[dareo]

I am very split between fighting for a Carnival SX or just settling for a Pacifica hybrid. Our last car, Regal TourX would shut off the engine at stops. It could not be disabled, and ruined an otherwise excellent driving experience. Naturally the Hybrid van does this but it’s seamless and butter smooth.

Does Kia do this? If it does not, that could be enough to sway my decision.

thanks

 

[juggernaut27]

It does not have engine auto on/off based on what I've read and seen online. The Kia website makes no mention of it and none of the overseas review youtube videos discuss it.

 

[FunkyC]

I am very split between fighting for a Carnival SX or just settling for a Pacifica hybrid. Our last car, Regal TourX would shut off the engine at stops. It could not be disabled, and ruined an otherwise excellent driving experience. Naturally the Hybrid van does this but it’s seamless and butter smooth.

Does Kia do this? If it does not, that could be enough to sway my decision.

thanks

I’m also trying to decide between these exact two vans as well. The Pacifica is a nice riding vehicle. Need to drive Carnival to decide

 

[duscatu]

I’m also trying to decide between these exact two vans as well. The Pacifica is a nice riding vehicle. Need to drive Carnival to decide

I'm in the same boat, but also considering the Sienna XLE FWD.

 

[Phantasm22]

I would have already purchased the P hybrid but reliability ratings scared us off from an early purchase. Plus, it seemed a little pokey compared to our Outback 3.6R.

 

[ncatoffice]

I'm in the same boat, but also considering the Sienna XLE FWD.

We were a Sienna family, but the new KIA seems to be better value that the Sienna. The SX has so much more than even the Sienna Platinum. There are some strange omissions from the SX that would have made the SX the perfect car; like homelink or a sunroof. For us, the only reason this isnt a slam dunk decision is that we've never owned a Kia and the perceived reliability difference between a Toyota and a Kia

 

[MamaLee]

We were a Sienna family, but the new KIA seems to be better value that the Sienna. The SX has so much more than even the Sienna Platinum. There are some strange omissions from the SX that would have made the SX the perfect car; like homelink or a sunroof. For us, the only reason this isnt a slam dunk decision is that we've never owned a Kia and the perceived reliability difference between a Toyota and a Kia

My thoughts on my Honda Odyssey versus Kia’s reliability. Never owned a Kia as well but know many that has owned & say good things about their Kias.

 

[VanLifeTX]

We were a Sienna family, but the new KIA seems to be better value that the Sienna. The SX has so much more than even the Sienna Platinum. There are some strange omissions from the SX that would have made the SX the perfect car; like homelink or a sunroof. For us, the only reason this isnt a slam dunk decision is that we've never owned a Kia and the perceived reliability difference between a Toyota and a Kia

I was interested in the new 2021 Sienna since it was a hybrid, but the inside finishes felt very "plasticky" and cheap.

 

[ncatoffice]

I was interested in the new 2021 Sienna since it was a hybrid, but the inside finishes felt very "plasticky" and cheap.

Right. Kia is waaay better. And the Odyssey is the worst. My wife and I both got out after the test drive and could not believe how bad the plastics were; specially because we currently own a Honda and the quality of the interior is really good!!

 

[Eason]

Based on my experience on test driving Carnival SX, it has the "auto hold" function which will automatically hold the brake pressure you applied. The brake will release once the throttle pedal has been pressed. So it has similar purpose to free your feet but not by stopping your engine

 

[dareo]

I'm in the same boat, but also considering the Sienna XLE FWD.

My thoughts on the Toyota: No reason to not buy the AWD, they just put an electric motor in the back so there is no real downside to having it. It is annoying to drive if your on throttle a lot, that 2.5 4 cylinder is quite loud and not in a good way. It's under powered, so you will be flogging that engine hard every single day. If you have 80 mph freeways like we do you are going to be straining it.

The Carnival drives fantastic in terms of how tight it feels, how it accelerates, driving dynamics in general. Question is, do you care about driving dynamics? Pacifica Hybrid is very smooth and comfortable but gives up acceleration to Carnival and even the Toyota i believe. The Carnival SX and below is fairly light weight and pulls hard.

The Toyota should be left to base trims as an economy play. The Carnival and Pacifica interiors are just so much better.

 

[duscatu]

Oh yes I do care about driving dynamics and nice interiors.

Problem with Sienna is the straining engine, odd brake feel, center hump if removing 8th seat, and the biggest deal => no spare tire as option in Canada.

I would not pay $2000 extra for AWD as we run Toyo Gsi-5 snow tires on our Escape 2.0T and Golf 1.8T.

I like the idea of spending $5 less for every 100kms with gas around $1.20/l and increasing due to our virtue signalling federal gov't that has added increasing carbon pricing to gasoline until 2030...

Will certainly wait and test drive the Carnival when it arrives in 2-3 weeks here.

 

[dareo]

I still haven't ruled out paying a massive premium for the Pacifica AWD just because AWD is so nice. Since its not a plug in, rebates are less, and price is higher it would be over 10k more. I've had dedicated snow tires and front wheel drives before. AWD is luxury. To skip it on a Sienna purchase ($1575 USD option) would be a mistake. There's no transfer case or differential to maintain, just a cute little electric motor back there helping you out whenever needed. Not to mention there will be a big difference in the future used market. AWD Siennas of the past sure sell for a lot more today.

 

[Medallione]

I still haven't ruled out paying a massive premium for the Pacifica AWD just because AWD is so nice. Since its not a plug in, rebates are less, and price is higher it would be over 10k more. I've had dedicated snow tires and front wheel drives before. AWD is luxury. To skip it on a Sienna purchase ($1575 USD option) would be a mistake. There's no transfer case or differential to maintain, just a cute little electric motor back there helping you out whenever needed. Not to mention there will be a big difference in the future used market. AWD Siennas of the past sure sell for a lot more today.

Basically, with Sienna AWD, it boils down to what one values. For those in snow belt, and inclement weather, hypermile their cars and watch over their fuel mileage like a hawk, don't care for nice interior and driving dynamics, go for the Sienna as they will retain their value come time to sell. Those that can't stand the noisy (and whimpy) 4 cylinder of Sienna, prioritize a luxury interior with arguably nicer features, and gotta have the up-to-date safety features and silky smooth V6 is a must, and you get along just fine with snow tires go for the Carnival. I did some math on this, you pay for more for the toyota Sienna at purchase time, you get more at sale time also. Same for the Carnival (based on past Sedona sale trends), you will pay less (In Canada about $11,00 taxes in for the top SX trim), but you will get less at sale time, by about as much less as you saved at purchase as depreciation is expected to be about the same for both vehicles (about $4000 per year).

I am going to test drive the top trims of both 2021 Sienna (I will wait for the 2022 Siennna s I am hoping they will migrate to TSS 2.5) and Carnival, and decide there and then.

.

 

[Sooner4x4]

Regarding the auto start stop topic;
The Kia not having this feature is a big plus in my opinion.
The Pacifica forum is full of unhappy owners dealing with the battery issues that appear to be related to the gas version start/stop system. Not a lot of positive posts from Odyssey owners regarding Honda’s Idle stop system either.

While the concept seems good especially in congested areas dealing with air quality issues, the design or operation of these systems aren’t always well thought out it would appear from owner experiences.

 

[dareo]

Yeah NOT having auto start stop is a huge plus. Probably enough to sway me into buying the Carnival instead of the Pacifica Hybrid. Or at least putting a deposit down on one.

 

[Wing]

Hopefully it is not too late to join this discussion. (English is not native language)

I am on the same boat and I tested all 3 vans in the last 2 weeks and here are some of my very subjective thoughts. The decision is tougher than I thought.

Sienna Limited with entertainment system and sunroof (7 seats)
Like:

• Smooth suspension/ride and I liked it as much as the pacific hybrid. Minimal body roll probably due to the battery pack.
• 36mpg!!!!
• Exterior style. (Only complain is that XLE and lower trim come with a matte black plastic piece on top of the grill which looks a bit cheap to me and scratches may show easily)
• comfortable 2nd row seat

Dislike:

• The interior photo looks nice but not in person. The leather that used on steering wheel and shift knob aren't good and the overall material kind of cheap to me.
• The location of the wireless charger is a joke, my phone flew away in corning
• Low resolution information system. The UI looks dated and pixelized.
• ENGINE NOISE. This is probably the major reason that I won't buy the sienna. If you have light foot and like driving at speed limit and don't mind others passing you on road, you will have a quiet ride with sienna.

Pacific Hybrid Limited
Like:

• I didn't have a chance to test drive it with engine because the first 30 miles is 100% on motor only. Super smooth and quiet ride. Best driving experience among all.
• comfortable 3rd row seat
• $7500 tax credit + huge incentives
• Best feature I like on this car: Big roof and 3rd row seat has its own sunroof (can't open) which really minimize the tunnel effect when you sit at the last row.
• Traditional looking center console with good material
• Great stereo system
• Very responsive infotainment system. feel like using a tablet.
• Wireless apple car pay

Dislike:

• reliability. If I never been to the Pacifica forum, I probably owning one right now. People getting error code on the way home on the first day. Rear entertainment system black out and no fix by dealership. Weird nose from the motor when idling and more......

Kia Carnival EX (8 seats)
Like:

• Best interior and exterior looking
• Best driving assist system. It keep the car centered on highway even on a heavy raining day
• Infotainment system. Clear and crispy
• The engine power is more than enough

Dislike:

• The middle seat is more on the firm side. Maybe 7 seats setup would be better.
• It drives like a SUV to me, a little rough, less refined. It's still a good ride but not the best compared to other two

Conclusion:
I am leaning on the Kia Carnival SX at this moment.

 

[dareo]

For us, Sienna was ruled out by the noisey engine, i don't care how good the mileage is.

The pacifica ride is very plush and comfortable, but it is heavy and low to the ground. If you ever take your family down a dirt road or maybe to the beach or something that extra clearance on the Carnival is very appreciated. Carnival also has better rear suspension setup. I find its ride comfortable yet confident in turns.

Carnival's engine is pretty nice. 12.3 to 1 compression would have been in a super car a decade ago. The performance and sound make my inner car guy happy. As happy as i can be in a mini van at least.

I do miss the superior head unit, blu ray player on board, foldable screens in the Pacifica high trims. I decided to try something brand new and see what happens.

 

[Medallione]

For us, Sienna was ruled out by the noisey engine, i don't care how good the mileage is.

The pacifica ride is very plush and comfortable, but it is heavy and low to the ground. If you ever take your family down a dirt road or maybe to the beach or something that extra clearance on the Carnival is very appreciated. Carnival also has better rear suspension setup. I find its ride comfortable yet confident in turns.

Carnival's engine is pretty nice. 12.3 to 1 compression would have been in a super car a decade ago. The performance and sound make my inner car guy happy. As happy as i can be in a mini van at least.

I do miss the superior head unit, blu ray player on board, foldable screens in the Pacifica high trims. I decided to try something brand new and see what happens.

Some folks, all they care about is the mileage. Nothing else matters. Some of us care about engine noises and cabin tranquility. Btw, it would seem that Toyota stuffed more sound deadening materials in the Highlander Hybrid than the Sienna.

That said, I wish Kia put a heads-up display (HUD) and auto-dimming exterior mirrors on their top trim Carnival. Even a common features like ambient lighting is missing in the top trim.

While on the topic of top trim (SX-P), I wish Kia gave an 8 seater option or make the powered lounge VIP seats a stand-alone option (for folks that don't care for the bulky, unwieldy, slow powering seats that cuts into cargo space and makes it impossible to enter the 3rd row from outside). Folks that want the nice features of the top trim should not have to sacrifice all the flexibility and functionality (cargo and people carying capability) a minivan leverages over 3-row SUVs.

 

[JayCO]

Hopefully it is not too late to join this discussion. (English is not native language)

I am on the same boat and I tested all 3 vans in the last 2 weeks and here are some of my very subjective thoughts. The decision is tougher than I thought.


Conclusion:
I am leaning on the Kia Carnival SX at this moment.

Wing, if English isn’t your native language, I couldn’t tell. Nice job!

I only compared the Kia with the sienna. We test drive an XLE AWD. I agree with all of your points. The vehicle interior is so cheaply made, I couldn’t pull the trigger. Cheap hard plastic. Just bad. On top of that, the engine droning was horrible.