- The new Kia Carnival Hybrid makes for a much better value than the buzz-worthy Volkswagen ID. Buzz
- Carnival Hybrid gets 33 mpg, trailing the Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica
- Carnival Hybrid starts at $41,895
SUVs may be more popular for most families but the minivan segment has never been as strong as it is for 2025. Shoppers can choose from a fully electric van evolved from the iconic VW Bus, a plug-in hybrid Chrysler Pacifica that provides all-electric power for most everyday errands but gas-car convenience on longer road trips, or two fuss-free hybrid models.
The newest hybrid, the redesigned 2025 Kia Carnival, strikes us as the best combination of style, value, efficiency, warranty, and cargo and passenger space to make it our Best Minivan To Buy 2025. It arrived too late in the calendar year for a majority of our editors to test it for our overall Best Car To Buy award out of roughly 300 car models on sale today, and it’s priced at least $20,000 less than the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, which was a Green Car Reports finalist. (When more affordable versions of the reincarnation of the Buzz arrive next year, it very well could be a contender.)
At The Car Connection, we value a value. We like to think our scope in picking a Best Car To Buy mirrors how car shoppers shop. When the Carnival minivan was redesigned in 2022 and renamed from the Kia Sedona, it won our Best Minivan To Buy 2022 for many of the same reasons as the 2025 Carnival. But the Hybrid option makes it all the better.
The well-equipped base Hybrid LXS costs $41,895, which is $2,000 less than the gas-only Carnival and several thousand dollars less than what the new car shopper pays on average. The EPA estimates that its 33-mpg combined rating will save you $4,000 over five years versus the gas-only model and its 21-mpg rating.
2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid
That makes it a win right there. But it also drives better than the other Carnival, with more punch off the line, more quiet comfort while cruising, and a smart hybrid system that allows for a much greater range between Sport and Eco modes. It pairs a 1.6-liter turbo-4 with a 72-hp electric motor for a combined output of 242 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque, which is 45 hp less than the 3.5-liter V-6 in the gas-only model but 11 lb-ft more.
More notably, the hybrid motor sits between the engine and the 6-speed automatic transmission and has a seamless handoff between electric and gas power. Hammer it in Sport mode and it’ll get up and go quick enough, and the paddle shifters let you dig deeper into the engine power to make uphill passing moves with confidence. In Eco or Smart modes, those same paddles tap into one of four levels of regenerative braking to try and recapture more juice and preserve the gas tank. It’s smart, and nearly effortless.
2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid
It’s also well-equipped, with power sliding doors, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six USB ports, heated front seats, synthetic leather upholstery, and 17-inch wheels optimized for aerodynamics. It comes loaded with active driver assist features intended to avoid or mitigate the impacts of a crash, ranging from blind-spot monitors to adaptive cruise control. Kia offers up additional peace of mind with a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty that leads the industry.
The three other minivans on sale aside from the ID.Buzz feel outdated by comparison, but still have their merits. The Carnival and Carnival Hybrid only come with front-wheel drive, same as the Honda Odyssey, which once ruled the class but now feels nearly forgotten. The Chrysler Pacifica and Toyota Sienna both come with available all-wheel drive, and with more efficient available powertrains.
The aging Chrysler Pacifica still looks good and has the best seats in the minivan game, with Stow ‘N Go second-row seats that conveniently tuck into the floor in non-hybrid models. It has good power from its 287-hp 3.6-liter V-6, but at more than $44,000, it’s gotten expensive and keeps getting more expensive. All-wheel drive adds $2,995, and the solid plug-in hybrid powertrain option that enables 32 miles of electric range of the equivalent of 82 mpg combined starts at about $53,000 and ranges above $60,000. At that price, we’d look to the VW ID.Buzz.
The Toyota Sienna offers much better value, standard as a hybrid getting at least 36 mpg combined and for a starting price below $41,000. All-wheel drive costs only $2,000 more and drops efficiency to only 35 mpg, giving it another advantage over the Carnival. But it could be the visual definition of dowdy minivan, the very thing that has turned off so many family car shoppers to three-row SUVs. It lacks the tech and feature sophistication of the Carnival, but might be the most practical one of the bunch.
Yet it lacks the verve of the Carnival. That total package, practicality plus a posh kind of personality, earn it our Best Minivan To Buy 2025.