Compare the2022 Kia CarnivalVS 2022 Infiniti QX60

Both the Carnival and the QX60 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Carnival the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 137 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The QX60 has not been tested, yet.

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 QX60’s 4-year/60,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Carnival 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Infiniti covers the QX60. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the QX60 ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Kia dealers as there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Carnival’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 21st, 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 Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 23rd.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Carnival uses regular unleaded gasoline. The QX60 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Carnival stops much shorter than the QX60:

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Carnival’s wheelbase is 7.5 inches longer than on the QX60 (121.7 inches vs. 114.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Carnival is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the QX60.

The Carnival offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the QX60 can only carry 7.

The Carnival has 27.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the QX60 (168.2 vs. 140.6).

The Carnival has .1 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front hip room, 3.6 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear headroom, 2.8 inches more rear legroom, 9.7 inches more rear hip room, 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.9 inches more third row headroom, 7.6 inches more third row legroom, 5.2 inches more third row hip room and 3.9 inches more third row shoulder room than the QX60.

The Carnival’s cargo area provides more volume than the QX60.

The Carnival has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The QX60 doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

The power windows standard on both the Carnival and the QX60 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Carnival is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The QX60 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Carnival to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The QX60 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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 QX60 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Carnival, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kia Carnival/Sedona outsold the Infiniti QX60 by over two to one during the 2021 model year.