Compare the2025 Toyota SiennaVS 2026 Kia Carnival

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Sienna are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Kia Carnival doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

With its standard Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, the Toyota Sienna is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Kia Carnival, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Sienna	Carnival
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	-21 MPH	-13 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-6 MPH
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-13 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-5 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-24 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-23 MPH
37 MPH Brights	-27 MPH	-18 MPH
37 MPH Low beams	-24 MPH	-19 MPH
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.6 sec	1.4 sec

The Sienna has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Carnival doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

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

The Toyota Sienna comes with a standard Panoramic View Monitor, while the Kia Carnival doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the Sienna and the Carnival have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, 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 Toyota Sienna is safer than the Kia Carnival:

	Sienna	Carnival
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	175	250
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	48%	50.7%
Leg Forces (l/r)	448/220 lbs.	632/305 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Sienna is safer than the Carnival:

	Sienna	Carnival
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	1.14 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	736 lbs.	1071 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	18	186
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	245 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.98 in	2.01 in
Shoulder Force	312 lbs.	357 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.71 in	1.97 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	13 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	625 lbs.	892 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

The Sienna’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Carnival runs out after 100,000 miles.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Sienna for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Carnival.

There are over 55 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sienna’s warranty.

Reliability

The battery on the Sienna is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Sienna’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Carnival’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is ranked 11th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota third in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 9th.

Engine

The Sienna’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 3 more horsepower (245 vs. 242) than the Carnival’s optional 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

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

	Sienna	Carnival 4 cyl. hybrid gas	Carnival V6
Zero to 30 MPH	2.4 sec	2.8 sec	2.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.6 sec	7.9 sec	7.7 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	13 sec	13.3 sec	12.5 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	4.1 sec	4.2 sec	4 sec
Quarter Mile	15.8 sec	16 sec	15.8 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sienna gets better mileage than the Carnival:

			MPG
Sienna
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/36 hwy
	AWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	34 city/36 hwy
Carnival
	FWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	34 city/31 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	18 city/26 hwy

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Sienna higher (6 out of 10) than the Kia Carnival (5 to 6). This means the Sienna produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Carnival every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Sienna has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Carnival doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Sienna’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Carnival are solid, not vented.

The Sienna stops shorter than the Carnival:

	Sienna	Carnival
70 to 0 MPH	188 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Sienna XSE/Platinum’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Carnival EX/SX/Prestige’s 55 series tires.

For better load carrying, ride, handling and brake cooling the Sienna XSE/Platinum has standard 20-inch wheels. The Carnival’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

Passenger Space

The Sienna has .4 inches more rear headroom and 3.1 inches more third row legroom than the Carnival.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Sienna. The Carnival doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Ergonomics

The Sienna’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Carnival’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Sienna the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Carnival can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Consumer Reports rated the Sienna’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Carnival’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Sienna’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.

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

Economic Advantages

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Toyota Sienna retains 61.39% of its original value after 5 years, significantly more than the 49.86% resale value of the 2025 Kia Carnival after five years, which can save the Toyota’s owner up to $3417.80643 in depreciation.

Recommendations

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

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its May 2023 issue and the Toyota Sienna Limited AWD won out over the Kia Carnival Prestige.

The Toyota Sienna outsold the Kia Carnival by 57% during 2024.

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