Compare the2023 Kia CarnivalVS 2023 Buick Enclave

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Carnival are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Buick Enclave doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

The Kia Carnival has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Enclave doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Carnival has a standard backup collision prevention system that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Enclave doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Carnival’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Enclave doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Carnival and the Enclave have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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 Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 139 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Enclave has not been fully 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 Enclave’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

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

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Carnival has a standard 180-amp alternator. The Enclave’s 170-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Carnival’s reliability 20 points higher than the Enclave.

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 Buick vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, Buick is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Buick vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Buick is ranked second.

On the EPA test cycle the Carnival gets better mileage than the Enclave:

For better stopping power the Carnival’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Enclave:

The Carnival stops much shorter than the Enclave:

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Carnival is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Enclave.

The Carnival’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55% to 45%) than the Enclave’s (57% to 43%). This gives the Carnival more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Carnival’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Enclave’s (38 feet vs. 39 feet).

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

The Carnival has 10.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Enclave (168.2 vs. 157.3).

The Carnival has .8 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.2 inches more rear legroom, 8.7 inches more rear hip room, 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room, 1 inch more third row headroom, 2.1 inches more third row legroom, 1.9 inches more third row hip room and 2.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the Enclave.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Carnival’s middle and third row seats recline. The Enclave’s third row seats don’t recline.

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

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

The Carnival’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Enclave’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the Carnival uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Enclave doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Carnival EX/SX/Prestige’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches. The Enclave’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

The Carnival has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Enclave doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Carnival to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Enclave 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 Enclave doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Consumer Reports® chose the Kia Carnival as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Buick Enclave isn't recommended.