Toyota Won't Like Kia's Parent-Friendly Features

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31-07-2025

I've said it before, but minivans are finally making their well-deserved comeback. By the late 1990s or early 2000s, Mazda, Nissan, Ford, Chevrolet, and GMC all had minivans — and they sold like hotcakes. Then, 3-row SUVs came in and swept minivans off the stage, and by the 2010s, minivans were a dying breed. In 2025, there are only four true minivans left: the Kia Carnival, Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, and the Chrysler Pacifica. The Kia and Toyota can be bought as mild hybrids, and the Pacifica is the only minivan with a PHEV powertrain–the Honda is sticking to its roots and can only be bought with a 3.5-liter V6 and front-wheel drive. The Toyota has the highest maximum price, and the Kia is the most economical choice, regardless of powertrain and trim level.
After testing the Kia and the Toyota, I preferred the Kia Carnival hybrid over all of them, especially the Toyota Sienna, which all of my mom friends ranted and raved about every time I mentioned that I was reviewing one. I get why people like them, but I had a hard time justifying the nearly $70,000 price tag for the AWD hybrid Platinum model versus $52,000 for the top-tier Carnival hybrid. Plus, after putting my two kids in both, I found the Kia to be the most family-friendly option. Granted, I haven't tested the Pacifica or the Honda yet, but it might be interesting to compare the most expensive option with the least expensive option from a family perspective.
First and foremost, Kia's Passenger View feature was an instant favorite
One of the first things moms tell me about the Sienna is that it's 'so safe' and 'super reliable.' Neither statement is false, and I noticed immediately how comfortable the ride was and how many miles per gallon I was averaging (well over 33 mpg, with AWD). Aside from the built-in vacuum (only standard in the most expensive Platinum trim, while it can be added to the Limited trim) and the beverage cooler (same rules as the vacuum), I was a little stunned by the lack of parent-centric features. I don't mean the usual minivan features, of course, like the sliding doors, auto-opening doors when the key fob is detected, opening the doors with the key fob, or the cabin connect. I'm talking about features that make the Sienna stand out from the competition.
Source: Kristen Brown
The Kia Carnival, however, immediately won me over with the Passenger View feature. From the home screen, I can select Passenger View, which is a wide-angle camera that faces the third and second row and puts the image on the center screen. Even though it's the least expensive of the four minivans left on the market, the camera's quality was excellent. It wasn't blurry, the feedback isn't choppy or delayed, and it switches to infrared when the light is low. I loved how easy it was to be able to switch on the cameras to check on my toddlers, who are both front-facing, so I can't use their little baby mirrors on the back of the seat and check on them easily in the rear-view. Passenger View is standard on the EX, SX, and SX Prestige trims, while the Toyota Sienna doesn't offer a passenger camera at all, even as an add-on.
The Carnival has more cargo space, making more room for more things
One of the other things I noticed was how much bigger the Carnival felt on the inside compared to the Sienna. The Sienna felt and looked a lot bigger on the outside, but the interior layout in the Carnival is better utilized, in my opinion. Numerically, the Kia has more cargo space behind the third row (40.2 cubic feet vs. 33.5 cubic feet), and when it's not (86.9 cubic feet vs. 75.2 cubic feet), the middle seat can be folded to be an elbow rest or removed completely to increase floor space.
Source: Kristen Brown
The Sienna's middle seat can't be removed, but it can be folded into the floor. Both offer tilt and slide seats so the third row can be accessed even with a car seat secured to it, but the Sienna's built-in fridge and vacuum (which has a very limited reach) take up so much floor space that it was more difficult to get into the third row than it was in the Kia.
The Carnival's third row was more comfortable and accommodating
Most people buy minivans for the third row's space and comfort, and the Carnival's third row was exceptionally more kid-friendly than the Sienna's. The first thing I noticed was the second large panoramic sunroof that was specific to the rear passengers. From the third row, visibility was incredibly limited in the Sienna, with dinky windows closer to the roof than eye-level. In the Kia, the third row passengers had windows large enough to merit their own sunshades, and that, paired with the sunroof, helped open it up so your car-sickness-prone passengers won't have anything to worry about.
Source: Kristen Brown
Both offered charging ports, cupholders, and cubbies for things like tablets or phones, but I found the Kia's third row seats to be more comfortable. Visibility would be a very much appreciated feature on a long road trip, especially for young kids. Both offer a cabin connect feature that allows the front passengers to talk with the third and second row passengers through updated speakers, too.
Final thoughts
The Toyota Sienna or the Kia Carnival are both great choices. Both come with a long list of standard safety features, are highly rated for their crash test ratings, and make being a parent so much easier. I loved the Kia Carnival so much that I told my husband that when my Subaru dies, I want to replace it with the Carnival. The hybrid version had me averaging 35 mpg because it's not AWD like the Sienna is, and I preferred the design language and open interior, as well as the built-in technology.
I also really liked the Kia Carnival's price point over the Sienna. Given what I just covered, I had a hard time rationalizing the price of the Platinum HEV AWD trim (almost $70k). Some options don't cost that much, especially if you get a lower trim and FWD, but anything lower than the Platinum feels drastically cheap to me. The Kia was stylish, no matter what trim, and getting the top-shelf SX Prestige Hybrid model is almost $20,000 less than the Toyota.
Source: Kristen Brown
However, I can already see my inbox flooding with messages akin to, 'But the Toyota is so reliable!' And you'd be right. Kia doesn't have the best reputation for reliability, although it and Hyundai have the best warranties in the business, so I would not be worried about it at all if anything goes wrong and is covered under warranty. A much lower MSRP, more features, better technology, more cargo space, and a better warranty all sound good to me.
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