2023 Kia Carnival vs 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2023 Kia Carnival presented a unique blend of style and functionality, setting itself apart from the typical minivan. It featured a distinctive design with high-tech front and rear lighting, an intricate grille, and decorative roof pillar trim, which contributed to its upscale image. The SX Prestige trim, in particular, offered a sophisticated interior with dual instrumentation and infotainment screens, dual power sunroofs, and quality materials that enhanced the overall aesthetic. Despite its stylish appearance, the Carnival maintained practicality with features like pedestal-style roof rails, although the black alloy wheels were considered uninspired.

In contrast, the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a true crossover built on the TNGA-K platform, sharing its underpinnings with other Toyota models like the Highlander and RAV4. Its design was more conservative and blockier, drawing inspiration from rugged vehicles like the 4Runner. The Grand Highlander was notably larger than its competitors, offering a spacious interior with a focus on comfort. Its styling, while not as flashy as the Carnival, was functional and aligned with the needs of families seeking a reliable and roomy vehicle.

The 2023 Kia Carnival was equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 290 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. It featured front-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission, offering a satisfying driving experience with multiple driving modes, including Eco, Normal, Smart, and Sport. The Carnival's V6 engine provided ample power, even with a full load of passengers, and the transmission operated smoothly. However, the lack of all-wheel drive and hybrid options was a drawback, especially in adverse weather conditions. The brakes performed well in most situations, although they showed signs of fading during a mountain descent.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options, including a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 265 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, a 2.5-liter hybrid with 245 combined net horsepower, and the Hybrid Max powertrain with 362 combined net horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. The Grand Highlander was available with both front-wheel and all-wheel drive, with the Hybrid Max exclusively offering AWD. While not designed for sports car performance, the Hybrid Max provided impressive acceleration with a 0-60 time of 6.3 seconds. The Grand Highlander's brakes were solid, and the vehicle offered a comfortable ride, although it lacked the tight handling of some competitors.

The 2023 Kia Carnival offered a unique driving experience, with a lower driving position and an SUV-like center console. It featured three types of upholstery, with the SX Prestige trim offering genuine leather. The Carnival's interior was equipped with a three-zone automatic climate control system, heated and ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. The VIP Lounge Seats in the second row were a standout feature, providing comfort but limiting cargo space to 86.9 cubic feet. The third-row seat was spacious, and the Carnival offered ample cargo capacity behind it, with a smart power liftgate for easy access.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than its rivals, offering a spacious interior with a total cargo capacity of 97.5 cubic feet. It provided 57.9 cubic feet of space behind the second-row seats and 20.6 cubic feet with all three rows up. The Grand Highlander was designed for comfort, with good visibility and ample head, leg, and shoulder room in every row. It offered a practical alternative to minivans, with a focus on providing a comfortable and spacious environment for passengers.

The 2023 Kia Carnival SX Prestige featured 12.3-inch digital instrumentation and infotainment touchscreens, offering a visually appealing and user-friendly interface. The digital instrumentation impressed with its lush graphics and dynamic imagery, while the infotainment system included Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio. The Carnival also offered features like Quiet Mode, Passenger Talk, and Passenger View with Night Vision. However, the Bose audio system was considered mediocre, and the Kia Connect subscription was inactive during testing, limiting some functionality.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander came with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering a significant improvement over previous Toyota interfaces. It included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The system also offered an intelligent assistant and cloud-based navigation through a connected-services subscription. The Grand Highlander's 11-speaker JBL stereo provided good sound quality, and streaming audio integration was available. Toyota's tech offerings had improved, but careful consideration of subscription options was recommended.

The 2023 Kia Carnival was equipped with a comprehensive suite of driver assistance and collision avoidance systems, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. The rear-seat reminder system and Safe Exit System were notable features, enhancing safety for passengers. The Carnival's Highway Driving Assist technology was praised for its accuracy and reliability, providing semi-autonomous driving assistance on highways. The Carnival was a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS for 2022, although the NHTSA had not yet performed crash tests.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander included Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 as standard, offering features like automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert, lane-tracing assist, road-sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring. The adaptive cruise control offered four following-distance settings, enhancing safety and convenience. While the Grand Highlander had not yet been crash-tested, its comprehensive safety features provided peace of mind for drivers and passengers.