Kia Carens or Toyota Innova? Upgrading from a 2019 Maruti XL6

The difference in fuel efficiency figures between the two MPVs is a very important factor in making a decision.

BHPian niteshsharmab recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Confused between Carens and Innova.

I currently own a 2019 XL6 Automatic. While the car is good, it lacks power, the average is low (8 km/l in the city), has no connected features and ride quality is okay.

I was eyeing the top-end diesel Carens Automatic. Really liked its interior quality, connected features and most of all, a fuel economy of 15 to 20 km/l.

While it has it all, the seats are very short and I think it'll not be as comfortable as the XL6's one. My car is chauffeur-driven, so rear comfort is very important. Also, I found the suspension and overall ride quality to be average.

Innova is an all-rounder in that sense with another major positive of a 300L boot with all seats up. The only issue with the Innova is its economy of only 9 km/l in the city and it costs Rs. 10 lakhs more. Although the price is not a major determinant as resale is even better, the economy of 9 km/l for Innova vs 15 for Carens is a very important factor. My travel is 50 km every day in traffic.

What do you think I should do? Very much lured by the Carens. Can any owner give a perspective on ride comfort from the suspension and middle row seat comfort (given the short seats)? For reference, I'm only 5'7". My test drive was just 5 minutes long, so I couldn't really understand this well.

I'll do a long drive and see Carens back seat. Any idea for how much time can we take the test drive? Will the dealer allow a 10 to 15-minute drive in your opinion.

Even I love the Innova. Recently travelled for 1 week in Himachal mountain in an Innova. Omg, what a vehicle it is, unbelievable comfort in places with just no roads. The only thing that stops me from Innova is that the fuel efficiency is only 8-9 km/l in the city. Whereas the Carens diesel gives 15 km/l. My running will be almost 15k per year so Carens makes a lot of sense from a fuel perspective also.

Here's what BHPian furyrider had to say on the matter:

Regarding the suspension set-up on the Carens, the body roll is well controlled, and the vehicle rides flat for the most part. Where the Innova shines is when you travel on broken roads with craters for potholes. Since you have the XL6 for comparison, the suspension set-up in the Carens will definitely feel better.

I have passengers who are 5'8'' regularly travelling in the second row. None of them complained about lack of comfort, but then, the neck rest should almost always be adjusted to a comfortable height.

If money is not a constraint and you prefer to keep the vehicle for a longer period, go for the Innova eyes closed. You would get better resale value and a better package overall (minus the bling). Since you have mentioned that you would be chauffeur-driven, I think the Innova would suit you better. The rear seat is definitely better than the Carens.

Since you are used to the captain seats in the XL6, I suggest you take a longer TD of the Carens, this time in the second row. If you find the seat to be okay for you, you might as well consider it since you would save a good chunk of money.

I too was offered a short TD the first time I went alone. The second time, I took my family along and was offered long test drives of both the petrol and diesel by the same showroom since they started to perceive me as a serious customer. I eventually booked from them though. Just be upfront with the SA regarding your requirements. I find no reason why you would be denied a long TD.

If you are visiting on a weekend, book the TD beforehand on Kia's website. They would have no choice but to offer you one.

Here's what BHPian anbaras had to say on the matter:

I was also in the same state of mind before choosing Carens. I considered only Innova and Ertiga in the year 2014 when I changed my previous car (Manza). That time too, my wife found the ingress and egress of the Ertiga to be better than Innova and ultimately we booked the Ertiga.

And now, even after eight years I still preferred Innova over Carens for its ride comfort and long term reliability. But my kids and wife preferred the Carens for its features and sunroof and hence we booked the Carens LP Diesel 6MT on February 15th.

As yours is chauffeur-driven, you can definitely go for the Innova, since money is not a constraint for you. I hope that whatever additional amount you spend on the fuel cost, you will be able to compensate through the resale value of Innova. The resale value % of Innova will be definitely more than the Carens after 10 years. The ride comfort will be far better in Innova's second seat than in Carens. The big boot space is also a desirable one.

But feature-wise Carens scores better than Innova and that tilted our scale towards the Carens and of course the cost difference.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.