Compare the2024 GMC AcadiaVS 2024 Kia Carnival

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Acadia has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Carnival doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

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

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Acadia AT4’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Carnival doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Acadia has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or 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 Acadia and the Carnival have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact 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, available front parking sensors and driver alert monitors.

Warranty

The Acadia’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Carnival’s (6/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

There are over 2 times as many GMC dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Acadia’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC above average in initial quality. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is rated lower.

Engine

The Acadia’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 38 more horsepower (328 vs. 290) and 64 lbs.-ft. more torque (326 vs. 262) than the Carnival’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Acadia’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. The Carnival doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Acadia AWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Carnival (21.7 vs. 19 gallons).

The Acadia 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.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Acadia has larger standard tires than the Carnival (255/55R20 vs. 235/65R17). The Acadia Denali’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Carnival (275/45R22 vs. 235/65R17).

The Acadia’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Carnival LX’s standard 65 series tires. The Acadia Denali’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Carnival EX/SX/Prestige’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Acadia AT4 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Carnival LX. The Acadia Denali’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Carnival EX/SX/Prestige.

The GMC Acadia’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Kia Carnival only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Acadia has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Carnival doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

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

Chassis

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

The Acadia 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.

Passenger Space

The Acadia has 1.7 inches more front headroom, 3.2 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more rear headroom and 1 inch more rear legroom than the Carnival.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Acadia Denali’s second row seats and pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Carnival doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Kia Carnival is limited to 3500 pounds. The Acadia offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The Acadia uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Carnival uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Acadia’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 Acadia offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Carnival doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Acadia’s front and rear power windows all 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.

On a hot day the Acadia’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Carnival can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Acadia Denali’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Carnival’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Acadia’s standard 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 Acadia 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 Acadia 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the GMC Acadia has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Carnival EX/SX/Prestige offers wireless charging.

The Acadia’s optional Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Carnival doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The GMC Acadia outsold the Kia Carnival by 52% during 2023.