Which Kia Is Right for Your Family? The Carnival or the Telluride?

With Trussville voted one of the best places to live and raise a family in Alabama, it’s no wonder so many parents look for homes here when they’re ready to have little ones. As a busy Kia dealer near Trussville, we see just how important it is to moms and dads to find the right vehicle for life in the carpool lane. When you have a vehicle full of kids, you’re managing a lot of needs, requests, and tantrums. It’s nothing like chauffeuring adults around, and you need a car with a special touch. 

Kia has a reputation for designing excellent family vehicles, packed with features that reduce some of the headaches of driving young ones around. Two popular vehicles we see a lot of interest in are the Telluride (a three-row SUV) and the Carnival (a multi-purpose vehicle). With a marginal price difference, these are two models a lot of shoppers find themselves comparing. We know that they are each made for a very different driver, so understanding what each has to offer families in Trussville is important to your shopping decision. So, which is right for your family? We’ll go over the perks and considerations below.

The Carnival: A Cavernous Carpooler’s Dream

Kia has labeled the Carnival a “multi-purpose vehicle” because it combines the flexibility of a minivan with the aggressive looks of an SUV. There’s no denying that it’s a good-looking vehicle once you see its profile. Many parents love the convenience of a minivan and say there’s really no body style that makes family life easier on the road. However, many drivers prefer the looks of an SUV. The Carnival gives you both.

We Love the Slide-Flex Seating

Here’s a feature some parents say they can’t live without. The Carnival’s Slide-Flex Seating boasts a second-row middle seat that can slide forward. Why do parents love this? Because it means caretakers in the front seats can more easily access a little one in the second seat for things like handing out juice boxes or cleaning up messy chins. This feature is one reason this model is particularly appealing to parents of young children (once your kids are pre-teens and teens, they can probably wipe their own faces).

You’ll Appreciate the Huge Cargo Space

When you have a lot of kids, they tend to have a lot of stuff. Sports gear, science projects, backpacks, book bags, after-school activity equipment, and the list goes on. You simply need a lot of cargo space. The Carnival has nearly twice the trunk space of the Telluride and twice the maximum cargo space (that’s with both rear rows folded down). If you’re in that phase of life where every grocery run looks like you’re preparing for the end of time, and every carpool comes with a small arsenal of gear, you’ll want this trunk space.

Your Kids Will Love the VIP Seating

Here’s another seating feature we must point out about the Carnival: the VIP lounge seating. This is Kia’s name for the second-row seats that have a one-touch relaxation mode. Press a button, and the second-row seats fully recline, exposing footrests that extend in front of the seats. They also have heating and ventilation and genuine leather trim (we know parents will probably appreciate the leather more than the kids). If you have growing teenagers who need a little more elbow room, they might be a little happier if they can enjoy these seats. They can kick back and watch shows on their tablets while you focus on the road. If you’re lucky, maybe they’ll take a nap and take a break from nagging you.

The Telluride: A Powerful and Stylish SUV

Now, we move on to the Kia Telluride. The Telluride can also seat seven or eight people, like the Carnival. However, it is an SUV and trades off some of the convenience of the Carnival for some impressive capabilities. If you spend more time in the countryside than in Birmingham or want to use your vehicle to pull a boat or camper, then the Telluride is the one for you. 

You Can Explore More With Your Family in the Telluride

One major difference between the Telluride and the Carnival is that the Carnival comes in front-wheel drive only, and the Telluride comes in front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configurations. So, if you stick mainly to the suburban streets of Trussville and maybe commute into Birmingham, the front-wheel drive Carnival is fine. However, if you have an adventurous family that likes to take road trips to remote destinations where there’s more dirt than pavement, you might need the all-wheel drive capabilities of the Telluride.

Clear More Ground in the Telluride

We also like to tell those with off-road aspirations that the Telluride has more ground clearance than the Carnival—quite a bit more. Plus, it has greater approach and departure angles. If you bond with your family by tackling rough roads to far-off campsites and rustic destinations, the Telluride is the Kia vehicle best ready to handle what unpaved surfaces throw your way.

Camp, Boat, and Go Wild With More Towing

The Telluride will earn you an extra 2,000 lbs of towing capability compared to the Carnival. For those looking for a true carpool, day-to-day, in-town vehicle, the Carnival is perfect, and towing figures are irrelevant. But, again, if your family likes to get out of the city often, you might need some significant towing power for your campers, boats, and other toys, and the Telluride has it. 

Relax a Little on Freeways With Highway Driving Assist 2

While both of these vehicles have Highway Driving Assist, a feature that takes over braking, acceleration, and steering on freeways, the Telluride takes things to the next level with Highway Driving Assist 2. This can handle lane changes for you at the push of a button. Seeing as the Telluride is great for adventurous families who probably tackle long stretches of freeway, you can see how this could provide a little relief to tired parents who have been behind the wheel for several hours.

Find Your Family Oasis-On-Wheels at Kia Store Rainbow City

We are ready to welcome our Trussville neighbors and help you find the perfect Kia vehicle for your life around your city. We have the Telluride and the Carnival and a knowledgeable, friendly team who can help you determine which one best fits your needs. We understand that you need particular features to have safer, more enjoyable days on the road as a family. A member of our team can listen to your requirements and show you which model and trim will meet your demands.

With a terrific finance team, we’re also ready to help you pick out a lease or loan. And with a service and parts department, we are even ready to maintain your vehicle for years to come. The Carnival and Telluride are both excellent examples of Kia’s dedication to making thoughtfully designed vehicles, and we can’t wait to show them to Trussville drivers. No matter how you live life in Trussville, we think one of these vehicles will make busy family days better.