Compare the2024 Kia CarnivalVS 2024 GMC Acadia

Both the Carnival and the Acadia have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear 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, 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 165 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Acadia 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 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.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Carnival first among minivans in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Acadia 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 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 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 14 places higher in reliability than GMC.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Carnival is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Acadia.

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

The Carnival has .6 inches more front hip room, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, 8 inches more rear hip room, 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room, .4 inches more third row headroom, 3.5 inches more third row legroom, 1.8 inches more third row hip room and 1.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the Acadia.

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

The Carnival’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Acadia’s (3500 vs. 0 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 SX/Prestige’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches. The Acadia’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

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