2022 Kia Carnival vs 2022 Subaru Outback

The 2022 Kia Carnival presented a unique design across its various trims, each offering distinct elements that set them apart. The LX trim featured a standard black grille and 17-inch aluminum wheels, while the EX trim doubled the available paint colors and added 19-inch machined-finish wheels, simulated wood trim, and SynTex simulated leather. The SX trim introduced a mirrored grid-pattern grille and black wheels, and the SX Prestige focused on interior upgrades with real leather and VIP Lounge Seats. The Carnival's SUV styling cues, such as skid plates and a floating roof design, contributed to its appealing and angular design, making it stand out in the minivan segment. Inside, the Carnival continued the SUV theme with a crossover-like dashboard and center console, offering a stylish and upscale look even in the base trim.

The 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness pushed the boundaries of the traditional station wagon design, offering a higher ride height and rugged features that brought it closer to a Jeep-like appearance. With 9.5 inches of ground clearance, aggressive all-terrain tires, and restyled bumpers, the Wilderness trim was designed for off-road adventures. Unique design elements included a distinctive grille, black wheels, and Anodized Copper accents, along with a matte black hood decal. The interior featured dark gray StarTex upholstery, which was water-repellant but could be uncomfortable in hot weather. The Outback Wilderness also offered a robust roof rack for rooftop camping and a new Geyser Blue paint option, adding to its adventurous appeal.

The 2022 Kia Carnival was equipped with a new 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 290 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, driving the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. It offered a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. The V6 engine provided smooth and steady acceleration, and the automatic transmission operated unobtrusively. The Carnival featured Normal, Eco, Sport, and Smart driving modes, with Smart mode being the most commonly used. However, it exhibited delayed downshift responses, particularly noticeable on hills, which could be mitigated by switching to Sport mode. The Carnival achieved an average fuel economy of 21.7 mpg during testing, slightly below the EPA's combined rating of 22 mpg. Dynamically, the Carnival felt taut and athletic, with a flat cornering stance, though it could be stiff over uneven surfaces.

The 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness was powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, delivering 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. It had a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds and achieved an average fuel economy of 21.3 mpg on a mountainous route. The Outback Wilderness featured a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with eight programmed ratios, but its droning and simulated gear changes detracted from the driving experience. The Wilderness trim offered all-wheel drive and was equipped with Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires, providing excellent off-road capability. It boasted improved approach, breakover, and departure angles, along with a dual-function X-Mode traction system for challenging terrain. On pavement, the Outback Wilderness felt quick but was limited by its tires, while off-road, it excelled in handling steep hills and rough trails.

The 2022 Kia Carnival offered practicality with its minivan design, though the SUV-style dashboard and center console limited storage space compared to competitors. The LX trim featured captain's chairs in the second row, with an optional middle seat for added flexibility. The EX and SX trims offered an 8-passenger Slide Flex seat configuration, while the SX Prestige included power-adjustable VIP Lounge Seats with an Ottoman-style leg rest. The third-row seat provided comfort for adults and ample cargo space behind it. The Carnival's smart hands-free power-sliding side doors and liftgate had pros and cons, with a deep storage well and 40.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. Folding the third-row seats created 86.9 cubic feet of cargo space, and removing the second-row seats increased it to 145.1 cubic feet.

The 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness featured dark gray StarTex upholstery, which was water-repellant but could be uncomfortable in hot weather. The front seats offered power adjustment, and the rear seat provided generous space for two adults or three kids. The cargo area measured 32.5 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 75.7 cubic feet with the rear seat folded flat. The Outback Wilderness included a waterproof cargo tray and LED lighting for the cargo area. It also had a robust roof rack with a 700-pound static load rating, suitable for rooftop camping.

The 2022 Kia Carnival's LX trim featured analog gauges, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 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, and voice recognition. It also included navigation, wireless smartphone charging, and eight speakers. The SX trim added a dual-screen rear entertainment system with streaming apps and voice control for rear-seat passengers. The SX Prestige featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. Kia provided a quick reference guide for the technology, which was intuitive to use.

The 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness came with an 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment and climate control system, with physical knobs for volume and tuning. The voice recognition technology required learning specific prompts, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto offered superior voice assistant functionality. The Outback Wilderness lacked a premium sound system, which was available in other trims. However, it featured PIN code entry technology, allowing the key fob to be left inside the vehicle during outdoor activities.

The 2022 Kia Carnival offered a comprehensive list of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure and lane-keeping assistance, and rear parking sensors. The EX trim added front parking sensors, cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, and Highway Driving Assist (HDA). 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 had a Blind View Monitor. Crash-test results were unavailable at the time of review.

The 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness featured EyeSight ADAS, including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance. It also had steering-responsive headlights, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning. The EyeSight technology was effective and unobtrusive during testing. Crash-test results for the 2022 Outback Wilderness were unavailable, but the standard Outback received high safety ratings in 2021.