfortable. It also means you easily can put both outboard seats within reach of a front passenger if you need to pass snacks or other items back. What's more, the Odyssey is the easiest van in which to install a car seat.

Toyota Sienna

• Families with older kids
• Small items galore
• You want or need all-wheel drive

The Sienna's second-row captain's chairs are more comfortable than Honda's, but to get a child safety seat to fit snugly it needs to be reclined a bit, which puts kids farther away from their parents. However, if your kids have reached an age where they can be (somewhat) self-sufficient, older kids will appreciate the Toyota's greater interior comfort and amenities.

The Sienna's small-item storage is also the best of these vans. It has a large shelf right below the central touchscreen that houses the wireless charging pad, and below the shifter, the console is hollowed out and is a great place to put a purse or bag.

Importantly, the Sienna is the only one of these vans that offers all-wheel drive. Toyota tells us that over 60% of Sienna buyers opt for AWD, which makes it more mind-boggling that Kia or Honda don't offer this option.

We're all winners

Whatever your family's needs are, it's clear that there's a minivan out there for you. With Kia offering a hybrid powertrain, it can finally challenge Toyota on fuel economy, even though the Sienna is still a bit better to drive. And while the Honda's small screen and stodgy interior styling might make you wrinkle your nose, it nails the small details that make the Odyssey a compelling choice for those with young children.

Photos by Ryan Greger