2024 Kia Carnival SX Prestige test drive review

It’s no secret that minivans aren’t exactly considered the cool cars to drive, despite the fact that so many people love them for their utility and convenience. Well, lucky for the Kia Carnival, it’s not a minivan — it’s a multipurpose vehicle. At least that’s what Kia wants you to call it. But for all intents and purposes, it’s still pretty much a minivan.

If you’re among those who swear the van life will never be for you, the Carnival might just change your mind. We were impressed with our 2024 Kia Carnival SX Prestige tester and sorry to see it go when the week was up.

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Photo by Kia

Price and value 

The 2024 Kia Carnival comes in four trims, with an MSRP range of $33,200 for the base LX to $46,300 for the top-tier SX Prestige trim. Each Carnival has the same engine, front-wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic transmission. Some of the major differences among trims are noted below.

• Kia Carnival LX: $35,200 See listings

17-inch alloy wheels

Six-speaker audio system

8-inch touch screen

• Kia Carnival EX:$38,700 See listings

19-inch alloy wheels

Leather-wrapped steering wheel

12.3-inch touch screen

• Kia Carnival SX: $41,900 See listings

LED fog lights 

Power-adjustable front passenger seat

Smart power tailgate

• Kia Carnival SX Prestige: $46,300 See listings

Genuine leather upholstery

Bose premium audio system

Heated steering wheel

Photo by Kia

Our SX Prestige tester came with the optional Rear Seat Entertainment package, carpeted floor mats, a cargo mat and Ceramic Silver paint, which brought the total to $49,480 including handling fees. The seven-seat configuration with VIP Lounge Seats in the second row is part of the SX Prestige Seat package and comes at no additional cost on the SX Prestige trim. Considering all of the standard features included, we thought it was impressive that Kia managed to keep the price under $50K. However, as a personal preference, we would ditch the Rear Seat Entertainment package to save an extra $1,000. 

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Performance 

We couldn’t help but compare the Carnival to our personal midsize SUV and note that the van felt considerably smoother and the engine more responsive, despite the fact that the power output is virtually the same. While it’s not exactly exciting to drive, the Carnival’s performance was pretty great overall. 

Engine and drivetrain

No matter which trim you choose, the Carnival comes with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, which makes 290 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This van didn’t feel underpowered or sluggish in any way. One of our passengers even commented on how impressed she was by its overtaking power when we stepped on the gas. One slight disadvantage for the Carnival is that it only comes in front-wheel drive, whereas some competitors offer all-wheel drive.

Photo by Kia

Fuel economy 

It may not rival a hybrid, but for a gas-powered car, the Carnival doesn’t do too bad. It’s rated at 19 mph in the city, 26 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg combined. In our combined highway/city driving, we averaged closer to 20 mpg, but higher altitude and colder weather may have played a part in that slight drop in fuel economy.

Acceleration and handling

The Carnival was easy to negotiate around tight turns and corners; acceleration isn’t bad either. According to Car and Driver, the Carnival goes from 0-60 mph in just 7 seconds.

Braking

We were extremely pleased with how responsive and adept the brakes were at bringing the Carnival to a complete stop.

Interior comfort and convenience 

The interior of the 2024 Kia Carnival SX Prestige is worthy of admiration. Once inside, you might forget you’re driving a minivan (sorry, we mean a multipurpose vehicle). High-quality materials adorn the cabin and there’s plenty of space to get comfortable in each row — yes, even the third row.

Photo by Kia

Seats

Our SX Prestige had beautiful, genuine leather seating with heat and ventilation in front that kept our comfort level at a maximum. The second row was equipped with the VIP Lounge Seats, which recline nearly all the way back when the rear seats are folded down. There was a bit of a learning curve when it came to figuring out how to work the reclining function (thankfully, Kia provided an instruction sheet) and these seats won’t make a lot of sense if you routinely plan on seating people in the third row. Still, some will love this no-cost option on the SX Prestige.

Amazingly, even the third row provided a decent amount of headroom and legroom for adult passengers. We also appreciated that it was fairly easy to fold this row down to maximize on cargo space, if needed. 

Climate control 

Made with families in mind, the Carnival has either manual control air conditioning with rear vents or tri-zone automatic climate control, depending on the trim. Our SX Prestige had the latter. In the chilly December weather, everyone was comfortable in each row, even the rear seat passengers who didn’t have heated seats.

Cargo space and cabin storage 

Behind the third row, you get 40.3 cubic feet of cargo space. Put the third row down and that increases to 86.9 cubic feet of storage space. It’s possible to remove the second row for a maximum of 145.1 cubic feet unless you have the VIP Lounge seats. Those seats can’t be removed, so you’ll have to consider whether optimal comfort or optimal storage space is your priority.

Photo by Kia

Infotainment system 

The 12.3-inch touch screen and 12-speaker Bose audio system were put to good use as our carful of passengers enjoyed listening to holiday tunes on SiriusXM radio. The system is easy to use and very responsive. The biggest complaint — and this one is a head-scratcher — is the lack of wireless Apple CarPlay. Had the Carnival been equipped with this feature, we’d give the infotainment system a 10/10. 

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Photo by Kia

Exterior appearance and functionality 

As vans (or multipurpose vehicles) go, the Carnival is on the better-looking end of the spectrum, in our opinion. With its similar paint color, some people even mistook it for our Telluride family car. The Carnival is more angular than your typical minivan, which may be appealing to some people.

Wheels 

Equipped with 19-inch wheels, the Kia Carnival SX Prestige seemed to do a good job muffling road noise and providing us with a comfortable ride. The only potentially negative thing we noticed was that the tires spun out a little when we lightly pressed on the accelerator at a stop light on a cold morning going uphill, which is probably due to its front-wheel-drive system. If Kia ever offers the Carnival with all-wheel drive, we would take that in an instant.

Photo by Kia

Lights and turn signals 

The LED lights and power-folding, heated outside mirrors with integrated turn signals were excellent. No complaints in this category.

Front and rear windshield 

One thing we particularly loved about the Carnival was the visibility, which was excellent out the front and pretty good out the back. Where so many cars these days shrink backseat visibility and rely heavily on camera systems, it was refreshing that we didn’t necessarily have to do that with the Carnival.

Photo by Kia

Cameras and side mirrors 

Our SX Prestige tester came with the surround view camera system and blind spot view monitor to make backing up and changing lanes as easy as pie. We were impressed with the high resolution of the images and were grateful for the added visibility the blind spot view monitors provided in the driver display area.

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Safety 

As any good family car should, the 2024 Kia Carnival comes with several standard safety features. These included:

• Automatic emergency braking

• Forward collision avoidance assist

• Blind spot collision avoidance assist

• Rear cross-traffic alert

• Rear parking sensors

• Lane departure warning

• Lane-keep assist

• Pedestrian detection

• Rearview camera

Our SX Prestige tester also came with:

• Surround view camera system

• Adaptive cruise control

• Blind spot view monitor

• Highway driving assist

For a full list of standard and available safety features, click here.

Awards and ratings 

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the 2024 Kia Carnival the highest rating of Good in four out of five crash tests. The IIHS gave it a second-lowest rating of Moderate for the updated moderate front overlap test and the lowest score of Poor for the updated side test. In the headlights test, only the SX Prestige trim achieved a top score of Good. All other trims were given a Poor rating. For a full breakdown of the IIHS safety ratings, click here.

Photo by Kia

Final impression 

We know we’ve loved a car when we’re sad to see it go, and we were definitely sad to see the Kia Carnival SX Prestige pull away from our house. It was a pleasure to drive during our week of testing both on short and longer drives. We already miss the automatic sliding doors (a blessing with small children in tow) and the plush seats. It was comfortable, convenient and easy to maneuver, which makes it one of the best family vans you can buy. If Kia ever offers it with all-wheel drive and wireless Apple CarPlay, we’ll consider it pretty near perfect. 

If you’re looking for a family-friendly people-hauler, check this one out. Shop 2024 Kia Carnival models on KSL Cars

Photo by Kia

FAQs

Is the 2024 Kia Carnival the best family van?

When it comes to minivans, you have essentially four options: the Honda Odyssey, the Toyota Sienna, the Chrysler Pacifica and the Kia Carnival. While each comes with advantages and disadvantages, we’d put the Carnival high on the list for its affordability, comfort and satisfying driving dynamics.

Is the 2024 Kia Carnival a reliable car?

J.D. Power gave the 2024 Kia Carnival an 80/100 rating for quality and reliability. A score of 91-100 is considered Best, 81–90 is Great, 70–80 is Average and 0–69 is Fair.

Which is the best 2024 Kia Carnival trim to buy?

While we loved our SX Prestige tester, the EX trim is a good bargain if you’re looking to save money while maximizing on standard features and creature comforts. It comes with synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, the larger 12.3-inch touch screen, tri-zone automatic climate control and a host of other features that make it worth the slight price jump over the LX. 

*KSL Cars does not endorse any vehicles. The views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views or opinions of KSL.com or its employees.