Compare the2024 Chrysler PacificaVS 2024 Kia Carnival

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Chrysler Pacifica 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 Kia Carnival doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

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

The Pacifica offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Carnival doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The Pacifica offers optional Emergency Vehicle Alert System, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Carnival doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from other vehicles.

The Pacifica offers optional Uconnect 9-1-1, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Carnival doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Pacifica and the Carnival 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.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Chrysler Pacifica is much safer than the Carnival:

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Pacifica the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 98 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Carnival last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

The Pacifica’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Carnival runs out after 100,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Chrysler dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pacifica’s warranty.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Chrysler Pacifica is faster than the Kia Carnival:

On the EPA test cycle the Pacifica Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the Carnival (87 city/77 hwy MPGe vs. 19 city/26 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the Pacifica running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Carnival:

The Pacifica Hybrid can travel with zero emissions for 32 miles. The Carnival can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Pacifica Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Carnival doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Pacifica’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip (not available Hybrid). The Carnival doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Pacifica has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Carnival doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chrysler Pacifica higher (7 out of 10) than the Kia Carnival (5). This means the Pacifica produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Carnival every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Chrysler Pacifica, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Carnival.

The Pacifica Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Carnival doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

The Pacifica stops much shorter than the Carnival:

For better traction, the Pacifica’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Carnival (245/50R20 vs. 235/65R17).

The Pacifica’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Carnival EX/SX/Prestige’s 55 series tires.

For better load carrying, ride, handling and brake cooling the Pacifica offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Carnival’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the Pacifica can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Carnival doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The Pacifica’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Carnival doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For excellent aerodynamics, the Pacifica has standard flush composite headlights. The Carnival has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

The front grille of the Pacifica uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Carnival doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Pacifica uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Carnival doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Pacifica has .1 inches more rear headroom, .1 inches more third row headroom, .9 inches more third row legroom and 1.7 inches more third row shoulder room than the Carnival.

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

The Pacifica has standard Stow ’n Go second and third row seats (except Hybrid for the second row), which fold flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Carnival only has a third row seat which folds into the floor. The Carnival’s second row seat has to be removed for maximum cargo room.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the Pacifica Limited/Pinnacle’s third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Carnival doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Pacifica. The Carnival doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Pacifica’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Carnival’s (3600 vs. 3500 pounds).

The Pacifica’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Carnival does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Pacifica’s standard front power windows lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Carnival’s standard power windows’ passenger windows don’t open automatically.

The Pacifica’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Carnival’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Pacifica’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Carnival offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Pacifica has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Carnival Prestige.

The Pacifica has a 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. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Carnival EX/SX/Prestige.

The Pacifica (except Touring)’s optional ParkSense Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Carnival doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the Pacifica owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pacifica will cost $745 less than the Carnival over a five-year period.

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

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Pacifica as the 2017 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Carnival has never been chosen.

The Chrysler Pacifica/Voyager outsold the Kia Carnival/Sedona by over five to one during 2022.