Honda Civic Sedan Cargo Test: How Big Is the Trunk?

• The Honda Civic sedan has a 14.8-cubic-foot trunk.
• That's big for a small sedan, but less space on paper than the Civic hatchback.
• Our real-world test shows how much you can fit inside.

Now here is the Civic hatchback for comparison. Despite the sedan's relatively huge trunk opening, it obviously can't compare to this enormous boot. 

Let's just get to the bags, shall we? There are two bags you'd definitely have to check at the airport: Big Gray (26 inches long x 16.5 inches wide x 12 inches deep) and Big Blue (26 x 16.5 x 10). There are three roll-aboards that usually fit as carry-ons: Medium Tall (24 x 14 x 9), Medium Wide (23 x 15 x 9) and the smaller Green Bag (21 x 14 x 9.5). Finally, there's everyone's favorite Fancy Bag (21 x 12 x 11), a medium-size duffle.

This is a sub-test I like to do with all sedans. How many bags can fit between the wheelwells? This isn't quite as good as the K4 could manage (it had a second check-in bag in place of one of the roll-aboards), but a BMW 3 Series can't do this. It's also not that different from the Honda Accord's trunk. The main difference with its colossal trunk is overall length. 

Now let's get to all the bags.

There, all of the bags fit. There is also room left over, which I will fill momentarily. Before I do, though ...

These are the exact same bags in the Civic hatchback. Let's unpack what I'm seeing here.

First, the Civic sedan's trunk sure seems longer. Honda doesn't publish cargo length numbers (few do), but the hatchback measures 179.0 inches in overall length while the sedan is at 184.8 inches. I'm not sure all of that is showing up in the trunk, but most of it is. Typically, more length is good news for hauling luggage.

Now, you will notice that there's quite a bit of open space left over in the hatchback, but much as we learned from the Porsche Taycan cargo test, triangular-shaped areas are terrible for fitting rectangular objects inside. That's basically what's happening with the Civic hatchback above the seat line: It's an acute wedge. I didn't have a bag that could utilize the remaining space behind the Fancy Bag, and if I put something on top of the bags on the left, visibility would disappear. That's a cargo test safety no-no. Even If I did put something up there, though, the grand total would still only tie what the sedan could manage (spoiler). 

Basically, the Civic hatchback's cargo area literally has more volume than the Civic sedan's trunk, but those 10 cubic feet aren't usable for luggage. Packing peanuts, maybe.

OK, back to the sedan's trunk.

By contrast, I could utilize the sedan's remaining space with the Blue Duffel Bag that's equal to the Fancy Bag's dimensions. Ergo, the sedan can hold more stuff than the Civic hatchback while also maintaining full visibility and keeping everything locked away from prying eyes. Remember, the Fancy Bag was preventing the hatchback's clever lateral-sliding cargo cover from closing. 

Now, if I needed to carry a wingback chair, big-screen TV, or a boatload of boxes from Ikea, I'd still want the Civic hatchback since its maximum cargo space advantage is not in question. That may ultimately make it the more functional vehicle overall. For luggage, specifically, though? Nope. 

As for the Kia K4 question ...

As you can see above, the K4 could hold my cylindrical Edmunds Golf Classic Bag in addition to the Blue Duffel with room still left over. Seems like Kia is selling itself a bit short here. It is indeed the class leader.