Used Kia Carnival Quick Facts
- The best model years for buying a used Kia Carnival are 2024 and newer.
- A certified pre-owned (CPO) Carnival reinstates the factory’s 10-year/100,000-mile warranty.
- The Carnival’s V6 offers class-leading horsepower, while the hybrid option provides superior fuel economy.
The Kia Carnival MPV is relatively new, replacing the long-running Kia Sedona minivan in 2022. With the Carnival, Kia takes a different path, designing a modern family hauler that looks like a large SUV without sacrificing the minivan’s many virtues. A used Kia Carnival is a wise choice for several reasons. The Carnival hasn’t changed much, so a used model will have almost all the features of a new van, minus the price tag. If you buy a certified pre-owned (CPO) Carnival, Kia reinstates the original 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, which begins from the original date of sale, not the date you buy.
- What Is the Best Model-Year Used Kia Carnival?
- Kia Carnival by Generation: Which Should You Buy?
- Should You Buy a Used Kia Carnival?
- Is the Kia Carnival Reliable?
- Used Kia Carnival Model Years to Avoid
- What’s the Maximum Number of People a Kia Carnival Can Carry?
- Does the Kia Carnival Offer A Hybrid Option?
- Does the Kia Carnival Offer All-Wheel Drive?
What Is the Best Model-Year Used Kia Carnival?
As it’s still in its first generation, we’d say go for a 2024 or newer. You’ll avoid the first-year kinks (five recalls for the 2022 model year and three recalls for 2023) and get a van with fewer miles and more time from its warranty.
See Kia Carnival minivans for sale near you.
Kia Carnival by Generation: Which Should You Buy?
First Generation: 2022-Current
The Carnival offers buyers a wide range of features and options, allocated mainly by trim level.
The standard engine is a 287-horsepower 3.5-liter V6, which offers strong acceleration and pulling power with reasonable fuel economy (18 mpg city/26 mpg hwy/21 mpg combined). A hybrid option offered for 2025 drops horsepower to 242 but elevates fuel economy to 34 mpg city/31 mpg hwy/33 mpg combined.
Kia offers the Carnival in five trims: LX, LXS, EX, SX, and SX Prestige. The hybrid model follows the same trim formula minus the base LX trim.
The LX includes:
- Seating for seven
- Power-sliding side doors
- An 8-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Second-row sliding seats
Standard safety equipment includes:
- Automatic emergency braking
- A blind-spot monitor
- Rear cross-traffic detection
- Lane-departure and lane-keeping assists
Other features include:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights
- Heated side mirrors
- Proximity key fob with push-button start
- USB ports in all three rows
- Cruise control
The LXS (added for 2023) simply adds a seat package with second-row slide-flex seating and room for eight. It also includes heated front seats and a power driver’s seat.
The EX adds:
- 19-inch wheels
- 8-passenger seating
- Faux leather upholstery
- An 8-way power driver’s seat with 2-way power lumbar support
- Heated front seats
- Tri-zone automatic climate controls
- A 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with navigation and wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
- Smart power liftgate
- Wireless phone charger
Additional driver assists include:
- Navigation-based adaptive cruise control
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Cyclist/pedestrian/junction turning detection
- Highway Driving Assist
- In-cabin camera
- In-cabin intercom.
Moving to the SX adds:
- LED fog lights
- Power-folding side mirrors
- Two 115-volt inverters
- Power passenger seats
- 4-way driver’s seat power lumbar support
- Driver’s seat memory
- Ventilated front seats
- Rear seat entertainment system
- Surround-View Monitor
- Reverse automatic braking.
The SX Prestige features:
- Dual LED headlights and taillights
- A 12.3-inch panoramic center display and cluster
- 7-passenger seating, leather upholstery
- Second-row VIP lounge seating with power leg extension and heated and ventilated cushions
- Heated steering wheel
- 12-speaker Bose audio system
- Blind-Spot View Monitor
Model-Year Changes:
2026: No significant changes.
2025: A hybrid model joins the lineup, and all versions get updated styling. New options include Highway Driving Assist 2 and Digital Key.
2024: No significant changes.
2023: The LXS trim joins the lineup.
See 2022 to current Kia Carnival minivans near you.
Should You Buy a Used Kia Carnival?
The Carnival has a lot to offer. It’s loaded with features, has plenty of room, and offers impressive power. However, its resale figures are not as good as those of the Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey.
Is the Kia Carnival Reliable?
The Carnival has slightly better-than-average reliability ratings. While some early models had issues, such as problematic power-sliding doors and engine issues, all have been addressed either through a recall or a technical service bulletin. You can see all the Carnival recalls by visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.
Used Kia Carnival Model Years to Avoid
There are no model years we’d say don’t buy, but the 2022 and 2023 editions have more recalls and customer complaints than the later models, so maybe 2024 and newer models are a safer bet.
What Is the Maximum Number of People the Kia Carnival Can Carry?
The Carnival’s maximum passenger count is eight, although the LX and SX Prestige (wth VIP Lounge Seat Package) accommodate seven.
Does the Kia Carnival Offer A Hybrid Option?
Introduced in 2025, the Carnival MPV Hybrid combines a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine with an electric motor and a 6-speed automatic transmission. While not as peppy as the V6 engine, the hybrid returns superior fuel economy figures of 34 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined.
See used Kia Carnival Hybrid minivans for sale near you.
Does the Kia Carnival Offer All-Wheel Drive?
No, the Kia Carnival does not offer all-wheel drive (AWD). Its front wheels pull it.
See used Kia Carnival minivans for sale near you.
