In one of the never-ending debates in the automotive world, you can put me in the camp of arguing that there is nothing uncool about a minivan.

Despite getting a bad rap over the years as soccer mom vehicles without a personality, nothing could be further from the truth. A minivan is as useful and versatile as any SUV you can name, and sometimes more so.

Sadly, there are only four real options remaining in the minivan category — including the one I tested, the Kia Carnival. The Carnival comes in both regular and hybrid versions, and I sampled both varieties of the Carnival.

After my time behind the wheel, I’m glad that Kia is sticking around in this segment, as they’ve delivered a standout performance that holds up well against all competitors — including the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica.

The arrival of the hybrid version for 2025 is a helpful addition for Kia, as Toyota’s offering is exclusively hybrid and Pacifica also offers a hybrid version.

Read on for a full account of what the Carnival has to offer to those who, like me, are standing against the haters and supporting the minivan as a solid vehicle option that is far from uncool.

If you think you’ve been hearing about the Volkswagen ID.Buzz for a while, you would be correct.

First unveiled as a concept vehicle at the 2017 North American International Auto Show, it is finally available for sale in the U.S. after a long journey and first debuting in Europe.

First things first, what exactly is the ID.Buzz?
Is it a microbus? A minivan?

Whatever you want to call it, this nostalgia-inspired offering harkens back to VW’s 1960s microbus heritage (the kind you might have taken to Woodstock). Brought into the present, it is a wholly unique entry in the U.S. automotive landscape. There are just a few large fully electric SUVs that can be considered competition (Kia EV9, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Rivian R1S), and some minivans that are offered in hybrid versions that could be cross-shopped, but none of the alternatives are in the exact class of the ID.Buzz — it’s truly its own category in many ways. 

Doubters will be tempted to write off the ID.Buzz as a trendy offering, but there is plenty of capability and versatility offered by the vehicle that should silence them. It’s got plenty of power, lots of cargo space and room for 7 passengers, and a versatile design to accommodate various needs.

I recently got some time behind the wheel of this long-awaited VW revival, driving a 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Pro S Plus, and I’m back with a full report for all who may be interested in taking one home.