2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer vs 2022 Kia Carnival

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 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 appearance even in the base trim.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer resembled a smaller version of the Chevrolet Blazer, exuding SUV toughness without exaggeration. Its intricate headlight and taillight elements, along with dark chrome trim, gave it an upscale look. The Activ and RS models offered unique styling, with the Activ featuring a rugged front fascia and roof rails, while the RS had a sporty mesh grille and dual exhaust outlets. Both models came with contrasting roof colors, adding a distinctive touch. Inside, the Trailblazer's cabin featured a mix of leatherette upholstery and copper-toned trim, providing a unique personality. Although it didn't scream "outdoor adventure," design touches like grab handles and a creased dashboard made it distinctive.

The 2022 Kia Carnival was equipped with a new 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 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, but offered a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. The V6 engine provided smooth and effortless acceleration, while the automatic transmission operated unobtrusively. The Carnival featured Normal, Eco, Sport, and Smart driving modes, with Smart mode being the most used, despite some delayed downshift responses. The EPA rated the Carnival at 22 mpg in combined driving, and it averaged 21.7 mpg during testing. The front-wheel-drive Carnival felt taut and athletic, with a flat cornering stance, though it could feel stiff over uneven surfaces.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer shared its platform and powertrains with the Buick Encore GX. It offered a standard 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque, with an optional 1.3-liter turbo-three delivering 155 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. The 1.2-liter engine was available only with front-wheel drive, while the 1.3-liter engine could be paired with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The Trailblazer Activ test car had the 1.3-liter engine, AWD, and a nine-speed automatic transmission. It provided decent power and a pleasing exhaust note, though the transmission exhibited some rough shifts. The Activ model's dampers were tuned for gravel roads but performed well on pavement, offering good ride quality despite some bouncing over road imperfections. The Trailblazer featured selectable AWD and Normal, Sport, and Snow drive modes, though Sport mode showed minimal differences.

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

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer, though one of the smallest SUVs, offered decent utility. It matched the Kia Seltos on front and rear headroom, with mid-pack legroom. The Trailblazer provided more rear legroom than its Buick Encore GX sibling and slightly more headroom in both rows. The rear seats were comfortable for normal use, though flat cushions made long trips less appealing. The Trailblazer's cargo space measured 25.3 cubic feet with the second-row seats in place and 54.4 cubic feet with them folded, respectable for the segment. However, it lacked the towing capacity of traditional SUVs, rated at only 1,000 pounds. Up front, the Trailblazer offered a covered storage bin, deep tray, cupholders, and phone storage, maximizing limited space.

The 2022 Kia Carnival's LX trim featured traditional analog gauges, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with 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, voice recognition, and UVO Link connected services. It also included navigation, wireless smartphone charging, and eight speakers. The Carnival offered Passenger View and Passenger Talk features, along with a Quiet Mode for the stereo. The SX trim added a dual-screen rear entertainment system, while the SX Prestige featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and a 12-speaker Bose audio system.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, Bluetooth, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. An 8-inch touchscreen, 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen, navigation, Bose audio system, rear-seat USB ports, and wireless phone charging were optional. The Trailblazer's 8-inch touchscreen was well-sized for the dashboard, offering easy-to-read graphics and logical menus. The combination of a smaller instrument cluster screen and analog gauges effectively conveyed information. Smart touches like a person-shaped icon for pedestrian detection and an engine start/stop indicator aided comprehension.

The 2022 Kia Carnival offered a comprehensive list of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, active blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure, -keeping, and -centering assistance, and rear parking sensors. The EX trim added front parking sensors, cyclist detection, navigation-based adaptive cruise control, and Highway Driving Assist (HDA). The Carnival featured an ultrasonic rear occupant alert system and Safe Exit Assist. The SX trim included a surround-view camera system, while the SX Prestige had a Blind View Monitor. Crash-test results were unavailable at the time of review.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer came with standard safety features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and a Teen Driver system. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. The Trailblazer received a 2022 Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with high scores in crash tests and front-crash prevention tech.