Short Drive:Kia Carens 2.0 CVVT EX & Kia Carnival 2.9L CRDi DOHC LX-SWB

**alwayz_yummy** · October 21st, 2007 12:59 PM

A short drive with the kia carens 2.0 CVVT EX and the 2.9L CRDi DOHC carnival LX-SWB

sorry wala kong pic kasi ako lang nag test drive, wala kong kasama... on the span of 2 days, and only 15 to 30 minutes of my life I had a chance to drive the 2.0 CVVT kia carens EX and the 2.9L DOHC CRDi carnival LX-SWB.

Both in automatic and in the heat of the afternoon. I really opted to test the 2.0 CRDi carens, but unfortunately, that’s what they only have...

first off, the carens:

I drove the red test drive unit of kia novaliches displayed at northridge plaza, with my daughter--she said its "pink na parang red"

:

Well, first of all, both have a foot-operated parking brake, so somewhat nakakapanibago... and both are dash-integrated a/t lever...

Well, the 2.0 gasoline of the carens, well comparable to the hum of the common brands like honda and toyotas, silent purring clunkers, if you're not wary, you might start the engine again..

Now on the interior... The test drive unit has leather seats, which is cold; especially when you max-out the air-conditioning... spent 2 days and 2 capsules of decolgen and neozep --because of sudden shift of temperature! The interior material is fine by my standards...has ample of elbow, leg and head room... but the arm rest is integrated on the center console which somewhat a turn-off in my taste--I prefer arm rest integrated on the seats...

On the drive: well, has a good pull for an AT from standstill... but this will not make you win any drag race for sure... and I am stuck for a single round because of time constraint--may sundo ako! And the gas-light lits up...reasons to make me have a short drive...

cant say much on handling, but it handles the potholes with less feedback at 30-40 kph drive... well the brakes are good, and has a high seating position... But you have to be wary that there's a nose to watch out when you point at traffic...the LCD indicator on the gauge is fine to read, don’t know how well lit are its interior and exterior lights...I should have entered the covered parking of Northridge/q-plaza/circle C...

road noise, well, I can say the carens is well insulated even at 70kph, but cant comment if it’s greater than that...

This one passes my standards, and you can easily size up the car--it has an almost dimensions with my liteace, but the main difference...well....there are too many to compare and carens wins it.. but I can say, the ride and handling easily matches up to my liteace's TEMS (electronic modulated suspension) it’s neither hard nor soft, but it’s in the middle...

The red unit is still at large at kia novaliches...

And all of these happened 2 days ago... Now I wait for the carnival.

now the carnival...

This afternoon, at 3:30 pm at SM north edsa, near the mcdo entrance, we met--the white carnival SWB LX trim AT...I was astonished: it is wider and bigger than what I imagined while looking at the brochure!

Seating on the driver's cockpit, its so spacious... so much space to comprehend, so bright because of the large windscreen and windows...and a beige trim with white-seat-covered seats added to that illusion of brightness...

The feel on the wheel is good, the view from the inside is like watching a 16:9 42" plasma TV at close range... the nose--the nose that you know that is there is so wide that if you're not careful, scratches will emerge!

air-conditioning--well, I cant afford to spend another 2 days with cold and 4 caplets of decolgen, so I set my zone to moderate cold... while on the right and the rear were at full coldness: so 4 temperature zones you can achieve: driver, front right passenger, second row passengers and the last row passengers.

Front row seats of the LX are captain seat type, with a middle isle--a feature I like and only the delica spacegear and gen.1-2.5 crv has...and of course, the armrest is on the seat... EX front rows are with a collapsible table like you see on gen 1 and gen 2.5 CRVs and too bad LX trim don’t have that retractable back table for the second row passengers... for the second row, reclinable, sliding, tumble-fold and removable seats--town and country style and easily seats 3-4.. And the last row is also reclining tumble fold-remove seats...

Time to drive: well it boasts a high seating driving position. A foot park-brake, tons of elbow room, legroom but enough headroom.... dash mounted at lever and an easily readable gauge... upon pull to D, an immediate kick is felt, unlike those focus/mazda test drive units na takes 5 seconds to engage..

Ride, noise is the same with the carens, only bigger in dimensions... but i love the growl of the engine from the inside its solid... from inside, the engine noise is comparable to a 1990’s gasoline car, or more quieter engine noise you can hear inside than my liteace, but still, not as quiet as the focus’ TDCi… and the good thing is flooring that CRDi will produce neither black nor white smoke... and on the straights of mindanao ave from the first u-turn slot after road 1 intersection to the first u-turn slot after the stop light at congressional avenue, I can say, its handles more like a car than an MPV. *bad marlon for bad driving

… Well, even without using the semi-auto mode, just fully-pressing the accelerator, it down-shifts right away.. now this makes me wonder what more if I test the CRDi LX with manual transmission??? (too bad no EX-trim has a manual tranny). I did not timed how fast it goes from 20-100kph because of the driving concentration I had—I was speeding on public roads along those FX-taxis racing the carnival… *oh no I will be reprimanded… sorry ha, di naman ganun kaabilis—on the downhill section lang naman ako bumilis e…but totoo yung ibang FX na nakikipagsabayan sa akin—e uusok naman.. atleast I got to test the ABS and felt how stable it is at braking.. and no outside smoke penetrated inside the cabin. I decided to cut my trip short and head back to SM-carpark instead of fully testing the car up to the rough roads going to AMA-university somewhere in rd.20 to fetch my younger sister. But is getting late, it’s almost 4pm and my wife asked me to go home early or else!

At the SM-carpark ground floor I departed with the white carnival

but i was surprised when i got down--its high din pala! The door opening below starts from my leg! This is that I did not noticed when i got up to the carnival…

After disembarking, well, its time for me to go back to reality--with my liteace..

overall, well, the carens and carnival handles almost the same, the main diffences are its engine and dimensions. Both are not "pain in the ass" to drive, but if you tend to forget that front nose, for sure it can be easily scratched.. If you have several pesos, putting a antenna-pole or front corner sensors is a good investment. the stock JVC units of the EX trim has a good sound output, but the growl of the crdi is sweet for my taste--more engine sound than the sound of the clutch-fan force-drawing air toward the radiator..

Is it just me, or it's that i am still not confident of not having a rear mirror at the back.. and the conversation mirror on the carnival is positioned high that when i looked at it, i have to look up-- or sadyang padak lang ako...

Sayang LX trim lang dumating, kung yung EX trim, i have played with the power sliding doors and power tailgate... also, i forgot, on the sliding doors of the carnival, the windows are just like your ordinary car--goes up and down whole, not the vent-type ones...no power-rear quarter glass too.. all for an additional 150-200T on the EX SWB model, 1.550 ang EX LWB..

Maybe the caren could be easily driven by my wife, but the carnival, well, i myself wonders on i can squeeze this on road.10 in project.6--especially during lunch time!

And lastly as with almost all MPVs, when the last rows are up, the roof carrier comes in handy.. since the carens and carnival EX-trims have roof rails and bars, and boasting a low ride height, attaching a THULE roof box is easy. But the most important thing is unlike the Hi-ace super grandia, delica spacegear 4wd, the starex, and most MPVs/vans, you dont need to remove that thule box..

For that moment, especially on the carnival, i forgot my fantasies on the spacegear 4wd..and if given a chance, i will get an EX model- SWB or the triftier carens EX CRDi.. but i still prefer the carnival SWB looks-especially in light blue or black.. then putting a HID, front corner sensors and rear mirror/camera, a DVD system and smoking that headlights plus a thule-box and a subtle front, rear and side skirts.. makes it complete..

but for now, i have to end this review and fantasies on the 07 carnival before my wife knows that i slipped a test drive without her know it

I still have a chance to have a glimpse of that carnival this monday at SM north--for a post review, if "makalusot kay" or "payagan ni" wifey

**pup2** · October 23rd, 2007 08:21 PM

Thanks for the review by yet another TAKUSA member. hehehe.

**rion** · October 24th, 2007 01:28 PM

+1...

**freespin** · October 24th, 2007 03:45 PM

i always like the carens and the new carnival.

**DragonHeart** · October 25th, 2007 01:37 AM

saw the carnival displayed at virra mall today and it looks good only thing that turned me off was that the interior was not leather... for the price of the carnival i expect to have leather interiors...

**alwayz_yummy** · October 25th, 2007 09:38 AM

well, for me.. its a good compromise... better na fabric nalang than a sysnthetic leather na mag-ccrack in a few years..magkano lang naman ang leather seat covers,e than re-upholster the whole interior when cracking starts to set-in..

now kung genuine leather like those put in mercs/ bimmers, this will up the price.

the feabric seats naman ng carnival ar comfy as a bed... di siya mainit pag nababad sa init, pero di siya ganun kalamig kapag maulan+aircon...

nga pala indivial a/c coldness/temp. setting for the driver, front passenger, row 2 passengers and row 3 passengers ang carnival! and may rear vent for 2nd row passengers ang carens for all line-up..

the only diffence ng EX sa LX are:

carens:
4-semi-AT, seat material, roof rail, 16" alloy wheels, foglights, vanity mirror lights, alarm and a much prenium sound..but a measly 50-100T difference

for the carnival:

ex has much more stuffs than the LX particularly the power sliding doors, tailgate, rear quarter glass.. the front center table, front back-rear folding tables, much prenium sound, alarm, fogs, trip computer,etc... there are of 200-300T difference over the LX trim

major advantage ng LX over EX trims: has a 6-MT!