- The Honda CR-V hybrid models have 36.3 or 34.7 cubic feet of cargo space, depending on trim.
- This is less than gas-only trim levels and the CR-V's top rivals.
- Our real-world test shows you how much you can fit inside.
Honda CR-V Hybrid Cargo Test: How Much Fits in the Trunk?
Hybrid and turbo-powered CR-V models have different cargo capacities
How much stuff can you fit inside a Honda CR-V? The answer depends on the version you get. The gas-only trim levels have a volume of 39.3 cubic feet behind the raised back seat, with the EX and EX-L going a step further with a dual-level cargo floor. The hybrid-powered trim levels (Sport, Sport L and Sport Touring) have a floor that's permanently fixed at what is effectively the dual-level's upper floor height. The result is 36.3 cubic feet of space in the Sport and Sport L, and then 34.7 cubes in the Sport Touring. (I'll explain that difference below.) The hybrids also do not have a spare tire.
This cargo test is of a CR-V Sport Touring, meaning it's the worst-case scenario. I've also carried out this test on the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Hyundai Tucson Hybrid as well as just about every non-hybrid competitor. The CR-V hybrid models are clearly not the cargo-carrying kings of past CR-V generations, but let's see how much it can still manage to swallow.
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The lack of a little grab handle is the giveaway that the CR-V hybrid is the rare vehicle with a fixed floor. I was actually told that previous journalists didn't accept this and broke the securing clasps on the thing trying to pry it off like a hungry bear. I did not.
To get an idea of what the difference would be with the dual-level floor, note the wells on the left and right side. The bottom of them is pretty much the lower level in the EX and EX-L, and the only level in the LX.
Now, this picture also shows why the Sport Touring has 1.6 fewer cubic feet of cargo capacity than the other Sports/hybrids. See that speaker-looking grate on the right side behind the wheelwell? There's a subwoofer behind that. It's not there in the Sport and Sport L, meaning the indentation is deeper. Spoiler alert: This will not change the outcome of this test. The extra space is not in a particularly useful area.
Before we get to the bags, some housekeeping. The CR-V has a reclining back seat, and per cargo test tradition/rules, I set it at what I deemed a comfortable angle. Not bolt-up right to maximize cargo, but not the full Fat Joe Lay Back either.
Also, the CR-V can be equipped with a cartridge-style rollout cargo cover. This vehicle did not have it, ergo I did not test with and without it.
As always here's some nice boilerplate information about the bags I use and their dimensions. 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-on: 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.
Not surprisingly, all my bags fit easily with a whole bunch left over and plenty of air gap between the roof and Tetris formation.
At times like these, I turn to other random stuff from my garage to fill in the gaps.
This would be the standard bags plus a 38-quart cooler, the Edmunds Golf Classic Duffle (20 x 10.5 round), and the Water Garden Blue Duffle that's basically a less rigid Fancy Bag (21 x 12 x 11).
This is all that I could safely fit inside the CR-V Sport Touring, which is, again, the CR-V's worst-case scenario. Maybe with the gas-only model's extra height, I could've fit an extra roller bag instead of the Water Garder Blue Duffle, but that's just a guess. Maybe I could have squeezed a shopping bag into the area where the Sport Touring's subwoofer resides, but that too is just a guess.
As for competitors, I fit these same items in the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (37.5 cubic feet). There was a little more room left over, but it wasn't actually a functional amount of space. The bigger point is that the RAV4 Hybrid manages these same items with a spare tire aboard.
The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid (38.7 cubic feet) also lacks a spare tire, but it does have a dual-level cargo floor. That contributed to me being able to fit all you see above plus another Green Bag equivalent and at least another Edmunds Classic Duffle. It's the compact SUV king of the cargo castle ... for now.
On paper, the Kia Sportage Hybrid is the best in the segment at 39.5 cubic feet. Like the RAV4 Hybrid, it has a spare tire, which seems to occupy the same space that the mechanically related Tucson devotes to the dual-level floor. I did not have access to all the extra items you see above during my test of it, so I can only say that it seems to offer less than a Tucson. I'll put a call in to Kia to see if I can get an updated '26 Sportage into test sometime.
So, as it stands, the numbers back up the Cargo Test order: Tucson, RAV4 and CR-V Sport Touring. Even if the Sport and Sport L's extra space matched the RAV4's (maybe), they would still lack its spare tire. They'd almost certainly still be smoked by the Tucson. Also, it should be noted that the Mitsubishi Outlander was the only other compact SUV I've tested to match this amount, but the leftover space remaining still put it under the CR-V on my leaderboard.