Compare the2022 Kia CarnivalVS 2021 Toyota Sienna

Both the Carnival and the Sienna have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Carnival comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire van and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Sienna’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years and 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Carnival 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Sienna. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Sienna ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 41 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 19th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fourth.

The Carnival’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 45 more horsepower (290 vs. 245) than the Sienna’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

The Carnival has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Sienna (19 vs. 18 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Carnival’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Sienna (121.7 inches vs. 120.5 inches).

The Kia Carnival may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 250 pounds less than the Toyota Sienna.

The Carnival has 5.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sienna (168.2 vs. 162.5).

The Carnival has 2.8 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, .6 inches more rear legroom, .2 inches more rear hip room, .5 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.2 inches more third row headroom, 1.6 inches more third row hip room and 1 inch more third row shoulder room than the Sienna.

The Carnival’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Sienna’s (3500 vs. 0 pounds).

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Carnival has standard extendable sun visors. The Sienna doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Carnival SX/Prestige has standard front air conditioned seats and the Carnival Prestige also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Sienna doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.