Let’s face it, the manual transmission is on life support as only a handful of automakers offer such in their new vehicle lineup. The take rate for manual transmissions is at an all-time low, and unfortunately, manufacturers have devoted their R&D into other automatic transmission types, such as the traditional automatic transmission, CVTs (Continuously Variable Transmissions), and automated dual-clutch units.
However, there are still a select number of manufacturers that still offer a manual transmission, the most notable ones being Porsche, BMW, Subaru, and even Toyota who are still churning out a few manual transmissions to keep the enthusiasm alive among purists. Additionally, manual transmissions are still a very relevant thing among a multitude of pre-own vehicles and classics.
A 603-hp V-10 powered rear-wheel-drive Porsche Carrera GT arrives past a line of late-model Nissan Zs at 904 Octane.
Meanwhile, the third edition of the new Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville cruise-in, held from 8 to 11 a.m. this and every second Saturday at the Avenues Mall at 10300 Southside Blvd., will celebrate Toyota Supra, as well as the Chevrolet SS (Super Sport). Admission is free. Since the event is being held on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and a jetliner over Pennsylvania, there will be a moment of silence at 9:11 a.m. to pay respects and honor those lost on 20 years ago.
Car shows
National POW/MIA Recognition Day/Car and Bike Show: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18, at the Chapel of the High Speed Pass at 6112 POW-MIA Memorial Parkway at Cecil Field. Live music, a noon American Legion Riders Memorial Ride/Run from the downtown Jacksonville Memorial Wall, and more.
Shindler Drive Baptist Church Community Cruise-in/Car Show: 8 to 11 a.m. Sat. Sept. 25, at the church at 7100 Shindler Drive.
Cruisin’ to the Creek 2021: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sat. Oct. 2, at Trout Creek Memorial Park and Marina at 6550 Florida 13 North in Saint Johns. The annual show benefits the Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville.
Buggies on the Beach 7: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Show ‘n Shine show on Sunday, Oct. 3, at Kraft Athletic Club, 961023 Buccaneer Trail in Fernandina Beach. The Volkswagen show includes a Poker Run at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, proceeds going to the Nassau Humane Society.
American Legion 401 Car, Truck and Bike Show: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2, at American Legion Riders Post 401 at 37405 Henry Smith Road in Hilliard. Hosted by Callahan Cruisers of North Florida, spectators are free and show vehicles are $20, proceeds to benefit Wreaths Across America and 5 Star Veterans.
Azalea City Cruisers Car & Truck Show: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sat. Oct. 2, at the Putnam County Fairgrounds at 118 Fairgrounds Road in East Palatka. Free to spectators and $25 per show vehicle day of show.
25th Annual Amelia Cruizers 8-Flags Car Show: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sat. Oct. 16 along Centre Street in historic Fernandina Beach. Free to spectators and $25 for show vehicle if pre-registered at bit.ly/2UsiI9l. The annual show benefits the Justin Hess Scholarship Foundation.
Annual Car Show: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23, at Paxon Revival Center Church, 5461 Commonwealth Ave. Free.
St. Augustine Fall Fling Car Show: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24, at the St Johns County Fairgrounds, 5840 Florida 207 in Elkton. Free to spectators and $20 day of show for display vehicles.
The FIRM (Florida International Rally and Moto Park): Open Track Days held most weekends at the road course and rally course at 7266 Airport Road in Starke.
Cruise-ins
First Coast Car Council, Clay County Cruzers, Callahan Cruisers and Amelia Cruizers all hold regular weekend cruise-ins, so check their Facebook pages.
Jacksonville Caffeine And Gasoline: 7 to 10 a.m. on every first Saturday at the Orange Park Mall at 1910 Wells Road in Orange Park.
Clay County Cruzers’s other events: 3 to 6 p.m. every first Saturday at Big Dawg Sports Restaurant, 1330 Blanding Blvd.; 3 to 6 p.m. every second Saturday at Dick’s Wings, 1803 East-West Parkway in Fleming Island; 5 p.m. every third Friday at Freddy’s Steakburgers at 386 Blanding Blvd.; 9 to 11 a.m. every fourth Saturday at Nicole’s Café, 2216 S. Mimosa Ave. in Middleburg; and 2 to 5 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Gator’s Dockside Oakleaf, 316 Merchants Way, Jacksonville.
First Coast Car Council: 5 to 8 p.m. every first Saturday at Mission Barbecue, 8440 Blanding Blvd., Jacksonville; and 5 to 8 p.m. each second Saturday at Medical & Merchants Center Of Mandarin, 11701 San Jose Blvd.
Cruise Night at Beachwalk: 5 to 8 p.m. every second Friday at the Beachwalk Amenity Center, 1000 County Road 210 in St. Johns.
Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville: 8 to 11 a.m. every second Saturday at The Avenues Mall at 10300 Southside Blvd. Information: https://bit.ly/3gPRvVQ.
Cruise Fruit Cove: 4 to 8 p.m. every third Saturday at the PDQ at 194 Florida 13 in Saint Johns, just south of Julington Creek.
Amelia Cruizers: 4 to 7 p.m. every third Saturday at Cold Stone Creamery, 808 Sadler Road, Fernandina Beach.
Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine monthly cruise-ins: St. Augustine Cruiser’s “Cruise In” from 5 to 7 p.m. every third Saturday, and Cars and Coffee from 8 to 10 a.m. every fourth Saturday, both at 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway South in St Augustine.
Cars and Coffee Fleming Island: 7 to 10 a.m. every third Sunday of the month at the New Vision Theatre at 1820 Town Center Blvd., Fleming Island.
Johnny Angels: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. every third Friday at Johnny Angels diner at 3546 St. Johns Bluff Road S.
Historic Springfield Main Street Cruise: 4 p.m. every fourth Saturday between 8th and 17th streets at Main Street in Jacksonville’s Springfield community.
Let’s face it, minivans get a bad rap. They typically seat seven or eight passengers, have tons of cargo space and can often tow decent size boats. But the old conventions of trading in the trendy sports car for a family-friendly minivan have tarnished the reputation of what is otherwise one of the most useful vehicles ever created.
2022 Carnival
Kia apparently decided they had had enough and decided to redefine the minivan space. They set out to create a vehicle with tons of cargo space, three rows of seats and dual sliding rear doors. Then they added an incredibly long list of features, both standard and optional, including a fully functional home theater. Finally, they would wrap it all up in an exterior package that looks a lot like a large premium SUV. Sounds to good to be true, doesn’t it?
Enter the 2022 Kia Carnival
2022 Carnival
Kia refers to the Carnival as a “multi-purpose vehicle” or MPV and we are fine with that. It is special enough to start a new segment. Truth is, it’s either the most family-friendly SUV we’ve reviewed with a starting price less than $33k or it’s the coolest minivan we’ve every laid eyes on. Either way, we don’t think the marketing people at Kia will mind our description.
2022 Carnival
It is no secret that we are fans of the Kia Telluride and Sorento SUVs. Both look fantastic, are loaded with quality features and drive well. Carnival was designed in the same California studio and it shows. The boxy styling reminds us of a certain British manufacturer, but only in passing. The Carnival has a style that is its own, bravo to the Kia design team for pulling it off.
2022 Carnival
Powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine that makes 290 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque and an 8-speed automatic transmission, Kia’s MPV feels quite capable on the road. When properly equipped, this powertrain combo provides up to 3,500 pounds of towing capacity. That’s more than enough for a decent size trailer, camper or boat.
2022 Carnival
Regardless of segment, Kia’s Carnival drives like a well-behaved large crossover. Steering is relatively precise, braking is excellent and the suspension provides a comfortable ride.
2022 Carnival
Fuel economy is as expected, if not a little better, for a seven or eight passenger vehicle with EPA estimated numbers of 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined. Those numbers also fall in line with the most efficient full-size body on frame SUVs available.
Much like the exterior design, Kia set out to redefine expectations inside the Carnival. The front seats are spacious and comfortable. The third row is also decent, with plenty of room for two adults and three kids. But the big news is the optional second row when equipped with the VIP lounge seats.
You’ll lose a seat when you opt for the two VIP captains’ chairs over the three-passenger bench, but you’ll gain a limo like experience. The seats recline and have extendable foot rests that simulate the first-class seating of your favorite aircraft, even if its your private jet. They may seem like a novelty until you have a grouchy overtired rear seat passenger, that’s when you realize that whoever cooked up the idea is a real person with real world experience.
Our top-trim SX Prestige model arrived with a MASSIVE 12.3-inch touchscreen audio system. We’ve been fans of Kia’s infotainment for a while and the 2022 Carnival is the best version we’ve experienced. The system is easy to use and includes plenty of ways to connect a smartphone. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto enhance the already excellent software.
2022 Carnival
Kia’s family-friendly MPV is also loaded with active safety technology. The LONG list of standard equipment includes forward collision-avoidance assist, blind-spot avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, parking distance warning-reverse, lane keeping assist, auto high beams and driver attention warning.
Optional safety features include segment-exclusive blind-spot view monitor that projects live video view of adjacent lanes in the instrument cluster when the driver uses the turn signal. The system is pretty handy in tight spots, but in our humble opinion, not as useful as some of the vehicle’s systems. Other options include forward collision-avoidance assist-cyclist, highway driving assist, navigation-based smart cruise control, parking collision avoidance assist and a surround view monitor.
2022 Carnival
Pricing for the 2022 Kia Carnival LX starts at $32,100 plus fees. Our top-trim top-trim Kia Carnival SX Prestige was quite comprehensively equipped for $47,770.
