Compared: 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander vs. 2024 Kia Carnival

An optional hybrid platform and available all-wheel drive might be the deciding factors between these two family haulers.

Brennan Sullivan | 

Jan 5, 2024 | 3 min read

Toyota | Kia

If you're after a family-friendly, three-row vehicle, you might be on the fence between a crossover and a minivan. The 2024 Kia Carnival wears sharp styling that almost hides its minivan configuration. Hot on Kia's heels, however, is Toyota, which has stretched its midsize Highlander and rechristened it the Grand Highlander. Sure, the Kia has sliding doors, but the differences are more limited than you might expect.

Toyota

Kia's Minivan Starting Price Is $10,000 Less Than Toyota's Crossover

At its cheapest, the 2024 Carnival costs $35,000, a bargain compared with the Grand Highlander's $44,000 starting price. Despite being a brand-new nameplate in Toyota's growing model range, the Grand Highlander carries over many underpinnings from its standard Highlander sibling, such as the subdued turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder under the hood.

All-wheel drive (AWD) is available on all trims for an additional $1,500, and you increase the fuel efficiency of your people hauler with the Grand Highlander Hybrid, which offers a partially electric powertrain and starts at $46,000.

Kia

The available engine configurations in the Carnival are much more limited: All trim levels are equipped with a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 placed on a front-wheel-drive (FWD) platform, and there are currently no hybrid or AWD options in the range. The various available packages offer mostly cosmetic changes, and the list of trims tops out with the $48,000 SX Prestige.

Toyota

The Carnival Is Much More Spacious Inside Than the Grand Highlander

The Grand Highlander boasts Toyota's Safety Sense technology, which gives a more comprehensive slate of driver-assistance options than the Carnival. Kia charges extra for adaptive cruise control, which is standard on the costlier Grand Highlander. Even small things such as seat belt pretensioners in the second row come standard in the Toyota, yet none can be found inside the Kia.

Kia

The duel becomes more of a draw when looking at each vehicle's respective cargo capabilities. While the more rugged Grand Highlander offers a greater towing capacity of 5,000 pounds compared with the Carnival's 3,500, the Carnival opens up significantly more storage space inside, keeping with the model's minivan history. A maximum interior dimension of 145.1 cubic-feet is possible in the Kia with the rear seats folded, while the Toyota maxes out at a comparatively restrictive 97.5 cu-ft.

Toyota

The Grand Highlander's Available Hybrid Powertrain Is More Frugal Than the Carnival

The standard hybrid powertrain does wonders for the Grand Highlander hybrid's fuel economy, as it reports a 37/34/36 mpg city/highway/combined estimate from the EPA. Its exclusively fuel-fed counterparts don't achieve marks quite as high, but they still beat out the thirstier Carnival.

Kia

The standard four-cylinder Grand Highlander achieves up to 21/28/24 mpg (AWD drops that to 21/27/23 mpg), while the Carnival is rated at 19/26/22 mpg.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Brennan Sullivan

Brennan Sullivan is a writer and lifelong car fanatic. With an appreciation for all makes and models, Brennan is particularly passionate about the rich history of the automotive industry. In his spare time, he's the caretaker of a 1962 Sunbeam Alpine, and a Golden Retriever named Willow.