I watched your video back in the day with the Pacifica Plugin Hybrid of you and your son doing your road tripped. Did a test drive in 2021 and bought one and was impressed with the V6 power and 33ish miles of pure electric range and already logged 88,000 miles with zero issues. Got a Level 2 charger and solar panels and I fill gas monthly because I'm always running errands on electric (full EV range in less than 2hrs). I'm having a 4th kid and need to trade out my 2018 Rav4 and I wish this Kia van was a plug-in to get the tax rebate/ CA state rebate and CA HOV sticker. I'm 37 and was able to convince all my other millennial friends who are dads to get a van(they went with Sienna Hybrids) and we all agree it's better than the SUVs we used to have. Love the vids, keep up the great work!
We also picked up a 2021 PacHy this past spring and got $4,000 tax credit taken off the price. We seldom go through the 38 miles of EV range the same as our 2018 Cadillac CT6 2.0E plug-in. The power delivery with EV and eCVT is buttery smooth with no transmission shifting.
I’d LOVE to see you chime back in at around 140k miles. My mechanic talked me out of the Pacifica because he said he sees them more than any other vehicle after 100k. Good luck though, they’re a great looking van!
@@JosephBettencourt there was a rideshare driver in Canada that had 250,000 miles on his PacHy. He just recently traded it in for a new one. The expensive stuff like traction battery(though used are under $3k) has 8-year and 100,000 mile warranty. The eCVT is warrantied for life of the vehicle and the Pentastar V6 is very robust.
Tom, It is good to see another hybrid option in the minivan field. It might encourage Honda to build one and heck, it might even encourage Toyota to build theirs faster. 🤔
@@DrivenCarReviews Right, but the mechanical bits between the three are closely related, yet the Highlander hybrid starts about $3k more, the Grand Highlander hybrid about $7k more. It's undeniable that SUVs/trucks are more popular than vans/wagons mostly because they make manufacturers more money.
With no kids I never saw the need, but when the family from Europe came for a visit with kids in tow and a request to go to Niagara Falls, I had no choice and borrowed my brother-in-laws mini van. I was blown away by how much stuff + people we got in that vehicle. Add in a super comfortable drive and I was sold in the fantastic utility of these vehicles.
As an owner of a Honda Odyssey, a 991 Turbo S, and an M5, hands down, the mini-van is the winner in our family. Easy in and out for the family, friends, and relatives on short or long trips, the comfort level, you can throw it around and parked anywhere not having to worried if someone is gonna scratched it. But the engineer in me knows how hard it is to designed a mini-van, we're talking about engineering the tailgate that opens up 90% of the rear, then there's the side sliding door, a door that's 1/3 of the van that needs to slide opened, a dozen times a day, and yet it needs to protect it's precious occupants like infants and children. Sedans have 4 doors, they are just typical doors, but on a min-van, it needs to give the min-van structural integrity, yet still functional. I've done a road trip of 1000 miles with a 3 and 5 year old in the Odyssey, entertainment system on, and they are settled and quit in the back, I am comfortable in the front, just cruising, not having to worried about MPG. Taking a 50 miles trip in the Turbo S with 2 kids, it's doable, but not recommended, in the M5? it's like a bigger Turbo S, everyone want to race you, while your kids are in the back, the maintenance, there's just too many distracting tech, it's not comfortable.
We had an Odyssey. Drove great. Rode great. OK mpg and it was as bad in the snow on Blizzaks as my 2004 GTO. Like, going up a mild grade with snow tires meant wheelspin. We ended up trading it in.
You are correct they own in terms of utility and space. This one looks good and I like the fact there is a hybrid option. However, another poor powertrain choice by Hyundai here. I think this 1.6T engine might be their only hybrid engine option, but it's really undersized in these larger vehicles. I'm not sure why they don't use the 2.5L engine they have in the in their stable and adapt it for hybrid use. That tiny 1.6L engine will be on boost all the time, which won't help it in terms of fuel economy or long term durability. Small turbo engines are not good on fuel economy in the real world. Yes, they can ace the highway tests and return a good score, but for everyday driving in the city, they are rarely a good option, especially as the vehicle gets larger and heavier.
p.s. MPV = multipurpose vehicle. common industry term used in Europe across many brands. Obviously Kia wants to avoid the term "minivan" like the plague due to Americans' illogical hate for them.
Correct. One of the staffers gently nudged me that Kia doesn't prefer the term "minivan". And as I said, I dodn't think they're mini at all. But calling it by a certain name isn't going to suddenly erase perceptions.
Tom, I feel that the Kia Carnival exterior styling almost makes one forget that it is not an SUV with its handsome, semi-rugged looks. Thank you for calling it a van, and not a minivan. That class-moniker just has to disappear. I am happy that Kia has long since grown up and does not spell 'Karnival' with a 'K' like they did with the Forte 'Koup' in the 2010's.
MPV is just the marketing tag not the name of the actual model (which is Carnival). If it were the name of the vehicle, I'm sure there would be an issue there (assuming Mazda still owns the trademark for it).
I needed to rent a medium three row SUV earlier this year. When I went to pick up I was expecting a Atlas or Traverse but all they had at the time was a minivan. A Pacifica actually. I thought I'd hate it but with four adults and one small teen it was the perfect vehicle for our short trip. So yes, don't turn your nose up at the idea of owning a minivan. Or renting one !!
My wife has the Sportage, which has the same annoying HVAC situation. If you push the selector for one or the other for a couple seconds, I believe it will set that choice as the default one (for most people that would be the stereo)
did you do the the entire photography? the van looks really good. been impressed with kia/hyundai lines since the gen beginning in 2011 that seemed to have spread to both brands thru today
I did everything except the moments I'm on camera. The awesome Jim Fleming helped me out with those shots for speed. I had 45 minutes per vehicle. K4 is tomorrow.
IMO, they should've also offered the Carnival with the PHEV powertrain, including AWD. Both of those are misses in my book. Additionally, I've personally had two Kia 6spd automatics in my life, and there some of the best long lasting transmissions I've driven. That said, with the evolution of the CVT/e-CVT I think it's time, for Kia's HEV/PHEV vehicles, that they get the rights to use another manufacturer's transmission or design a CVT for those models in-house. 32MPG vs the Sienna's 35-36 is a big delta that should've been matched if not beaten.
PHEV? It's a packaging issue. That's a lot of battery and charging gear to stuff into an existing architecture. I personally don't see the difference in fuel economy to be a big issue. 31 MPG is a huge improvement and good enough for many. Also, Sienna simply can't be had at many Toyota showrooms and that supply issue might draw people to this. Annecdotally, my parents tried to get the Toyota before giving up and going with Carnival V6 (and they highly prefer the Kia's design inside and out). If Kia can fill hybrid demand, they'll sell a bunch.
My concern on this is the crash test are minivans that safe? They get marginal ratings on crash test and second is the Kia hybrid reliable?? Has a good warranty with Kia? Other than that I think it beats Honda and Toyota on looks and comfort. Even though Honda odyssey took all Deadpool and wolverine had and kept running
I noticed that in this model they have a knob shifter rather than a “stick” shifter. On the non-hybrid model, I was told that they only use the knob shifter in vehicles sold in other parts of the world. Do you know if the hybrid vehicles sold in the states will get a stick shifter?
I'm just wondering how passengers get in the 3rd row seats when there are say 2 child carseats in the 2nd row. Think a family with 4 children. 2 in infant rear facing seats in the 2nd row. Looks like it would be a challenge. Good video. Thanks.
This is a pretty common situation, and generally the best way to do it is to take out the middle seat. Baby seats are often so wide that you don't really want to sit in between two of them anyway, and taking the middle seat out makes it way easier to get to the back row. The downside obviously is that you need to find somewhere to store the seat.
Kia needs to fix the 12V battery drain issue with the new model, trim SX and SXP. This issue is well known internally, but Kia won’t take any action on the recall in this early stage.
Not like you to duck the question “ will you get your money back “… you haven’t done that in years since I asked about the bad environmental impact of EV’s ..
I don't duck questions. I answered in the graphic because I was given the fuel economy estimate 30 seconds before I started shooting and didn't have time to do the figures on the spot. EVs are generally much better for the environment. It's been proven in study after study. Taking mass transit is even better.
Tom, please stop trying to sell us on the vans! They’re hard enough to come by and dealers are still marking them up significantly. I have the new sienna and it was a headache to get one on a short notice (twins were on their way) and I didn’t get dragged over the coals but I had to lump up about $4K over msrp last year and all the FB pages about vans are absolutely nuts what people are paying for them!
It's completely false that it will run a high-powered computer or game console. A graphics card alone can pull over 400W. I looked up the power consumption of consoles too, and a PS5 pulls 140-200W even if you don't count the monitor. Bit of a weird example to specifically call out as being something it can do, when it's realistically designed at most for a laptop charger.
I watched your video back in the day with the Pacifica Plugin Hybrid of you and your son doing your road tripped. Did a test drive in 2021 and bought one and was impressed with the V6 power and 33ish miles of pure electric range and already logged 88,000 miles with zero issues.
Got a Level 2 charger and solar panels and I fill gas monthly because I'm always running errands on electric (full EV range in less than 2hrs). I'm having a 4th kid and need to trade out my 2018 Rav4 and I wish this Kia van was a plug-in to get the tax rebate/ CA state rebate and CA HOV sticker.
I'm 37 and was able to convince all my other millennial friends who are dads to get a van(they went with Sienna Hybrids) and we all agree it's better than the SUVs we used to have. Love the vids, keep up the great work!
Maybe something like an EV9? Not a van but pretty roomy.
We also picked up a 2021 PacHy this past spring and got $4,000 tax credit taken off the price. We seldom go through the 38 miles of EV range the same as our 2018 Cadillac CT6 2.0E plug-in. The power delivery with EV and eCVT is buttery smooth with no transmission shifting.
I’d LOVE to see you chime back in at around 140k miles. My mechanic talked me out of the Pacifica because he said he sees them more than any other vehicle after 100k. Good luck though, they’re a great looking van!
@@JosephBettencourt there was a rideshare driver in Canada that had 250,000 miles on his PacHy. He just recently traded it in for a new one.
The expensive stuff like traction battery(though used are under $3k) has 8-year and 100,000 mile warranty. The eCVT is warrantied for life of the vehicle and the Pentastar V6 is very robust.
Tom, It is good to see another hybrid option in the minivan field. It might encourage Honda to build one and heck, it might even encourage Toyota to build theirs faster. 🤔
Yeah, not sure why Toyota is so slow to make more of those.
@@DrivenCarReviews Toyota lots in Canada are still empty.
@@DrivenCarReviews I'd not be surprised if margins are greater on the Highlander/Grand Highlander.
@@aquaticko It's not like Sienna is inexpensive. Either way, it's a good problem for Toyota to have.
@@DrivenCarReviews Right, but the mechanical bits between the three are closely related, yet the Highlander hybrid starts about $3k more, the Grand Highlander hybrid about $7k more. It's undeniable that SUVs/trucks are more popular than vans/wagons mostly because they make manufacturers more money.
MPV is one of the popular segments in Malaysia and here this model is KIA's best seller.
100% we need more mpvs/city vans in the US. MB T-class, Tourneo, etc.
We are going to lease this. Our 2012 CRV just hit 320000 miles.
Smart. I wouldn’t buy this. My friend had his Sedona’s engine die after 6 years.
This makes me think about the Ford Flex. I missed that car. It was so good and underrated.
My brother has a Flex. But he admits the Odyssey was more useful.
Ford should do a new version of the Flex based off the Maverick hybrid platform
With no kids I never saw the need, but when the family from Europe came for a visit with kids in tow and a request to go to Niagara Falls, I had no choice and borrowed my brother-in-laws mini van. I was blown away by how much stuff + people we got in that vehicle. Add in a super comfortable drive and I was sold in the fantastic utility of these vehicles.
Yup. Once people use them, they're typically sold.
As an owner of a Honda Odyssey, a 991 Turbo S, and an M5, hands down, the mini-van is the winner in our family. Easy in and out for the family, friends, and relatives on short or long trips, the comfort level, you can throw it around and parked anywhere not having to worried if someone is gonna scratched it. But the engineer in me knows how hard it is to designed a mini-van, we're talking about engineering the tailgate that opens up 90% of the rear, then there's the side sliding door, a door that's 1/3 of the van that needs to slide opened, a dozen times a day, and yet it needs to protect it's precious occupants like infants and children. Sedans have 4 doors, they are just typical doors, but on a min-van, it needs to give the min-van structural integrity, yet still functional. I've done a road trip of 1000 miles with a 3 and 5 year old in the Odyssey, entertainment system on, and they are settled and quit in the back, I am comfortable in the front, just cruising, not having to worried about MPG. Taking a 50 miles trip in the Turbo S with 2 kids, it's doable, but not recommended, in the M5? it's like a bigger Turbo S, everyone want to race you, while your kids are in the back, the maintenance, there's just too many distracting tech, it's not comfortable.
We had an Odyssey. Drove great. Rode great. OK mpg and it was as bad in the snow on Blizzaks as my 2004 GTO. Like, going up a mild grade with snow tires meant wheelspin. We ended up trading it in.
You are my hero. Great take (and garage)!
Short and complete 👏🏻also the disclaimer at the end makes Tom the most professional
I've always loved minivans - grew up in a Caravan, also had an Odyssey, drove a Pacifica for work. I'd love to have this.
Thanks, Tom. Another quality product from you.
You are correct they own in terms of utility and space. This one looks good and I like the fact there is a hybrid option. However, another poor powertrain choice by Hyundai here. I think this 1.6T engine might be their only hybrid engine option, but it's really undersized in these larger vehicles. I'm not sure why they don't use the 2.5L engine they have in the in their stable and adapt it for hybrid use. That tiny 1.6L engine will be on boost all the time, which won't help it in terms of fuel economy or long term durability. Small turbo engines are not good on fuel economy in the real world. Yes, they can ace the highway tests and return a good score, but for everyday driving in the city, they are rarely a good option, especially as the vehicle gets larger and heavier.
Vans rock. You can put a full plywood 8×4 sheet and close the door.
p.s. MPV = multipurpose vehicle. common industry term used in Europe across many brands. Obviously Kia wants to avoid the term "minivan" like the plague due to Americans' illogical hate for them.
Correct. One of the staffers gently nudged me that Kia doesn't prefer the term "minivan". And as I said, I dodn't think they're mini at all. But calling it by a certain name isn't going to suddenly erase perceptions.
Tom, I feel that the Kia Carnival exterior styling almost makes one forget that it is not an SUV with its handsome, semi-rugged looks. Thank you for calling it a van, and not a minivan. That class-moniker just has to disappear. I am happy that Kia has long since grown up and does not spell 'Karnival' with a 'K' like they did with the Forte 'Koup' in the 2010's.
Wonder if Mazda has anything to say about Kia using the "MPV" moniker.
MPV is just the marketing tag not the name of the actual model (which is Carnival). If it were the name of the vehicle, I'm sure there would be an issue there (assuming Mazda still owns the trademark for it).
"MPV" is a category. Ford can't trademark pickup for F150. Mazda has the trademark specifically for "Mazda MPV".
Looks great! Love those screens in the back for kids.
I needed to rent a medium three row SUV earlier this year. When I went to pick up I was expecting a Atlas or Traverse but all they had at the time was a minivan. A Pacifica actually. I thought I'd hate it but with four adults and one small teen it was the perfect vehicle for our short trip. So yes, don't turn your nose up at the idea of owning a minivan. Or renting one !!
My wife has the Sportage, which has the same annoying HVAC situation. If you push the selector for one or the other for a couple seconds, I believe it will set that choice as the default one (for most people that would be the stereo)
I know about that. But still...
I really like this Car, it's beautiful and very comfortable for family,but Carnival is expensive in Taiwan, almost USD 70k .
Yes, go team van!
did you do the the entire photography? the van looks really good. been impressed with kia/hyundai lines since the gen beginning in 2011 that seemed to have spread to both brands thru today
I did everything except the moments I'm on camera. The awesome Jim Fleming helped me out with those shots for speed. I had 45 minutes per vehicle. K4 is tomorrow.
@@DrivenCarReviews great job on the photography.. is why the van looks really nice
IMO, they should've also offered the Carnival with the PHEV powertrain, including AWD. Both of those are misses in my book. Additionally, I've personally had two Kia 6spd automatics in my life, and there some of the best long lasting transmissions I've driven. That said, with the evolution of the CVT/e-CVT I think it's time, for Kia's HEV/PHEV vehicles, that they get the rights to use another manufacturer's transmission or design a CVT for those models in-house. 32MPG vs the Sienna's 35-36 is a big delta that should've been matched if not beaten.
PHEV? It's a packaging issue. That's a lot of battery and charging gear to stuff into an existing architecture. I personally don't see the difference in fuel economy to be a big issue. 31 MPG is a huge improvement and good enough for many. Also, Sienna simply can't be had at many Toyota showrooms and that supply issue might draw people to this. Annecdotally, my parents tried to get the Toyota before giving up and going with Carnival V6 (and they highly prefer the Kia's design inside and out). If Kia can fill hybrid demand, they'll sell a bunch.
would love to see it with 4wd....
My concern on this is the crash test are minivans that safe? They get marginal ratings on crash test and second is the Kia hybrid reliable?? Has a good warranty with Kia? Other than that I think it beats Honda and Toyota on looks and comfort. Even though Honda odyssey took all Deadpool and wolverine had and kept running
Too bad no plugin version. What is it like to drive? That low HP rating would have me a little worried.
I noticed that in this model they have a knob shifter rather than a “stick” shifter. On the non-hybrid model, I was told that they only use the knob shifter in vehicles sold in other parts of the world. Do you know if the hybrid vehicles sold in the states will get a stick shifter?
This is the version sold in the US. It's a knob.
@@DrivenCarReviews Thanks for the information.
hmm. unsure about long-term reliability of a turbo engine from kia.
anyways, thanks for the videos !
I'm just wondering how passengers get in the 3rd row seats when there are say 2 child carseats in the 2nd row. Think a family with 4 children. 2 in infant rear facing seats in the 2nd row. Looks like it would be a challenge.
Good video. Thanks.
Mid row chairs slide forward enough without tilting so passengers can get into the wayback. No need to remove the car seats.
This is a pretty common situation, and generally the best way to do it is to take out the middle seat. Baby seats are often so wide that you don't really want to sit in between two of them anyway, and taking the middle seat out makes it way easier to get to the back row. The downside obviously is that you need to find somewhere to store the seat.
Did KIA improve the suspension for 2025 as others are reporting?
I haven't driven it so I can't say if it's improved or not. A real test drive should be a month or so away.
How did you dad like the Pacifica? Was it reliable for him?
He never had an issue. He just likes to buy new cars and had the itch.
So you didn't do the math? How long would you need to have it to pay for the extra $2K in hybrid?
3:25 I did do the math but part of it depends on how much you drive.
I miss your "evil" twin. God bless you and your family.
Kia needs to fix the 12V battery drain issue with the new model, trim SX and SXP. This issue is well known internally, but Kia won’t take any action on the recall in this early stage.
Does it have a spare tire?
TBH, I'm not sure.
@@DrivenCarReviewsok thanks
Yes they have spare tire underneath but nobody tell us
Tom - please kill the background music. Distracting.
minivans are awesome
Care to share what made your dad replace the Pacifica hybrid with a gas carnival?
That's just my dad. He buys cars... because. Just had the itch. The Pacifica was a great vehicle.
Not like you to duck the question “ will you get your money back “… you haven’t done that in years since I asked about the bad environmental impact of EV’s ..
I don't duck questions. I answered in the graphic because I was given the fuel economy estimate 30 seconds before I started shooting and didn't have time to do the figures on the spot. EVs are generally much better for the environment. It's been proven in study after study. Taking mass transit is even better.
👏👏
Eh, not really anything that really makes me want it. I know I have bias towards my Odyssey though.
Tom, please stop trying to sell us on the vans! They’re hard enough to come by and dealers are still marking them up significantly. I have the new sienna and it was a headache to get one on a short notice (twins were on their way) and I didn’t get dragged over the coals but I had to lump up about $4K over msrp last year and all the FB pages about vans are absolutely nuts what people are paying for them!
My dad went with the Carnival when he couldn't get a Sienna for over 6 months. So yeah, I know what you're talking about.
Is title supposed to say MVP or MPV? 🤣
Yes
Why are new coming with all these black wheels now? It takes away from the vehicle imo.
turbo - blow up
Honda should never build a hybrid, these 4 cylinders are absolutely gutless
Looks great but Sedona is a better name. This song he's like a clown show.
I still hate that Kia omitted useful storage under the center stack in the name of being SUV like.
Hybrid and no high watt 115v? Shameful!
100W will run a high powered computer or game console. There are two of them. What are you trying to run?
It's completely false that it will run a high-powered computer or game console. A graphics card alone can pull over 400W. I looked up the power consumption of consoles too, and a PS5 pulls 140-200W even if you don't count the monitor.
Bit of a weird example to specifically call out as being something it can do, when it's realistically designed at most for a laptop charger.