11/18/2023 0 Comments Kia carnival vs honda odyssey 2021Judged without Uncle Sam’s potential $7500 kickback for making an environmentally focused purchase, the Pacifica’s $60,075 as-tested sticker hung over the Chrysler throughout this comparison. It’s like an S-class for seven! The problem was our test van wasn’t the Pinnacle trim, so we didn’t get the fancy cushions, and it was the plug-in hybrid, so we did get a ritzy price tag. It’s made numerous appearances on our 10Best list, and its quilted nappa leather interior in the Pinnacle trim, with the color-matched lumbar pillows, was the inspiration for this attempted luxury-van excursion. The Pacifica has done well in previous minivan match-ups. Marc Urbano | Car and Driver 4th Place: Chrysler Pacifica It was not the trip we envisioned, but perhaps it was a better test of how these family cars satisfy when the family vacation doesn’t. With their comfy seats, big screens, and connectivity, the minivans made it easy to rework our plans on the fly. We drove on a beach of fish bones and stopped for lunch in a dive bar boasting the lowest burger in the Western Hemisphere (223 feet below sea level). We were diverted from our original route, but we pulled together a passable substitute around the strange shantytowns of the Salton Sea and through the sweeping roads and rock formations of Borrego Springs. All were the top trims or close to it and loaded with options to best represent the plush, pampering offerings of Minivandia. We ended up with a plug-in-hybrid Chrysler Pacifica Limited, a Kia Carnival SX Prestige trying to pass for an SUV, a hybrid Toyota Sienna Limited with all-wheel drive, and an old-school underdog, the Honda Odyssey Elite. These days, the minivan is a vanishing art form, and those that remain have branched out with electrified drivetrains, all-wheel drive, and wildly variable price points from the $35,000 range all the way up to nearly twice that amount. It is the most engaging minivan to drive.There was a time when a minivan comparison could have featured half a dozen slant-nose, sliding-door, three-row crates, all with V-6 engines, front-wheel drive, and similar prices. If you want something a little more engaging to drive, you’re going to appreciate what the Odyssey offers. Minivans tend to be more leisurely in the areas of performance and handling. How you like a car to drive is a personal feeling. Here, this van stands out from its peers. Add its smooth transmission to the mix and you have a minivan that is enjoyable to drive. But these characteristics equate to a really cohesive, easy driving experience. Its steering is precise and it brakes confidently whether the road is straight or winding. The Odyssey drives more like a car than any other minivan. The steering is on par with most minivans in the segment. Yet with time we adjusted to both qualities. The gas pedal is a little slow to respond in stop-and-go traffic and its brake pedal is sensitive at first touch. The Carnival’s engine makes more power than any other in the minivan segment right now. We give the Honda an ever-so-slight win here. We’d prefer it work as expected than be the most attractive. Our expert opinion on minivans is this: Function outweighs form. The Odyssey’s primary controls are a mixture of easy-to-use buttons and knobs. And the Carnival’s driver aids don’t operate as smoothly as those in other vehicles we’ve tested. Some main cabin controls lack a haptic response when touched. But it’s not all as refined as we expect. It offers a huge touchscreen, crisp graphics, a multitude of parking cameras and more. Technology should also be a highlight for the Carnival. While the Odyssey has nice interior materials, the Carnival’s feel a bit softer and more luxurious. They were clearly engineered with adults and children in mind. Both minivans can be had in seven- and eight-passenger configurations and boast flat load floors and available rear seats that you can fully remove if you need the extra space.
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