2022 Kia Carnival

RYAN ZUMMALLEN: Let's drop the act-- fanny packs are back; brussel sprouts taste good now; and minivans are cool. Not just cool for families, or cool for road trips. They're just cool, in general. Today we're going to compare four of our top ranked minivans-- The Kia Carnival; Chrysler Pacifica; Toyota Sienna; and Honda Odyssey. Keep watching to find out what's right for you. Before we dive in, do a sick burn on that Like button, and hit Subscribe so that you can see our videos before all of your friends. If you're thinking about selling your car, go to edmunds.com/sellmycar to get a cash offer on your ride right now. So The 2022 Carnival replaces The Sedona, but this has a much more SUV-like style to it. It's powered by a V6 engine making 290 horsepower-- the most in class. It has a 10 Year, 100,000 Mile Powertrain Warranty-- which is also the best in its class. The Pacifica Hybrid has a new look for 2021, but that's not all that's going for it. It has the best value in its class, with available tax rebates; incentives; HOV car pooling access; and EV battery that gives you 32 miles of range. And its normal Hybrid Mode achieves 30 miles per gallon. Plus it has a 10 Year, 100,000 Mile Battery Warranty. On the downside, the hybrid does not have all-wheel-drive. And Chrysler recommends you don't tow with this Model. The Sienna is redesigned for 2021, as well, and now comes standard as a hybrid. Plus you can also option all-wheel-drive, if you want. Its EPA rating is 36 MPG, combined. That's best in class. It's also the only minivan to offer free routine maintenance for two years, and 25,000 miles. It has a 10 Year, 150,000 Mile Battery Warranty and optional all-wheel-drive. The Odyssey has long been a benchmark for minivans. Its strong V6 engine and stable handling make it enjoyable to drive. And it's packed with modern safety and tech features. Each of these starts around $32,000 to $34,000, but you should expect to pay about 40,000 for the most popular trims and options. So what stands out inside The Carnival? Well you get excellent materials, and pretty comfortable seats on this SX Prestige trim. There's also lots of interesting textures, and soft surfaces throughout the interior it's kind of a bummer that there's no pass through storage under here like on some of the other minivans that we have, but you get huge vibrant screens with menus that are easy to control using all of these buttons. Although I wish they were a little bit bigger. You also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The large screen is perfect for seeing the bird's eye view to make parking a breeze. Unfortunately the piano black soft touch buttons blow it-- smudge easily-- and they don't have haptic feedback. Lastly, we wish Kia's Smart Trunk feature activated more predictably. In The Pacifica there's a new top trim called The Pinnacle-- with quilted leather seats and pillows. There's huge sliding doors, and easy access to the third row. Leg room is just about average, though. It's Uconnect Infotainment System has clear graphics, quick responses, and good native apps. Unfortunately, the hybrid battery means you don't get the Stow 'n Go feature that lets you fold rear seats into the floor. In The Sienna, it's easy to get in and out thanks to good interior packaging, and large door openings. There's also a large central touch screen, but it glares in direct sunlight. Thankfully, there's a digital surround view camera, and a digital rearview mirror available, if you want. The in-cabin fridge and vacuum cleaner that we love so much is discontinued for 2022, due to supplier issues. Now, the second row seats slide the farthest, and have the most leg room. But, due to the integrated airbags, you can't take them out. This is the only van in the class that you can't remove the second row seats on. We have mixed feelings about the kick open side doors and rear hatch, because sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. In The Odyssey, the second row seats are at just the right height, and they also recline. As the driver, you get so-so visibility over the hood, and pretty bulky pillars. There's also no surround view when you're backing up. It has stow-able rear seats, but the cabin vacuum cleaner is discontinued-- at least for this year, due to supplier issues. And, the infotainment system feels dated. Now that we know a bit about our magnificent minivans, let's see how they drive on the road. All right, behind the wheel of The Kia Carnival. As we said, The Carnival is powered by a V6 engine, and it feels plenty strong for this vehicle. There are no issues with feeling underpowered, or getting off a line to slow, anything like that. In fact, if you step on it, the transmission will downshift pretty quickly-- and it'll even give you a little bit of a roar. [ENGINE REVS] Hear that? [REVVING CONTINUES] Under the hood, all good marks for The carnival. It also delivers a nice smooth ride. To be fair, the suspension is a little bit more firm in The Carnival than some of our other minivans, and when it comes to steering and handling, this feels more like an SUV. Whereas some of those other vehicles really do mimic how it feels to drive a smaller car. When it comes to fuel economy, The Carnival is EPA rated at 20 to miles combined-- which is right in line with other front wheel drive minivans in the class. However its highway rating is down 2 MPG, compared to The Odyssey and The Pacifica. And if you're really that concerned about fuel economy, you should probably be looking real hard at The Sienna. Sienna time. The Toyota minivan is smooth, but ultra slow. Its brakes are also a little tricky to use sometimes-- not quite as consistent as the other competitors, here. But the steering is light and easy, which is great when you're tooling around the Gymboree parking lot. On the plus side, it's EPA rated at 36 MPG, combined. Fuel economy is exceptional. Believe it or not, The Odyssey is borderline fun to drive. With precise steering and braking, it all just feels cohesive and well-put-together. Even the 10-speed automatic transmission is sorted out nicely. Its EPA rating is 22 MPG combined, which is true of all Odysseys, because there's no all-wheel-drive or hybrid version. When in EV mode, this Pacifica plug-in hybrid offers instant torque that moves the van sharply and smoothly. It likes moderate acceleration, but will oblige if you need a little mid-range punch. The ride is compliant, and generally smooth across varying road surfaces. But it's not as nimble as The Honda Odyssey or The Sienna. And the turning radius feels noticeably larger. This new Pinnacle trim comes with quilted leather seats, which are basically the pumpkin spice latte of auto interiors, but I still like them. I'm kind of basic. Each of these minivans have done a solid job of keeping up with the times. When it comes to our Edmunds minivan rankings, The Carnival is tied for fourth place with the non-hybrid Pacifica. Yes, it has distinct styling, but The Carnival also has an underwhelming driving experience and unrefined tech features. The Sienna, third on our list, remains a competent choice with lots of storage, and outstanding fuel economy. The Odyssey, at number two, has tons of versatility, and a car-like driving experience. And, taking the number one spot, is The Pacifica Hybrid, because it's packed with the latest technology. It has great mileage and, potentially, the best overall value in its class-- due to fuel savings and tax credits. Hey, thanks for watching. And give us a Like and hit the Subscribe button, so you don't miss any more of our videos. If you're selling your car, go to edmunds.com/sellmycar to get a cash offer right now. [FUNKY ROCK MUSIC]