Kia Telluride Cargo Test: How Much Can You Fit Behind the Third Row?

• The Kia Telluride specs say there's 21 cubic feet behind the third row.
• That should make it one of the best in the three-row crossover segment.
• Our real-world test shows how it really stacks up.

The Kia Telluride has been a sales hit and critical darling since its introduction for 2019. It's approaching the end of its life now, and has even been replaced atop the Edmunds Top Rated pedestal by the Toyota Grand Highlander, but it remains one of the best three-row crossover choices. Part of that is that it's just so darn big. Adults can fit in all three rows and it has one of the biggest cargo areas. It's especially generous behind the third row where the specs show it having 21 cubic feet.

Only the Chevrolet Traverse can better that number at 22.9 cubes, and in its cargo test, GM's big crossover showed it can cram in even more stuff than that number would suggest. Spoiler alert: The Telluride's not stealing the Traverse's place on top of the pile. But what of the Toyota Grand Highlander, another extra-big crossover that, if you round up from its official 20.6-cubic-foot spec, has the exact same cargo capacity behind the third row as the Telluride? Well, let's see.

So here is the cargo area ... at first look. Like a lot of SUVs, however, there is a lot more to consider before loading up with bags. So, let's look closer.

Like the Traverse, Honda Pilot and several other three-row crossovers, the Telluride has an underfloor storage area. Whether you can use it to expand the area above for carrying cargo does depend on some factors.

First, as you can see here, Kia thoughtfully engineered this area to swallow the cargo cover cartridge that plugs in over the folded third-row seat. If this was a two-row SUV cargo test, I'd be singing its praises as you don't need to store the cargo cover someplace else in order to enjoy max capacity. Here, it's in the way. So is the cargo floor itself. Unlike in the Pilot, the Telluride's cannot just drop down and sit atop the lower floor if you forget to leave it behind.

As such, I'll be conducting two tests today: One with the floor in place and the other with the floor and cargo cover removed.

OK, there'll actually be a third test, but I'll explain that later.

Before we begin, 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.

With the floor in place, this is just an OK result. My two biggest bags can fit head-to-head widthwise, which is rare, but I could only squeeze in the Medium Wide and Fancy Bag. By comparison, I could fit all of my bags on top of the in-place floors of the Traverse and Grand Highlander while maintaining sufficient visibility. As such, I feel confident in saying that the Telluride's 21-cubic-foot measurement includes the underfloor area.

One other note that'll come into play soon: As always with three-row cargo tests, I set the reclining third row to what I would consider a comfortable angle. Not bolt-upright, not luxuriating.

OK, let's pull the floor and cargo cover.

The result is all of my bags except the Fancy Bag. Really, it wouldn't fit there? Nope, the hatch won't close. One of my other small duffles would clearly fit, but this is the official result with my core bags. This result matches the Honda Pilot TrailSport (it's possible the slightly lower floor in other trim levels would allow it to do better).

As such, the current cargo test leaderboard for the non-luxury three-row crossover segment:

1. Chevrolet Traverse/Buick Enclave
2. Toyota Grand Highlander
3. Kia Telluride and Honda Pilot TrailSport (tie)
4. Volkswagen Atlas
5. Ford Explorer

Remember what I said about the "comfortable" rear seat recline? Well, let's make it less comfortable. One click forward doesn't look like much (illustrated here by just doing the 60 portion but I actually moved both sections), but trust me, whoever's sitting back there is going to be noticeably less happy. You'd be fine on a short drive, but why are you bringing six suitcases on a short drive? But ...

... It's just enough to allow the Fancy Bag to fit, the liftgate to close and therefore all my bags to fit. Again, not the official result, but this does illustrate how sacrificing third-row comfort can increase cargo space. Doing the same in the Pilot would've yielded a similar result, though, and I didn't have to do it all in the Traversaclave or Grand Highlander, just in case you're thinking this result is somehow taking something away from the Telluride.