SUVs have far surpassed their sedan cousins in terms of cargo and people capacity. But now that that distinction holds less weight, it’s time to compare apples to apples.
The breakdown of cargo space in the Hyundai Tucson, Santa Fe, and Pallisade
A cubic foot is pretty much what it sounds like: an imaginary cube with dimensions of 12 inches by 12 inches. A cubic foot of water, for instance, would be about 7.5 gallons of water, or roughly equivalent to one and a half of those 5-gallon jugs of water you find in an office water dispenser.
For example, the Hyundai Tucson would be able to carry roughly 32 of those 5-gallon jugs of water in its 21.7 cubic foot cargo area, while a Hyundai Palisade could fit just shy of 40 of them.
Now that’s probably more water than you’ll ever need unless you’re prepping for the next big natural disaster or something similar, but it’s a good visualization of how much cargo space you’re working with here.
What if I need more cargo space?
These numbers from Cars.com don’t account for “maximum” cargo volume, which is what you’d get when you calculate the cargo space behind the driver and passenger seats when the second (and maybe third) rows are folded down. That’s because there isn’t really a good way to measure them consistently, taking into consideration the complex geometries involved.
So while you’re likely able to squeak out some more cubic footage by folding the seats down, the actual numbers (and methodology for calculating that) will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, which can make it difficult to compare with other models.
Your best bet to determine an SUV’s total cargo space before you commit is for you to see it in person and gauge it for yourself.
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