Compare the2023 Kia CarnivalVS 2023 GMC Acadia

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

Both the Carnival and Acadia have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Carnival has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Acadia’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

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 Acadia doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Carnival and the Acadia have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front 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 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 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Acadia last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

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 Acadia’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 GMC covers the Acadia. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Acadia ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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 27 points higher than the Acadia.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, GMC is ranked 7th.

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 GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 47 more problems per 100 vehicles, GMC is ranked 17th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 12 places higher in reliability than GMC.

The Carnival’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 62 more horsepower (290 vs. 228) and 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 258) than the Acadia’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Carnival uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Acadia with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Carnival has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Acadia. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

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

The Carnival stops shorter than the Acadia:

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Carnival’s wheelbase is 9.2 inches longer than on the Acadia (121.7 inches vs. 112.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Carnival is 4.2 inches wider in the front and 4.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Acadia.

The Carnival’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55.1% to 44.9%) than the Acadia’s (56.5% to 43.5%). This gives the Carnival more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Carnival’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Acadia’s (38 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

The Carnival offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Acadia can only carry up to 7.

The Carnival has 24.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Acadia (168.2 vs. 143.8).

The Carnival has .9 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, 4.1 inches more front hip room, 4.8 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear legroom, 13.1 inches more rear hip room, 4.5 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.4 inches more third row headroom, 5.9 inches more third row legroom, 7.5 inches more third row hip room and 5.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the Acadia.

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

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

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

The Carnival’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Acadia’s (3500 vs. 1000 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 Acadia doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Carnival EX/SX/Prestige’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Acadia’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Carnival’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Acadia’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

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

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Carnival first among minivans in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Acadia isn’t in the top three in its category.