If you’ve purchased a vehicle in the past year and want to share your experiences with Driving.ca readers, we want to hear from you! Send us a note telling us a bit about the vehicle you bought to [email protected] and you might be covered in an upcoming Owner Review.
We know, we know, a minivan isn’t the most interesting-looking vehicle on today’s roads, but you must admit, it is — and has long been — one of the most practical vehicles. Sure, it’s got a rep for being a “soccer mom” car, or maybe “hockey mom” is more likely in Canada, but whatever you want to call it, the minivan is the king of practical family-haulers. However, that hasn’t stopped many from cross-shopping, and ultimately choosing, a (larger-than-life) SUV instead of the tried-and-tested minivan.
That said, as Driving columnist Lorraine Sommerfeld recently pointed out, while many Millennials are choosing SUVs, there is an outlier in the bunch, and that’s the Kia Carnival. Truthfully, it’s not a surprise. Aside from many Millennials choosing to step into a phase of life where a minivan is deemed somewhat acceptable — myself included — the Kia Carnival proves to be a little easier on the eyes, as well as a little easier on the wallet, at least compared to the top trim prices of its three competitors: the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, and Chrysler Pacifica.
Kia’s Carnival actually looks more SUV-shaped than minivan-, but it’s a minivan through and through, and that means loads of space to carry people of sizes and all their stuff, including big hockey bags, which is exactly what Trevor Breitkreuz and his wife Jessica were looking for when they began their search for a new car in the fall of 2021.
With three young children, one of the primary missions for the new family vehicle was for family travel, but more importantly, daily life with said family. And for the Breitkreuz family, that means tonnes of extra-curricular activities for the busy bunch — hockey, figure skating, gymnastics, and baseball, just to name a few. “We are always on the road and sharing rides with other families,” said Breitkreuz, adding that they often make use of all the seats and space in their vehicle to help cart around family, friends and all the equipment that goes along with the territory.
When they began the search, they already had a 2011 Dodge Journey. However, with three children, the Journey was just never quite big enough. “The seating in the back row of the Journey is very challenging for even smaller legs for any long distance. And with the back row up, trunk space is minimal.” They’d also had a Dodge Caravan that was originally used for major travel, but Breitkreuz said when that van broke down, another larger vehicle was necessary.
They cross-shopped other vehicles from Toyota and Honda. Note that those brands have many offerings for large families, including the already-mentioned Sienna and Odyssey, but there are also a number of large three-row SUVs on tap. Honda offers the Pilot, while Toyota has the Highlander and all-new Grand Highlander (the Toyotas are all available as hybrids, as well) but when it comes to having the utmost practical space, a minivan is your best bet.
“To be honest, a truck was initially on my radar but the cost was significantly more and again with the seating, it would never allow us to take more than our family of five,” Breitkreuz pointed out, adding, “any other seven- or eight-seater SUV was never in the cards for us.”
And so, they ultimately settled on the 2023 Kia Carnival EX+. But why did the Breitreuz fam choose the Kia Carnival over all the other options?
For starters, Breitkreuz explained, “We really liked the new look,” noting it “does not have the typical ‘family van’ look or feel.” In fact, if you scroll down to the bottom of the Kia EV9 review linked here, you’ll note this author mentioned the very same thing, comparing the Carnival’s exterior look to that of the newer all-electric three-row SUV (not a minivan) from Kia.
Pricing was also a big draw, and Breitkreuz mentioned that if prices between the competitors were a little more comparable, they may have looked further into those options. “My sister owns an Odyssey and we actually drove her van on a long family trip to Saskatchewan,” he explained. However, “I still believe the Carnival is the better looking,” when compared to the Sienna and Odyssey, and added, “the price is what guided our decision.”
He also noted it’s very spacious, with tons of trunk space — 1,139 litres behind the third row, and up to 4,110L if the second- and third-row seats are folded. While that third row will most frequently be used by younger children during daily routines, Breitkreuz said he’s already taken his minivan on a couple of road trips, including their first family camping trip. However, if you’re wondering just how much space is actually in the third row, you’ll be glad to know that adults — whether they want to be back there or not — should have a comfortable amount of space, which was proved when Breitkreuz and six other adults drove to “Niagara Falls for the weekend full of wineries and breweries.”
2023 Kia Carnival trims and pricing
One thing to note about the Kia Carnival is that its starting price is quite a bit lower than its competitors, and so is its top price. In 2023, the Chrysler Pacifica — though a little more well-equipped — had a top trim price of well over $70,000. The 2023 Carnival topped out at a smidge under $50k, before freight and taxes.
The Carnival has a few gimmicks, like the second-row’s captain’s chairs that can recline all the way back while extending your legs, but despite some nice features, Breitkreuz said that “wasn’t a main selling point.” Personally, I think many minivan owners and families can relate to wanting a practical, fuel-efficient, safe, and sufficiently spacious vehicle that gets your family through the day.
Bonus points if you can find one that does it at a reasonable price-point, which is what the Carnival does in its higher end models. Choosing the EX+, one trim below 2023’s top SX trim (trims have changed a bit for 2025, which also includes hybrid models) would incur an MSRP of $46,595, plus $1,950 freight and PDI, as well as taxes. Consider that the higher Carnival trims are still a bit cheaper than the average new-car price in Canada, which makes it a pretty good deal.
Included in that price, the minivan comes with heated seats and steering wheel, which the family loves, in addition to its variety of seating arrangements, such as being able to fold down different parts of the 60/40 split third row. There’s no rear-seat entertainment in the Carnival, but who really needs the extra hassle of that anyway? There is, however, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and once you get used to it, Kia’s system is pretty easy to use; it’s also capable of connecting to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Standard safety equipment includes a blind-spot monitor, lane-departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and more.
The front-wheel-drive Kia Carnival EX+ is powered by a 3.5L V6 paired with an eight-speed automatic. It’s good for 290 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. When equipped properly, it can tow up 3,500 pounds. However, no vehicle is perfect, and even a minivan can have faults. Breitkreuz said he dislikes that the minivan sits very low, and says the suspension might be too soft. He said that while the Carnival was capable of getting the job done, he “was surprised how low it sat with camping gear in back and a cargo basket,” adding it “almost bottomed out.”
Final thoughts
The Breitkreuz family still has their Dodge Journey that Trevor usually drives, while Jessica is the one driving the Carnival on a daily basis. He also noted that when the family goes out together, they travel in the Carnival, because while the two vehicles aren’t quite comparable, “the new Kia Carnival is 1000x the car!”
We also asked Trevor about his dream car, you know, for when he’s ready to trade in that minivan for something the kids won’t get dirty. His response: “Rolls-Royce Phantom! Do I get one?!?!” Unfortunately, no, Trevor, we can’t just gift you one of those, so you do not — yet — but it doesn’t hurt to keep dreaming.
Check out the latest Kia Carnival model.
Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on X, Tiktok and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice.