Compare the2024 Kia CarnivalVS 2022 Ram ProMaster City Wagon

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Carnival are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Carnival has standard Forward Collision Avoidance, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn't offer collision warning or crash mitigation brakes.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Carnival SX/Prestige has a standard Parking Collision Avoidance-Reverse that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Carnival’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Carnival SX/Prestige has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The ProMaster City Wagon only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Carnival’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

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 ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Carnival and the ProMaster City Wagon 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, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

The Kia Carnival weighs 748 to 1044 pounds more than the Ram ProMaster City Wagon. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 177 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The ProMaster City Wagon has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

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

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Carnival has a standard 180-amp alternator. The ProMaster City Wagon’s 160-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Carnival first among minivans in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The ProMaster City Wagon isn’t in the top three in its category.

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 Ram vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 121 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ram is ranked 31st.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Ram vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 7 places higher in reliability than Ram.

Engine

The Carnival’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 112 more horsepower (290 vs. 178) and 88 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 174) than the ProMaster City Wagon’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Carnival has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the ProMaster City Wagon (19 vs. 16 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Carnival has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks The fuel filler door is not lockable on the ProMaster City Wagon. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

For more complete vehicle control the Carnival has Shiftronic, with the available convenience of an automatic transmission and the complete gear control of a manual transmission without the inconvenience of a clutch. Shiftronic allows the driver to eliminate unwanted shifts and maximize engine braking by down shifting while cornering. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer a transmission that allows complete gear control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Carnival	ProMaster City Wagon
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	10” drums

The Kia Carnival has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the ProMaster City Wagon. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Carnival has larger tires than the ProMaster City Wagon (235/65R17 vs. 215/55R16).

For better load carrying, ride, handling and brake cooling the Carnival LX has standard 17-inch wheels. Only 16-inch wheels are available on the ProMaster City Wagon. The Carnival EX/SX/Prestige has standard 19-inch wheels.

Suspension and Handling

The Carnival has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The ProMaster City Wagon’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Carnival is 8.7 inches wider in the front and 7.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the ProMaster City Wagon.

For better maneuverability, the Carnival’s turning circle is 4 feet tighter than the ProMaster City Wagon’s (38 feet vs. 42 feet).

Passenger Space

The Carnival offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the ProMaster City Wagon can only carry 5.

The Carnival has 51.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the ProMaster City Wagon (168.2 vs. 116.8).

The Carnival has .3 inches more front legroom, 7 inches more front hip room, 4.9 inches more front shoulder room, 3.7 inches more rear legroom, 7.2 inches more rear hip room and 5.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the ProMaster City Wagon.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Carnival’s cargo area provides more volume than the ProMaster City Wagon.

	Carnival	ProMaster City Wagon
Third Seat Folded	86.9 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	54.7 cubic feet
Max Cargo Volume	145.1 cubic feet	101.7 cubic feet

The Carnival’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The ProMaster City Wagon’s two swing out doors impair rear visibility, need a lot of clearance, and can block loading in tight quarters.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Carnival EX/SX/Prestige’s power cargo door can be opened or closed just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening cargo door.

Towing

The Carnival’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the ProMaster City Wagon’s (3500 vs. 1870 pounds).

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Carnival SX/Prestige, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Carnival SX/Prestige’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Carnival’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The ProMaster City Wagon has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Smart Key standard on the Carnival allows you to unlock the doors, cargo door and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Ram ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer an advanced key system.

The Carnival’s power side sliding doors make it much easier to load and unload kids and cargo. One touch opens the door, before you even get to the van. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer a power rear door.

The Carnival’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The ProMaster City Wagon’s fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Carnival has a standard rear wiper. A rear wiper costs extra on the ProMaster City Wagon.

The Carnival’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the ProMaster City Wagon’s halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Carnival has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer automatic headlights.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Carnival detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

The Carnival’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ram charges extra for heated mirrors on the ProMaster City Wagon.

When the Carnival SX/Prestige is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The ProMaster City Wagon’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Carnival’s optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

Both the Carnival and the ProMaster City Wagon offer optional heated front seats. The Carnival Prestige also offers optional heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the ProMaster City Wagon.

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

On extremely cold winter days, the Carnival Prestige’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Carnival EX/SX/Prestige’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The Carnival EX/SX/Prestige’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Carnival has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer rear vents.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Carnival EX/SX/Prestige has a standard Smart Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

Standard smartphone integration for the Carnival allows the driver and passengers access to select programs on their smartphones, including reading text messages aloud, playing internet radio stations and other connected activities without taking their eyes off the road or their hands from the wheel. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer factory integrated smartphone program access.

The Carnival SX/Prestige has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The ProMaster City Wagon doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Carnival, 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 ProMaster City Wagon isn’t in the top three.

The Kia Carnival/Sedona outsold the Ram ProMaster City by 24% during 2022.