Compare the2026 Kia CarnivalVS 2025 Chrysler Pacifica

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Kia Carnival have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Chrysler Pacifica doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Carnival 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 Pacifica doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Carnival and Pacifica have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Carnival has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Pacifica’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

The Carnival’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Pacifica doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Carnival and the Pacifica have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Carnival is safer than the Chrysler Pacifica:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

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 Pacifica’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 Chrysler covers the Pacifica. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Pacifica ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Carnival’s reliability 26 points higher than the Chrysler Pacifica and 45 points higher than the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Carnival first among minivans in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Pacifica isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Chrysler is rated below average.

The Carnival’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 9 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 262) than the Pacifica’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Carnival is faster than the Chrysler Pacifica V6:

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

The Carnival has 2.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pacifica Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (19 vs. 16.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Carnival stops much shorter than the Pacifica:

The Carnival has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Carnival flat and controlled during cornering. The Pacifica 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better maneuverability, the Carnival’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Pacifica’s (37.7 feet vs. 39.7 feet). The Carnival’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the Pacifica AWD’s (37.7 feet vs. 40.2 feet).

The Carnival has 3.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Pacifica (168.2 vs. 165.1).

The Carnival has .8 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front hip room, .4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear legroom, 1.6 inches more rear hip room, .2 inches more rear shoulder room and .9 inches more third row hip room than the Pacifica.

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

While the Pacifica Hybrid is not recommended to tow, any Carnival can tow a minimum of 3500 pounds.

A Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) is standard on the Carnival, using 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. A trailer sway program costs extra on the Pacifica and isn’t available on the Pacifica Hybrid/Select.

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Carnival’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Pacifica’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Carnival SX/Prestige has standard front air conditioned seats and the Carnival Prestige offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Pacifica doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

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

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its August 2021 issue and they ranked the Kia Carnival Prestige first. They ranked the Chrysler Pacifica Limited AWD third.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Carnival first among minivans in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Pacifica isn’t in the top three.