SUV Cargo Space Comparison Chart: 2026 Models, Row by Row

SUV cargo space is quoted three different ways, and the biggest number is almost never the one you will use day to day. A 2026 Honda Pilot lists 18.6 cubic feet behind the third row but up to 113.7 cubic feet behind the first row. That is a gap of roughly 95 cubic feet from one vehicle.

This page lays out published 2026 model-year cargo volumes for the SUVs we could read directly from the maker’s own page, row by row, then shows what the numbers hide: what a hybrid battery costs you, how much a third row really takes away, and how to measure your own cargo area with a tape measure. Figures are as of October 12, 2026, for the 2026 model year. Makers revise specs between model years, so check the current page for the exact trim you are buying.

How To Read SUV Cargo Numbers (And Measure Your Own)

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Every maker publishes cargo volume in cubic feet, but the number depends on where the measuring stops. Ford’s 2026 Expedition page lists volume behind the first, second and third row and calls them the available, optimized cargo volumes. Honda lists both a standard and a maximum figure for each row on the Pilot. Three positions matter:

• Behind the third row: seats all up, the space left for luggage in a seven or eight-seat SUV.
• Behind the second row: the third row folded, the usual figure for a family hauling gear with five people at most.
• Behind the first row: every rear seat folded, which is the headline number in most ads and the one that tells you the least about daily use.

Two-row SUVs follow the same idea with fewer positions. On the 2026 CR-V, Honda lists the space behind the rear seat and with the seats folded, and for the Passport it lists behind the second row and behind the first row.

Measure It Yourself In Five Minutes

Published volume will not tell you whether a folded stroller or a hockey bag fits. A tape measure will. Open the tailgate and write down these numbers:

• Floor length from the tailgate sill to the back of the seats, with the seats up and again with them folded.
• Width between the wheel wells, which is usually the narrowest point.
• Height from the floor to the cargo cover or roof at the tailgate opening.
• The height of the load floor above the ground, since that is what you lift cargo over.

Measure the item you actually carry the same way, then compare. Check the owner’s manual for the cargo and payload limits of your vehicle before loading heavy gear.

2026 SUV Cargo Space Chart: Cubic Feet By Row

Every figure below was read this session from the maker’s page named in the Source column. Where a maker lists a range across trims, we show the range. A cell reading “not listed” means that page did not give the figure in the text we read, so we left it out instead of guessing, and “not applicable” means the vehicle has no third row.

2026 model	Seating	Behind 3rd row (cu ft)	Behind 2nd row (cu ft)	Behind 1st row (cu ft)	Source
Honda CR-V (gas)	2 rows	not applicable	39.3	76.5	Honda Information Center, 2026 CR-V
Honda CR-V Hybrid	2 rows	not applicable	36.3	71.8	Honda Information Center, 2026 CR-V
Honda Passport	2 rows	not applicable	44.0	83.2 to 104.6	Honda Information Center, 2026 Passport
Honda Pilot	3 rows	18.6 to 22.4	48.5 to 60.1	86.5 to 113.7	Honda Information Center, 2026 Pilot
Toyota Grand Highlander	3 rows	not listed	not listed	up to 97.5	Toyota USA Newsroom, 2026 Grand Highlander
Ford Expedition	3 rows	22.9	69.9	108.5	Ford 2026 Expedition page
Ford Expedition MAX	3 rows	37.4	84.5	123.1	Ford 2026 Expedition page

Cargo volumes can differ by trim, seat configuration and model year. Treat the chart as a starting point and confirm the number for your exact trim on the maker’s page.

A note on older numbers: an earlier version of this page showed 83.9 cubic feet for the Honda Pilot. That figure does not appear on Honda’s 2026 Pilot specification page, so it has been removed.

What The Numbers Hide

A Third Row Takes More Than Half Your Space

Compare the Pilot’s standard behind-second-row figure of 48.5 cubic feet with its standard behind-third-row figure of 18.6: raising the third row costs 29.9 cubic feet, about 62 percent of the space. The Expedition goes from 69.9 to 22.9, a loss of 47.0 cubic feet or about 67 percent. The Expedition MAX goes from 84.5 to 37.4, also a loss of about 47 cubic feet, but it keeps far more behind the third row: 37.4 cubic feet is about twice the Pilot’s 18.6. If you need all seats and real luggage space together, the third-row number is the one to compare.

A Hybrid Battery Shrinks The Cargo Area

Honda lists the 2026 CR-V gas trims at 39.3 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 76.5 with the seats folded. The hybrid trims list 36.3 and 71.8. That is 3.0 cubic feet less behind the seat (about 8 percent) and 4.7 less with the seats folded (about 6 percent). If you are cross-shopping hybrid and gas versions, compare the trim-level numbers, not the model name.

Standard And Maximum Are Not The Same Figure

Honda’s Pilot page lists 48.5 cubic feet standard and 59.5 to 60.1 maximum behind the second row, depending on trim. That is a difference of 11.0 to 11.6 cubic feet for the same row of the same vehicle. When you compare two SUVs, make sure you are comparing standard to standard or maximum to maximum.

Why Two Makers Can Measure The Same Space Differently

Per Cars.com, the SAE J1100 practice recommends measuring enclosed trunks with standardized luggage blocks, and open cargo areas, such as an SUV behind the seats, by length, width and height. Automakers are not required to follow it, and they do not all apply it the same way. Cars.com reports that Honda counts under-floor storage toward maximum cargo volume while Ford leaves it out of its SAE figures.

The version of the method matters too. Cars.com notes that the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse listed 98.5 cubic feet behind the first row against 116.3 for the 2017 model, and GM said the older number came from an older SAE method. On the new method, GM put the 2017 figure at 91.8. A Honda engineer quoted in the same piece said the standard tends to overestimate usable space in open cargo areas and underestimate it in enclosed trunks. The practical point for this chart: compare SUVs only within the same maker’s page, or use the tape-measure numbers above.

Which Size Fits Your Hauling

• Compact two-row: the CR-V’s 39.3 cubic feet behind the rear seat (gas) covers weekly groceries and carry-on bags. For model-specific detail on a smaller crossover, see our Mazda CX-30 cargo space breakdown.
• Midsize two-row: the Passport lists 44.0 cubic feet behind the second row, 4.7 more than the CR-V, with a listed 83.2 to 104.6 behind the first row.
• Three-row family SUV: the Pilot’s 48.5 cubic feet behind the second row works when the third row is folded, but it falls to 18.6 with all seats up.
• Full-size three-row: the Expedition and Expedition MAX are the only models here that list 22.9 cubic feet or more behind the third row.

If your plan is mostly weekly shopping rather than luggage, a trunk organizer sized for grocery runs can matter more than another few cubic feet of volume.

When The Inside Is Not Enough

An SUV with a small third-row cargo area can still carry more by going outside. A roof carrier or box needs a mounting system first, so read our guide to roof cross bars before you buy, and our comparison of overhead carriers for SUVs for the options. Check the roof load limit in your owner’s manual before loading anything on top, and do not exceed it.

Frequently Asked Questions On SUV Cargo Space Comparison

Which SUV in this chart has the most cargo space?

Of the models in this chart, the Ford Expedition MAX has the most: 123.1 cubic feet behind the first row, 84.5 behind the second row and 37.4 behind the third row, per Ford’s 2026 Expedition page. The standard-wheelbase Expedition lists 108.5, 69.9 and 22.9.

How much cargo space does the Honda Pilot have behind the third row?

Honda’s 2026 Pilot specifications list 18.6 cubic feet behind the third row as the standard figure, and 21.8 to 22.4 cubic feet as the maximum figure depending on trim. Behind the second row it lists 48.5 standard and 59.5 to 60.1 maximum.

How much cargo space does a hybrid CR-V give up?

Honda lists the 2026 CR-V gas trims at 39.3 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 76.5 with the seats folded. The hybrid trims list 36.3 and 71.8, which is 3.0 and 4.7 cubic feet less.

Conclusion

Use the chart to narrow the field, but compare the same row and the same measurement type on every vehicle. If you carry strollers, coolers or sports bags, bring a tape measure to the dealer and check the cargo area yourself. The maker’s cubic-foot number is only a starting point.