2024 Hyundai Palisade vs 2023 Kia Carnival

The 2023 Kia Carnival presented a unique blend of style and functionality, setting itself apart from the typical minivan image. It featured a distinctive design with high-tech lighting, an intricate grille, and decorative roof pillar trim, which contributed to its upscale appearance. The SX Prestige trim, in particular, offered a sophisticated interior with dual instrumentation and infotainment screens, dual power sunroofs, and quality materials that enhanced the overall feel of the vehicle. Despite its stylish exterior, the Carnival maintained practicality with features like pedestal-style roof rails, although the black alloy wheels were considered less imaginative.

Inside, the Carnival's interior was designed to provide a sense of luxury and comfort. The dual screens added a touch of sophistication, while the dashboard trim mirrored the exterior's decorative elements. The SX Prestige trim's interior materials were of high quality, preventing the minivan from feeling cheap. The robust transmission shifter added a sense of quality, and the overall design made the Carnival feel more like an upscale vehicle than a traditional minivan. However, the black alloy wheels were seen as a missed opportunity for more creative design.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade stood out with its distinctive styling, making it easily recognizable among family-friendly SUVs. The Calligraphy Night Edition trim, in particular, featured a blacked-out appearance with dark chrome and gloss black exterior trim, badges, and wheels, adding to its unique look. The interior of the Palisade was equally impressive, with premium materials such as artificial suede headliners, quality upholstery, and metal speaker grilles, creating a luxurious feel. The overall sophistication of the interior made the Palisade resemble a luxury SUV, offering a comfortable and upscale experience for passengers.

The Palisade's interior was designed with comfort and convenience in mind. The Calligraphy Night Edition trim featured premium Nappa leather with microfiber inserts, providing a plush seating experience. The interior was equipped with advanced features such as heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and an Ergo Motion massage function for the driver. The configurable storage options, including a large storage bin and wireless smartphone charger, added to the practicality of the Palisade. Overall, the Palisade's interior offered a blend of luxury and functionality, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a premium SUV experience.

The 2023 Kia Carnival was equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 290 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the front-wheel-drive Carnival offered a satisfying driving experience. It provided a towing capacity of up to 3,500 pounds and was EPA-rated for 22 mpg in combined driving. The Carnival featured multiple driving modes, including Eco, Normal, Smart, and Sport, allowing drivers to tailor the driving experience to their preferences. Despite its lack of all-wheel drive or a hybrid powertrain, the Carnival's V6 engine provided ample power, even with a full load of passengers.

During testing, the Carnival's transmission operated smoothly, and the V6 engine delivered a pleasing sound. The Sport mode proved effective when climbing steep mountain roads, keeping the drivetrain in its power band. However, the brakes showed signs of fading during a descent, requiring more pressure on the pedal. Despite this one-time issue, the brakes performed well in other driving situations. The Carnival offered a firm, sporty ride quality, handling speed bumps with composure. With a full load, the ride became softer and smoother, although the third row experienced some bounce on certain freeway sections. Overall, the Carnival provided a satisfying driving experience, though it lacked the athleticism of some competitors.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade featured a 3.8-liter V6 engine, producing 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. The engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, powering the front wheels, with an option for all-wheel drive. The Palisade offered a towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds and had eight inches of ground clearance. It featured multiple driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Sport, Smart, and Snow, allowing drivers to adapt to various conditions. The Palisade's V6 engine provided ample power and satisfying acceleration, with the transmission always in the right gear. The AWD system distributed power effectively on dirt and gravel roads.

During testing, the Palisade averaged 18.8 mpg in Comfort mode, slightly below the EPA's 21 mpg estimate for AWD models. The SUV's suspension was tuned for a firm, connected ride, offering excellent outward visibility for city driving. On mountain and canyon roads, the Palisade displayed unexpected athleticism, handling curves with gentle body motions and predictable handling. The brakes performed well, withstanding abuse without fading. Overall, the Palisade provided a simple and enjoyable driving experience, with the only downside being its real-world fuel economy.

The 2023 Kia Carnival offered a unique driving experience, resembling an SUV more than a traditional minivan. The driver's seat provided a lower driving position, with a center console similar to those found in SUVs. The Carnival's interior featured three types of upholstery, with the SX Prestige trim offering genuine leather, although it felt stiff. The test vehicle included a three-zone automatic climate control system, heated and ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. However, the placement of seat and steering wheel controls was distracting, requiring drivers to look away from the road.

The Carnival's smart sliding doors opened as you approached, revealing a spacious interior with VIP Lounge Seats in the SX Prestige trim. These seats were power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated, offering a luxurious experience for road trips. However, they limited cargo space to 86.9 cubic feet and were not removable, making them less practical for larger families. The third-row seat provided adequate legroom and included USB ports and cupholders. The Carnival offered 40.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, with a deep well for additional storage. The third-row seats could be tumbled into the storage well to expand cargo space, although the resulting load floor had numerous cracks and crevices.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade offered a range of seating options, with the base SE trim featuring cloth seats and higher trims offering various leather options. The Calligraphy Night Edition trim included premium Nappa leather with microfiber inserts, providing a luxurious seating experience. The Palisade's interior featured heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and an Ergo Motion massage function for the driver. The configurable storage options included a large storage bin, wireless smartphone charger, and floor tray under the center console.

Second-row passengers enjoyed captain's chairs with optional heating and ventilation, while the third row offered more comfort and room than most rivals. The Palisade included a hands-free power tailgate, providing 18 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. Folding the third-row seat increased cargo capacity to 45.8 cubic feet, and with the second-row seats folded, the Palisade offered 86.4 cubic feet of cargo space. The smart tailgate feature was convenient but could be turned off if not needed.

The 2023 Kia Carnival SX Prestige featured 12.3-inch digital instrumentation and infotainment touchscreens, offering a sophisticated presentation similar to a Mercedes-Benz. The digital instrumentation impressed with lush graphics and changing imagery based on the time of day. The infotainment system included Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a complimentary one-year subscription to Kia Connect Ultimate connected services. However, the 12-speaker Bose audio system was deemed mediocre by audiophiles.

The Carnival's native voice recognition system was only partly successful due to an inactive Kia Connect subscription. Additional tech features included Quiet Mode, Passenger Talk, and Passenger View with Night Vision. The optional dual-screen rear-seat entertainment system offered streaming capabilities, but teenagers preferred using their own devices. Overall, the Carnival's technology package was impressive, though some features were underutilized.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade offered a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, available with the SEL Premium package or higher trims. The test vehicle featured the digital gauges, which were highly regarded. All Palisades came with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, supporting Bluetooth connectivity for two devices, Bluelink+ connected services, Wi-Fi access, and SiriusXM satellite radio. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto required a USB-A cable, which was not available during testing.

Bluelink+ offered connected services at no cost for original owners, including remote engine starting and safe teen driving features. The 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system provided excellent sound quality, and the test vehicle's speaker grilles were impressive. Additional technologies included a digital key function, digital rearview mirror, and semi-autonomous remote parking system. The available head-up display offered comprehensive data, though it was incompatible with polarized sunglasses.

The 2023 Kia Carnival was equipped with a comprehensive suite of driver assistance and collision avoidance systems, with features added as you moved up the trim levels. Standard safety features included forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. The rear-seat reminder system used ultrasonic sensors to detect movement inside the minivan, alerting the owner if a child or pet was left inside.

The Carnival's Safe Exit System warned occupants of approaching vehicles when parked on a busy street. Starting with EX trim, the Junction Turning Detection system prevented unsafe turns, and Highway Driving Assist provided semi-autonomous driving assistance on highways. The SX trim added a surround-view camera and Blind-Spot View Monitor, enhancing safety during lane changes. The Highway Driving Assist technology was particularly noteworthy, offering smooth and accurate performance.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named the 2023 Carnival a Top Safety Pick for the 2022 calendar year, though the rating had not carried over for 2023. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had not performed crash tests on the Carnival at the time of the review.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade featured the SmartSense collection of driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keep assist. The Highway Driving Assist system paired adaptive cruise control with curve speed control and lane-centering assist, offering a hands-on driving experience. The SEL Premium package added lane-change assist, front parking sensors, and a surround-view camera system.

The Palisade's rear-seat reminder system used ultrasonic sensing to provide alerts for 24 hours after locking the vehicle. The Limited, Calligraphy, and Calligraphy Night Edition trims offered three layers of blind-spot safety, including a head-up display with blind-spot notifications. The 2024 Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, though the NHTSA's crash tests were incomplete at the time of the review.