2022 Kia Carnival vs 2021 Ford Explorer

The 2021 Ford Explorer was part of Ford's lineup of SUVs that shared a familial design language, characterized by sporty, raked belt lines and distinctive visages. The Explorer's exterior was appealing, though it could be challenging to distinguish from the Edge at a quick glance. It offered a variety of trim levels, each with unique grille designs and price points ranging from $32,925 to $52,730. Inside, the Explorer provided three rows of seating as standard, with the base model featuring cloth upholstery. The dashboard was clean and functional, with an 8-inch LCD touchscreen and a rotary gearshift that maximized storage space. The XLT trim was the most popular, offering enhanced features like a power front passenger seat and a 6.5-inch instrument panel screen, while higher trims included leather upholstery.

The 2022 Kia Carnival stood out with its unique design elements across different trims. The LX trim featured a standard grille and silver-painted 17-inch wheels, while the EX trim offered more paint options, 19-inch wheels, and SynTex simulated leather. The SX trim introduced a mirrored grid-pattern grille and black wheels, and the SX Prestige trim focused on interior upgrades like real leather and VIP Lounge Seats. The Carnival's SUV styling included simulated skid plates, a floating roof design, and a robust roof rack on higher trims. Despite its minivan roots, the Carnival's design was angular and tasteful, earning it praise for its aesthetics. Inside, the Carnival continued the SUV theme with a stylish dashboard and center console, offering various seating configurations and upscale materials, especially in higher trims.

The 2021 Ford Explorer, at its lightest, weighed 4,345 pounds and featured a base 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 300 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. This engine outperformed the Kia Telluride's V6, despite the Explorer's heavier weight. All trims came with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Limited Hybrid trim offered a V6 hybrid drivetrain with 310 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque, while higher trims featured a 3.0-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6, delivering up to 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque in the Explorer ST. The Explorer excelled in towing, with capacities ranging from 5,000 to 5,600 pounds, depending on the configuration.

The 2022 Kia Carnival was equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 290 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels. It lacked all-wheel drive and electrified powertrain options, with a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. The V6 engine provided smooth and steady acceleration, and the automatic transmission operated unobtrusively. The Carnival offered Normal, Eco, Sport, and Smart driving modes, with Smart mode being the most commonly used. The EPA estimated a combined fuel economy of 22 mpg, and the Carnival averaged 21.7 mpg during testing. The front-wheel-drive Carnival felt athletic, with a flat cornering stance, though it could be stiff over uneven surfaces.

The 2021 Ford Explorer offered seating for seven in the base model, with captain's chairs in higher trims reducing capacity to six. It provided 39 inches of second-row legroom, surpassing some competitors but falling short of others like the Kia Telluride. With the third row in use, the Explorer offered 21 cubic feet of cargo space, expanding to 81 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, which was competitive with smaller SUVs.

The 2022 Kia Carnival was highly practical, with an SUV-style dashboard and center console. The LX trim featured captain's chairs with a center pass-through, while the LX Seat Package added a middle second-row seat for flexible configurations. The EX and SX trims offered an 8-passenger Slide Flex seat configuration, and the SX Prestige trim included VIP Lounge Seats with power adjustments and leather upholstery. The Carnival's third-row seat was comfortable for adults, and the rear cargo area provided 40.2 cubic feet of space, expandable to 86.9 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded. Removing the second-row seats in certain trims increased cargo volume to 145.1 cubic feet, surpassing even large SUVs like the Chevy Suburban.

The 2021 Ford Explorer came with an 8-inch touchscreen as standard, offering AM/FM radio, SiriusXM, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a 4G WiFi hotspot, and Ford's Sync 3 infotainment system. Higher trims featured a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system and a 10.1-inch touchscreen. The Explorer provided multiple USB ports and power points, with a wireless charging pad available from the Limited trim up.

The 2022 Kia Carnival's LX trim included analog gauges, an 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The EX trim upgraded to a 12.3-inch widescreen infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, HD Radio, SiriusXM, navigation, and wireless smartphone charging. The Carnival offered features like Passenger View and Passenger Talk, and the SX trim added a dual-screen rear entertainment system. The SX Prestige trim included a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. Kia provided a comprehensive quick reference guide for the Carnival's technology.

The 2021 Ford Explorer was rated as a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS, with top scores in crash tests and an "Acceptable" rating for adaptive headlights. The Explorer offered the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of safety features, including auto high-beam headlights, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping assist, forward-collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. Higher trims added features like adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, and speed sign recognition.

The 2022 Kia Carnival came with a comprehensive list of ADAS, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure assistance, and rear parking sensors. The EX trim added front parking sensors, cyclist detection, and Highway Driving Assist. The Carnival also featured an ultrasonic rear occupant alert system and Safe Exit Assist. The SX trim included a surround-view camera system, and the SX Prestige offered a Blind View Monitor. Crash-test results were unavailable at the time of review.