Compare the2026 Kia CarnivalVS 2025 Toyota Sienna

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 Toyota Sienna 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 Sienna doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Carnival and the Sienna 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, driver alert monitors 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 Toyota Sienna:

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 Sienna’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 Toyota covers the Sienna. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Sienna 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 11 points higher than the Sienna.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 17th.

The Carnival’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 42 more horsepower (287 vs. 245) than the Sienna’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Carnival is faster than the Toyota Sienna:

The Carnival has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Sienna (19 vs. 18 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Carnival stops much shorter than the Sienna:

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Carnival’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Sienna (121.7 inches vs. 120.5 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Carnival’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Sienna’s (37.7 feet vs. 38.3 feet). The Carnival’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Sienna XSE/Platinum FWD’s (37.7 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

The front grille of the Carnival Hybrid uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Sienna doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Carnival has 5.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sienna (168.2 vs. 162.5).

The Carnival has .8 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear legroom, .2 inches more rear hip room, .5 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.2 inches more third row headroom, 1.6 inches more third row hip room and 1 inch more third row shoulder room than the Sienna.

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

The Sienna’s spare tire is stored in the cargo area, where it diminishes the useable cargo capacity and interferes with loading and unloading. The Carnival’s spare is out of the way underneath.

The Carnival’s standard Smart Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Pushbutton Start standard on the Sienna only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the van. Pushbutton Start is not available on the Sienna XLE/XSE/Woodland/Limited/Platinum.

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 Sienna doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Carnival and the Toyota Sienna, 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 Toyota Sienna Platinum AWD fourth.

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 Sienna isn’t in the top three.