2011 Kia Carnival 3.5 petrol 6 cylinder

Summary:

One of the best MPV I have ever driven

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong to the vehicle to date.

General Comments:

Considering its price, this the best MPV I have ever driven in my life. Very comfortable and roomy. I had traveled 1500KM in one go with my 6 family members along with their luggage, and none of us had complained regarding any discomfort during our journey.

The AC in this merciless heat of United Arab Emirates, is working very fine. Ever at the third row seats, the passengers have always praised the AC.

There is a lot of leg space in between the second and third row seats. Even the luggage compartment at the back is very spacious. I always carry my MOM's wheel chair, and the truck takes it as a piece of cake.

The 3.5 litre engine with the automatic 6 speed transmission is fantastic. The gears change as per the drivers needs. Although there is a tiptronic gear box, but I never felt the need to put it in the manual mode to get some extra speed.

The sound system is very good, and during our long drives it really rocks.

Well done Kia. I will definitely recommend this MPV to those who have a big family to move around with safety and comfort.

I will update my review again once I touch the 20000 KM mark.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th May, 2011

13th Nov 2011, 00:33

I am the same person who had written the above review for my Carnival 2011 model.

Today I have touched the 30,000 km mark. Nothing has gone wrong except the following observations:

1) The brakes are slightly spongy and not as effective as they should have been in such a high speed vehicle.

2) During summer time, the air-conditioned is not that effective, especially when the vehicle is in neutral gear or is stuck in traffic jams. I had shown it to the dealer concerned, who had checked the AC gas, but had not observed any change.

However when the vehicle is moving in top gear, then there is no AC issue. It is freezing cold. Maybe the compressor is underpowered.

In reply to 13th Nov 2011, 00:33

16th Nov 2018, 17:49

Be mindful, your air conditioning condenser fan may not be operating as it should. This in turn may lead to your engine overheating in traffic too. I've had similar issues with cars too.

In reply to 16th Nov 2018, 17:49

17th Nov 2018, 01:01

Yes, I had a cooling fan fail on my A/C a handful of months ago, and the car overheated. It was also blowing warm air at idle and cold at highway speed. Similar situation.

17th Nov 2018, 06:42

Always check simple things first when dealing with an A/C system that needs a little help. Check the interior air filter, it should be located in the glove box. Sometimes those things clog up and hurt the performance of the air conditioning system. Check for debris or dirt on the radiator for the A/C system. Also make sure your vehicle is running nice and cool, make sure that the radiator has been flushed with clean coolant in it if it needs it. Make sure you are not low on Freon, and if you are, fill to the proper level and have them put in some dye so you can check for any A/C plumbing that might be leaking... you will need special glasses to see the dye leaking.

2000 Kia Carnival LS 1.7

Summary:

Bad

Faults:

Exhaust has been replaced completely.

All electrical wiring has gone wrong (flashing hold sign comes more than once). This resulted in replacing the complete wiring.

The gasoline tank melted down because of the exhaust over-heating, which made a hole in the tank (just think of the clumsy design that makes the tank made of plastic (HDPE)). It is very dangerous, I could have been blown-up with the car.

The steering vibrates over 150 km/h, even though the tyres are brand new and the car steering has been balanced.

The installed radio has a very poor reception, it cuts the station within 10-15 miles from the broadcaster.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 4th December, 2002