Compare the2025 GMC AcadiaVS 2025 Kia Carnival

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.

Both the Acadia and the Carnival have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front 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.

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.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Acadia has a standard 220-amp alternator. The Carnival’s 180-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

The Acadia’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 86 more horsepower (328 vs. 242) and 55 lbs.-ft. more torque (326 vs. 271) than the Carnival’s optional 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Acadia’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 41 more horsepower (328 vs. 287) and 66 lbs.-ft. more torque (326 vs. 260) than the Carnival’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6.

On the EPA test cycle the Acadia FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Carnival 3.5 DOHC V6 (20 city/27 hwy vs. 18 city/26 hwy).

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.

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

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Acadia has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Carnival LX/LXS. 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.

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.

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.

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.

The Acadia’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Carnival’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

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.

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’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.

If the windows are left open on the Acadia the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Carnival can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Acadia’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 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.

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.

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