Choosing SUVs, Minivans, and Sedan Cars With Big Trunks

Do you often use your vehicle to transport groceries, school supplies, and work equipment? Then you want maximum cargo capacity that only comes second to a truck bed. Most vehicles have a car trunk, but some items can’t fit under the trunk lid. If you want to bring more things, let’s look for the vehicle models with the most cargo space.

Small Sedans

It might be a small sedan, but the 2024 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Limited has a 20 cu ft car trunk. Its hybrid powertrain ensures fuel-efficient transportation of cargo.

1. 2024 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Limited: 20 cu ft
2. 2020 Toyota Corolla XSE: 19.1 cu ft
3. 2021 Hyundai Elantra SEL Premium: 19 cu ft
4. 2020 Honda Civic Touring: 18.8 cu ft
5. 2020 Nissan Sentra SV: 18.8 cu ft
6. 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid SE AWD: 18.7 cu ft

Medium Sedans

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon E450 All-Terrain is a mouthful of a name. It’s also the medium sedan with the largest car trunk.

1. 2022 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon E450 All-Terrain: 21.1 cu ft
2. 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid: 20.9 cu ft
3. 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport-L: 20.8 cu ft
4. 2021 Kia K5 EX: 20.3 cu ft
5. 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE: 20 cu ft

Full-Size Sedans

The 2023 Lucid Air Touring AWD wins easily. It augments its large cargo space with a sizable front trunk.

1. 2023 Lucid Air Touring AWD: 18.2 cu ft + 5.6 cu ft (front trunk)
2. 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S580: 17.4 cu ft
3. 2023 BMW 8 Series 840i Gran Coupe xDrive: 14 cu ft

Small SUVs

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Limited and 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid EX share the top spot. Both models have 21.7 cu ft of cargo space.

However, the Tesla Model Y 2021 Long Range stands out because of two unique features. First, it has a front trunk. Second, it has an optional third row of seats.

1. 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Limited and 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid EX: 21.7 cu ft
2. 2022 Hyundai Tucson Limited and Honda CR-V 2021 Touring: 21.5 cu ft
3. Honda CR-V 2023 Touring Hybrid: 21.4 cu ft
4. Tesla Model Y 2021 Long Range: 20.9 cu ft + 2.9 cu ft (front trunk); 20.8 cu ft + 2.9 cu ft (front trunk) / 9.9 cu ft (behind third row of seats with lid down) + 2.9 cu ft (front trunk)
5. Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2022 Limited: 20.7 cu ft

Midsize 2-Row SUVs

The beautifully named 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy has the largest cargo space (25.3 cu ft) among the midsize 2-row SUVs.

1. 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy: 25.3 cu ft
2. 2021 Genesis GV80 Prestige (two-row): 23.5 cu ft
3. 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 Edition: 22.5 cu ft
4. 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor: 22.3 cu ft

2023 Kia Sportage X-Pro Prestige: 21.9 cu ft

Midsize 3-Row SUVs

In terms of cargo capacity, the Volkswagen Atlas SEL dominates the midsize 3-row SUV segment.

1. 2021 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Premium: 29.9 cu ft / 14 cu ft
2. 2021 Volkswagen Atlas SEL 2.0T: 29.8 cu ft / 14.5 cu ft
3. 2024 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Premium R-Line AWD: 28.5 cu ft / 13.3 cu ft
4. 2020 Hyundai Palisade Limited: 26.2 cu ft / 11.2 cu ft
5. 2024 Rivian R1S Performance Dual Max: 25.7 cu ft + 6.0 cu ft (front car trunks) / 12.6 cu ft
6. 2022 Infiniti QX60 Autograph: 25.5 cu ft / 9.9 cu ft

Full-Size SUVs

The 2021 Chevy Suburban High Country has the largest cargo space for both behind the second row of seats and behind the third row of seats.

1. 2021 Chevrolet Suburban High Country: 41.8 cu ft / 23 cu ft
2. 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Series III: 38.9 cu ft / 17.2 cu ft
3. 2022 Jeep Wagoneer Series III: 36.6 cu ft / 16.4 cu ft 
4. 2021 Cadillac Escalade Platinum: 30.9 cu ft / 13.2 cu ft
5. 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition (two-row): 30.5 cu ft

Minivans

While the 2022 Kia Carnival SX boasts the largest cargo space, the 2021 Toyota Sienna XSE has Super Long Slide seats that can be moved midway back or fully back. This feature enables the use of underfloor compartments for concealed storage.

1. 2022 Kia Carnival SX: 45.5 cu ft / 23 cu ft
2. 2021 Toyota Sienna XSE (SLS seats midway back): 44.6 cu ft / 21.7 cu ft
3. 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Limited: 41.6 cu ft + 3.2 cu ft (underfloor storage compartments) / 17.6 cu ft + 3.2 cu ft (underfloor compartments)
4. 2021 Honda Odyssey Elite: 41.6 cu ft / 21.1 cu ft
5. 2021 Toyota Sienna XSE (Super Long Slide seats fully back): 32.6 cu ft / 21.7 cu ft

Choosing Between Cars With Big Trunks

Here are some helpful things to keep in mind when comparing models according to their car trunk size and cargo space:

Trim Level Affects Car Trunk Volume

The car trunk volume might vary between trim levels. A model usually has a couple of trim levels, each adding new equipment and features to the vehicle. The extra equipment takes up space, which can eat into the volume.

Other Cargo Areas

While many vehicles have one large storage area, others have several smaller areas, usually split between different locations. Pure electric vehicles (PEVs), rear-engine designs, and other vehicles that don’t put their engine up front might have a front trunk under the hood.

Chrysler and Dodge minivans with the Stow ‘n Go captain’s chairs have underfloor cargo bins you can access when the seats are up. The Dodge Dart has storage spaces under the front passenger seat’s flip-up cushion, while the Dodge Journey adds underfloor bins in the second row of seats and under the cargo floor. The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe’s cargo area hides the underfloor storage, and the versions of the 2014 Kia Sorento that don’t have the optional third row of seats have a similar storage space under their cargo floor.