2022 Kia Carnival vs 2022 Lexus NX

The 2022 Kia Carnival presented a unique design across its various trims, each offering distinct elements. The LX trim featured a standard black grille and 17-inch aluminum wheels, while the EX trim doubled the available paint colors and added 19-inch machined-finish wheels, simulated wood trim, and SynTex simulated leather. The SX trim introduced a mirrored grid-pattern grille and black wheels, and the SX Prestige focused on interior upgrades with real leather and VIP Lounge Seats. The Carnival's SUV styling included skid plates, a floating roof design, and a robust roof-rack on higher trims. Despite visible sliding door tracks, the Carnival's design was sharp and angular, setting it apart from competitors like the Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey. Inside, the SUV theme continued with a crossover-like dashboard and center console, offering an upscale look even in the base trim.

The 2022 Lexus NX, redesigned for the year, came in four model series: NX 250, NX 350, NX 350h, and NX 450h+. The NX 350, in F Sport and Luxury trims, showcased Lexus's design pillar with a prominent spindle grille and refined styling details. The new NX was longer, wider, and taller, providing more passenger and cargo space. Most models featured NuLuxe simulated leather, with real leather and open-pore wood trim in the Luxury trim. The F Sport trim stood out with a mesh-pattern grille, body-color fender trim, and 20-inch gloss black wheels. Inside, the NX adopted a minimalist approach, moving away from the button-heavy dashboard of its predecessor. The new design integrated many functions into a 14-inch touchscreen, though some controls were less intuitive. Despite some drawbacks, the NX offered a high-quality interior with thoughtful features like padded door panels and a panoramic sunroof.

The 2022 Kia Carnival was equipped with a new 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 290 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, driving the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. It lacked all-wheel drive and electrified powertrain options, but offered a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. The V6 engine provided smooth and effortless acceleration, with the automatic transmission operating unobtrusively. The Carnival featured Normal, Eco, Sport, and Smart driving modes, with Smart mode being the most used despite some delayed downshift responses. The EPA estimated a combined fuel economy of 22 mpg, and testing showed an average of 21.7 mpg. The Carnival felt taut and athletic, with a flat cornering stance, though it could be stiff over rough surfaces when lightly loaded.

The 2022 Lexus NX offered two electrified versions: the NX 350h hybrid with 239 horsepower and an estimated 39 mpg, and the NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid with 302 horsepower and a 36-mile electric range. The NX 350 featured a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 275 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. The NX 350 F Sport added Sport S, Sport+, and Custom modes, along with an adaptive variable sports suspension. The F Sport felt taut and lean on winding roads, while the NX 350 Luxury offered a softer ride. Lexus claimed a 0-60 mph time of 6.6 seconds for the NX 350, with observed fuel economy of 22.2 mpg for the F Sport and 25.5 mpg for the Luxury. The NX's handling impressed, though the turbocharged engine lacked the refinement of German rivals, and road and wind noise were more noticeable than expected.

The 2022 Kia Carnival, despite its minivan roots, offered practical features with an SUV-style design. The LX trim had second-row captain’s chairs with a wide center pass-through, and the LX Seat Package added a middle seat for flexible configurations. The EX and SX trims featured an 8-passenger Slide Flex seat configuration, while the SX Prestige offered VIP Lounge Seats with power adjustments and leather upholstery. The Carnival's third-row seat was comfortable for adults, and the rear cargo area provided ample space with 40.2 cubic feet behind the third row. Folding the third-row seats increased cargo space to 86.9 cubic feet, and removing the second-row seats in certain trims expanded it to 145.1 cubic feet. The Carnival's smart hands-free power-sliding doors and liftgate added convenience, though they could open unintentionally.

The 2022 Lexus NX claimed more interior room, though it felt cozy from the driver’s seat. The NX offered comfortable accommodations, especially with heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The F Sport trim provided better bolstering for spirited driving. Rear-seat passengers enjoyed roomy accommodations with rear air conditioning vents and USB ports. The NX's panoramic sunroof extended over the back seat, enhancing the sense of space. The Luxury trim featured a Thematic Ambient Illumination system with 14 themes, though it wasn't tested. Lexus reported a 14% increase in cargo space, with 22.7 cubic feet behind the back seat and 46.9 cubic feet with the seats folded.

The 2022 Kia Carnival's LX trim included analog gauges, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and six speakers. The EX trim upgraded to a 12.3-inch widescreen infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, HD Radio, SiriusXM, voice recognition, and UVO Link connected services. It also featured Passenger View and Passenger Talk for rear-seat communication. The SX trim added a dual-screen rear entertainment system with streaming apps and voice control. The SX Prestige included a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. Kia provided a comprehensive quick reference guide for the technology, which was generally intuitive to use.

The 2022 Lexus NX introduced the Lexus Interface infotainment system, featuring large touchscreen displays, natural voice recognition, and cloud-based features. A 9.8-inch touchscreen was standard, with a 14-inch screen optional. Both versions included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Voice Assistant technology, and connected service subscription plans. A 10-speaker sound system was standard, with a 17-speaker Mark Levinson system available. The new Voice Assistant and Intelligent Assistant systems responded to natural commands, and Lexus offered a complimentary three-year trial of its Drive Connect service. Additional technologies included a digital mirror, a head-up display, and a digital key capability. The 14-inch touchscreen collected fingerprints and reflections, and lacked a tuning knob, which was a notable omission.

The 2022 Kia Carnival came with a comprehensive suite of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). Standard features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure and lane-keeping assistance, and rear parking sensors. The EX trim added front parking sensors, cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, and Highway Driving Assist (HDA). The Carnival also featured an ultrasonic rear occupant alert system and Safe Exit Assist. The SX trim included a surround-view camera system, and the SX Prestige had a Blind View Monitor. Crash-test results were unavailable at the time of review.

The 2022 Lexus NX featured the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 (LSS+ 3.0), which included advanced driver assistance and collision avoidance systems. Notable features were Risk Avoidance Emergency Steer Assist, Oncoming Vehicle Detection, Oncoming Pedestrian Detection, and Curve Speed Management. The NX also had an Emergency Driving Stop System, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, and Safe Exit Assist. Premium trim added rear pedestrian detection, adaptive front lighting, and semi-autonomous parking assist. A Vision Package offered a panoramic view monitoring system and front cross-traffic alert.