2022 Kia Carnival | Family Minivan Review

Thanks to my day job at Kelley Blue Book, I drive and review lots of cars. This new 2022 Kia Carnival is one of them. The Carnival competes with minivans like the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, and Chrysler Pacifica. In this video, we drive the all-new Kia Carnival to review its positives and negatives from a family perspective.

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Buy a Kia Carnival

Here’s our test car’s information explosion:

Information Explosion
2022 Kia Carnival

3.5L V6
(290hp, 262 lb-ft)

8sp Automatic Transmission
19city/26hwy

Base LX: $32,100 plus dest.
As-Tested: $46,595 SX Prestige

During our review of this 2022 Kia Carnival, we tested a range of practical details including passenger space, cargo space, child seat accommodation, safety features, infotainment, handling, steering, performance, acceleration, overall refinement, price, and value. How did it go? Watch and see. #MicahDrives

00:00 2022 Kia Carnival Review
0:15 Information Explosion
0:33 Interior Review
4:57 Cargo Space
6:03 Safety Features
6:57 Family Friendly?
7:23 Exterior Review
8:23 Driving Impressions
9:29 Evie Drives
9:45 Blind Spots
11:19 Emotion Factor
11:49 Infotainment Review
12:30 Family-Friendly Features
15:33 Which Kia Carnival trim is best?
16:42 Kia Carnival Competitors
17:08 Synopsis

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[sylviaklages]

If you don't get the prestige model, you get 2nd row seats that clip in and out (in the EX and SX models). You can take the middle seats out, fold the back seats down, and have a four by eight foot flat place to lay things like sheets of plywood, or wallboard, or a big bunch of lumber, or maybe camping gear, or a mattress to sleep on, or my goodness who know what. It is a Big cargo space....bigger than your average pickup truck. We helped our daughter move with it. My husband and son went camping in it. We hauled plywood and 2 by 6's and 2 by 8's to repair our deck in it. That was just the first two months since we bought our sweet 2021 Kia Carnival. We absolutely LOVE our "Big Ass Bertha". Not only that, but people actually "check her out" as she drives by. Imagine that. Oh, did I mention the smooth ride? She gives us a smooth ride. Any I'm not too happy with all that electronic gobbletygoop that interacts with us on the front dash, but my husband really likes it. Yeah, this new Kia van is a real win in my book. I think we'll keep her.

Oh yeah, I forgot my main point. The seats that clip in and out also tilt forward, so your little darlings (and skinny grown-ups) can slip into the back seat. Hey, hey!

And another thing....Bertha doesn't have seven seats. She has eight.

[richmikesell]

I could not care less about minivans but I watched it because of the up beat entertainment job!

[thecageybee]

for anyone that is minivan hesitant, this is an excellent vehicle. you get all the goodness of a MV (ie. low step in height, sliding doors, tons of space for stuff and humans, reasonable gas mileage, smooth ride and a bunch of useful tech) and the looks of an SUV. You miss out on AWD and an electrified option, but you get everything else. I traded my mid-size SUV for this van a few months ago and its been a great vehicle. I've gotten more compliants about the style than any car I've owned before.

[TermlessHGW]

Kia did a great job of disguising it to not look like a minivan.

[JD-eyhw]

GoPro is basically a character on the channel now

[radudeATL]

The exterior style is growing on me. I'm seeing more of them, and they are distinctive.

[marcelmazpule]

I have a Telluride which has the same engine and about the same weight. I've hit 130mph pretty easily and have driven for over 3 hours with HDA without touching it with my hand. I just sit back watch the road and tap the wheel with my leg. Love Kia HDA, it takes the fatigue you get from micromanageing the steering wheel. Obviously you have to hold the wheel when there's exit ramps and construction.

[greymatterr]

I just like the fact that other companies are also coming out with new/refreshed mini vans. It’s sad that in the family market there’s only like 4 mini vans to pick from.

[dalemartin]

Thank you for the Video. All in all I think waiting for another year to decide on a van is the right decision. No one van seems to fit everyone’s needs. Which means I should wait to see what the ID Buzz and the 2022-2023 minivan models will bring next year.

[blueman]

I think Kia is killing it with the Telluride and Carnival.

[spartacus]

I’ve been waiting all my life for you to review this.

[Mohankeneh]

prestige trims dont have easy way of moving out of the way to access 3rd row. only the lesser trims have that classic minivan folding function. so yeah you gotta do the classic step in and duck while moving around the 2nd row seats (just like some minivan seats in the olden days)

[Sir-Gerlad]

Almost bought a 2024 Honda Odyssey Touring. I was shopping for an EX-L, but I wanted the front and rear parking sensors which only come on the Touring and Elite. Dealer wouldn't budge on price, so I did not get it. I had test driven the Kia Carnival a week earlier and was blown away. Totally impressed. I wasn't sure about Kia reliability, so I put in my offer for the Odyssey. Glad the dealer didn't take my offer. I had that itch to buy a new car, but the itch is gone. I'm looking at the KIA again for the value it provides....more safety features, warranty, and reliability. According to another review I saw, the Odyssey has below average reliability. The Carnival has average reliability. I was planning to buy an extended warranty for the Odyssey (8 years, 120k miles), but that would have increased the cost significantly, but I wanted that peace of mind. The one thing the Odyssey has going for it is the ease of access to the third row. No other minivan beats it. Those Magic seats are awesome.

[tjs]

The 'walk in' 2nd row seat mechanism in the manual says 'if equipped' appears to be a handle mounted on the bracket that attaches the seat to the back and from the back seat there is a strap on the outboard bottom corner of the seat. I think with the "VIP Lounge Seating" you're expected to move the seats far outboard and scurry between them.

But honestly, if you are putting those ridiculous barcaloungers in the 2nd row; you probably won't be having any plebs in the 3rd row.

[AndrewBullard]

It’s just surprising that they redesigned the minivan from Kia with in 6 years after unveiling the Sedona in 2015 or 16

[EKU]

The reviewer kept zonking on the specs and features by comparing it to the Odyssey until the end where he then claims he wouldn’t get it because the Carnival doesn’t have AWD but no mention that neither does the Odyssey. Doesn’t make sense to compare like that. Under the totality of the features I would say the Kia does more than any of the competitors when compared 1v1.

[philby]

We are in the market for a new car and will possibly buy in late 2024. I have been looking at the Kia Carnival as one of the main options. This is almost perfect for us as it crosses 95 percent of the boxes. The boxes are: Space, Naturally Asperated V6, Non-Hybrid, No silly stop/start complications, Style (SUV looks), Has both direct injection as well as Port injection to minimize carbon build up over time. Plus many other minivan positives like auto sliding doors and lower height for ease of entry and exit.
The main down side for me is that it is front wheel drive. I'm not requiring all wheel drive, I just prefer rear wheel drive vehicles.

Other options I'm looking at are the Chevy Tahoe RST with performance package 🙂, or the GMC Denali. But both are far more expensive than the Carnival.

[stockey]

You just pass through the middle to access the third row, i never tilt the seat down.

[jillianj]

I think the way to get to the third row is through the middle. That’s why it doesn’t come in an 8 passenger option.

[huepowered]

No need to tilt the seat. Just slide the seat sideways and you got a whole huge gap to access the third row.