The minivan segment is really heating up recently with nearly all the options undergoing a major refresh or update in the past year! And now we’re with two of the newest and most compelling options; the heavily refreshed 2025 Kia Carnival and the also-refreshed 2025 Toyota Sienna. So, who pulls ahead in a 2025 Kia Carnival vs. 2025 Toyota Sienna battle? Well, let’s go ahead and find out!
Pricing and Equipment
Like always, let’s quickly establish the pricing and trim levels right from the start.
This time we are going to show off all the features with the top trims of both, [p] which is the Platinum model for the Toyota Sienna. It was already one of the priciest options and it sees a price increase this year with the new features. You’re a touch over $60,000 all in.
Sienna Platinum AWD: $56,905 | Options: +$1,915 | Destination: $1,450 | Total: $60,270
Now moving on to the Carnival, its top model is called SX Prestige. This trim comes in quite a bit less expensive than the Sienna with all the features. The total price is just under $53,000.
Carnival SX Prestige: $50,600 | Options: +$760 | Destination: $1,395 | Total: $52,755
By the way, if you want to get the best price from local dealerships and access to invoice pricing info for these two models or any vehicle, we have a tool on our website to do just that. Click here for more information!
Exterior Design
While minivans get a bad rap for not being very stylish, these two have historically tried the hardest to disguise their family-hauling abilities. They’re both refreshed, with the Kia getting an entirely new grille this year finished in silver, and the Toyota getting less noticeable changes to its gray grille.
Lighting is also premium on both with projector LEDs and they have LED fog lamps at the bottom.
Moving to the side, you’ll see that there really isn’t anything mini about modern minivans. At over 203 inches, they are both larger than the SUV equivalents in their respective lineups. You will be pleasantly surprised just how much interior space this translates to later.
Length: 203.5-inches (Sienna) | 203.0-inches (Carnival)
Design-wise we have 19-inch alloy wheels on Carnival, but on the Sienna, if you choose AWD, your wheels are automatically downgraded to 18-inchers. 20s are actually standard with FWD Platinum Sienna, so we’ll leave that decision up to you and won’t award points here.
Heading out back, again, you’ll see that the Carnival is trying to go for that boxy SUV-like appearance. Differences include a hidden rear wiper on the Kia to keep it from weathering and more LED taillight elements, like the turn signal.
Otherwise, both tow a maximum of 3,500 lbs as equipped.
Towing (max): Carnival: 3,500 lbs (Hybrid: 2,500 lbs.) | Sienna: 3,500 lbs
Additional Features
Now checking out some of the individual features, both of their mirrors have heating, blind spot monitoring, and power-folding, but only Sienna has auto-dimming.
Safety goes beyond BSM, of course, so I’m happy to report that all main active safety features are included on all trims of both vans.
One thing that’s not the same between them are the warranty coverages. As you probably know, Kia has the longest warranty in the business for powertrain and basic, but it’s also worth noting that Toyota is the only one here including free maintenance for 2 years.
Toyota: Warranties: Basic Warranty: 3yr/36k mi | Powertrain: 5yr/60k mi | Complimentary Maintenance: 2yr/24k mi
Kia: Basic Warranty: 5yr/60k mi | Powertrain: 10yr/100k mi
But we all know that its what’s on the inside that matters most, and that’s especially true of minivans.
Interior Design
Approaching both vans, you will find smart entry key fob with some extra buttons on them for remote control of the doors. Kia also includes remote start on the fob free for life.
Text: Remote Start on the Toyota requires a subscription after the initial trial period ends.
Once you open up the doors, you’ll probably be surprised by how luxurious and tech-filled they are.
Let’s start with the seats. Both, in their highest-end trim levels, rock real leather seats. On the Toyota, we have a two-tone beige and black color scheme, and the Carnival has a variety of color options. As far as adjustment, they both come in at 12-way power with 4-way lumbar and neither offers massage.
The seats are heated, ventilated and have memory abilities, though.
Once we fully climb inside, we can get into the overall material quality. These two are pretty similar with a mixture of leatherette, soft and hard touch plastic. They both feel nice, solid and durable enough to take on the family.
After startup, you’ll see one of the biggest changes for these two refreshed vans. The Kia has a dual-12.3-inch screen setup and the Sienna finally gets a full-digital cluster this year. It also measures in at the same 12.3 inches but only the Carnival has cool features such as the ability to put a live camera feed in the cluster for monitoring the blind spots.
Moving on, both vans have premium head up displays, new to the Carnival this year, and of course, they have leather wrapped steering wheels which are heated.
Sienna also goes the extra mile and includes power adjustment, and both include rain sensing wipers.
Storage and Technology
But these are minivans after all, so let’s talk about the oh-so-important category of interior storage. Here, the two minivans have taken quite different approaches. The Carnival has attempted to make the interior feel more SUV-like and therefore has a traditional console area. That means that while the Carnival’s storage isn’t bad, it is left behind by the Sienna. It has a massive and versatile center console, floating center pass-through and a passenger storage shelf. That’s a big advantage for parents wanting to store a snack or diaper bag up front.
Moving to the shifters, even despite the floating console, both still have traditional style shifters. When in reverse, both have 360-degree backup cameras and electronic parking brakes with brake hold are also on board.
Now as we come to the climate controls, we have 3-zone and 4-zone climate on the Kia and Toyota, respectively. Not only does the Toyota have an extra zone, it’s also easier to control than the multi-function button setup on the Kia that can also control the audio.
And speaking of audio, let’s get a sample. Both have 12 speaker upgraded audio systems which have decent audio quality.
Sienna: 12-speaker JBL Premium sound system
Carnival: 12-speaker, Bose Premium Sound System
Now it’s time to look at the screens, where both have seen some upgrades this year. Kia used to have the advantage, but now Toyota is including their newest 12.3-inch display setup which matches the Kia’s size. Both have integrated navigation, and for smartphone connectivity, because of updated software they are both capable of wireless CarPlay and Android Auto now.
Past that, you won’t have to raise your voice to speak to the family, as both have built-in intercoms systems. However, only the Kia lets you watch them with a built-in spy camera.
Moving on, both models have auto-dimming rearview mirrors, HomeLink remotes, and camera mirrors, but if you want a dual-panel moonroof that even opens up, you will have to choose the Carnival.
Rear Seats and Cargo
The features in the front may be nice, but it’s the rear seats that truly matter in this comparison. Before even getting in, you’ll notice both have power opening with kick ability rear doors.
Beginning with legroom and headroom, we have nearly identical figures for both. All measurements are less than the 5% difference required to score a point, but the Toyota has a secret trick up its sleeve. It has Super Long Slide seats, which can travel up to 25 inches, for nearly unlimited second row legroom. While the Kia does also slide a good distance, this feature is very cool for redistributing second and third row space as you see fit.
- Carnival: Legroom: 40.5-inches | Headroom: 39.5-inches
- Sienna: Legroom: 39.9-inches | Headroom: 39.3-inches
The other thing I want to address are the executive style seats that both models can get. The Sienna Platinum has pop out ottomans, which make for an awesome place to stretch out and relax. In a similar fashion, the Kia can get a VIP Lounge seating package. That gives you rear seat ventilation, power adjustment and reclining abilities. Even though it is a no-cost option, our Carnival was not equipped with it. Because of that availability, we won’t award points here.
But past those crazy features, they have rear climate controls, vents, USB ports, household power outlets, sunshades, and heated seats in the Sienna’s case.
The Sienna also has the advantage with a rear seat entertainment as equipped and in the Kia it is available for $2500 more.
Sienna also added some new family-friendly features for 2025 that Carnival doesn’t have. That would be an integrated vacuum cleaner for when the kids make a mess, and a built-in cool box that can keep up to 6 drinks cold.
Let’s head to the next row of seats. Access to the third rows is very easy, thanks to folding and sliding mechanisms, and once back there we have tons of space. That being said, the Sienna goes to the next level with as much third row space as many vehicles second rows. It’s 8.4% larger than the Carnival in legroom.
- Carnival: Legroom: 35.6-in | Headroom: 38.6-in
- Sienna: Legroom: 38.7-in | Headroom: 37.4-in
The level of space and comfort are pretty much unrivaled, and as far as other features, both include rear vents, reclining seats, and third-row sunshades.
Moving out back, both have hands-free power tailgates, and once they open, you will find copious amounts of space. The Kia pulls ahead significantly here, though, as it has over 10% more space in each seating configuration.
Keep in mind that the Sienna does have one of the smallest cargo capacity figures in the minivan segment due to its extra battery components and non-removable seats. Folding the third rows is manual on both but can be easily done with just one hand.
Carnival: Behind 3rd row: 40.2 cu.ft | Behind 2nd row: 86.9 cu.ft | MAX: 145.1 cu.ft
Sienna: Behind 3rd row: 33.5 cu.ft | Behind 2nd row: 75.2 cu.ft | MAX: 101 cu.ft
That’s it for the interiors, so now let’s take this close fight to the streets!
Powertrains
These minivans have been fighting it out tit for tat, and when it comes to the powertrain section, they have historically taken a very different approach. The Kia comes standard with a tried-and-true 3.5L naturally aspirated V-6 making 290 horsepower. That’s what we have for this comparison, but new this year, is the addition of a hybrid Carnival with nearly identical horsepower to the hybrid-only Sienna. Because of this, we’ll award a point to the Carnival for giving you the option between both a gas and hybrid option, and know acceleration in both their hybrid variants is nearly identical.
- Carnival: 3.5L V-6: 290 hp | 262 lb.ft or Hybrid: 1.6L Turbo I-4 + elec: 241 hp | 270 lb.ft
- Sienna: 2.5L I-4 + Electric: 245 hp
The differences continue when it comes to the transmissions. The Sienna has an eCVT to maximize efficiency and the Carnival goes with a traditional 8-speed automatic for the gas version or 6-speed automatic if you choose the hybrid.
Test Drive and Fuel Economy
One thing I do want to mention here is that the Carnival is still FWD exclusive, meanwhile our Sienna is equipped with AWD for additional peace of mind which is a big deal for minivan buyers.
Next up, let’s discuss the ride qualities. They absorb all but the largest road imperfections, and certainly there is enough comfort for the family to catch some sleep on long road trips. Another important element, though, is how quiet these two are. We get a sound level reading of all the cars we test at Car Confections going 55MPH. In this case, the Kia’s came in quieter, however, the Sienna was taken on a media event in North Carolina so we’ll have to wait for an official reading before scoring.
Carnival: 54.2 dB @ 55 MPH
Sienna: 56.9 dB @ 55 MPH
But now it’s time to talk about the big benefit of the Sienna’s hybrid setup. Despite having AWD, it still gets an impressive 13 MPG combined better than the V6 Carnival. Even if you choose the $2,000 more expensive hybrid Carnival, the Sienna still gets 2 MPG better combined making it the more efficient choice.
- Carnival FWD V6: 19/26/22 MPG | Hybrid: 34/31/33 MPG
- Sienna AWD: 35/36/35 MPG
Resale and Reliability
In our reviews and comparisons, we are also adding in reliability and resale information to give you a better picture of the overall value beyond just the original MSRP.
Beginning with reliability, we developed the Combined Reliability Index, which takes into account several studies from trustworthy sources, and combines them in a way that gives a more realistic picture. In this respect, the Toyota takes the lead. While Kia slots in 4 spots above industry average, Toyota can’t be beaten and is the number one brand at 16 slots above average.
We also put Mason’s economics degree to work to develop a detailed Predicted Resale Value tool. After 5 years and 60,000 miles, the same thing plays out with the Kia coming in a bit lower, retaining an estimated 49.0% of original MSRP and the Toyota sitting at 64.50%. That’s a 16% difference.
Resale is obviously important because it determines how much money you get back, but we can’t forget about the price difference at the original purchase. In this case, the Toyota does cost $7,515 more than the Carnival.
I want to emphasize that if money, reliability or resale value matter less to you personally, feel free to disregard these points. And if you’d like to check out all our data about reliability and resale values, as well as learn about our methodology, make sure to head to www.carconfections.com/resale and www.carconfections.com/reliability. Buying a car is a big decision, and this is a great place to compare all the makes you might be cross-shopping.
2025 Kia Carnival vs. 2025 Toyota Sienna Winner!
So that’s it for another exciting hard-fought comparison, between two family winners! Let’s quickly recap here and discuss who should be “your” personal winner.
Carnival:
- More affordable price tag
- Engine options available (both V6 and hybrid)
- More maximum cargo space
Sienna:
- Superior resale and reliability
- AWD yet still better MPGs
- Storage solutions in front of cabin
- Unique family features (vacuum, cool box)
Now we want to know your opinions, so make sure to head to the comment section and let us know which one you would pick!
Thanks for joining us for another Car Confections Comparison! We’ll catch you next time as we sample the latest automotive delicacies!
Recent Comments