If you're about to drive down the green road of hybrid ownership, you probably know that making this choice can do a number on cargo capacity. A hybrid vehicle can lose as much as 3 to 5 cubic feet of cargo capacity relative to its gas-only equivalent, due to the presence of its battery pack.
Green-minded shoppers looking for choices with the most room for toting stuff will want to check out the list below; these are the 12 hybrids with the most cargo capacity for 2011. Note that our list contains more than our typical 10 choices due to a three-way tie between corporate triplets Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, GMC Yukon Hybrid and Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid.
As you'd expect, most of the choices are crossovers, but there's also an extraordinarily roomy hatchback or two in the mix. All measurements shown are in cubic feet.
Cargo capacity: 40
2. 2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid
Cargo capacity: 32.1
3. 2011 Mercedes-Benz M-Class Hybrid
Cargo capacity: 29.4
Cargo capacity: 27.9
Cargo capacity: 27.8
Cargo capacity: 25.6
7. Honda CR-Z
Cargo capacity: 25.1
8. Toyota Prius
Cargo capacity: 21.6
9. 2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid
Cargo capacity: 20.5
10. 2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
Cargo capacity: 16.9 (tie)
Cargo capacity: 16.9 (tie)
Cargo capacity: 16.9 (tie)