Acura ADX Cargo Test: How Big Is the Trunk?

• The ADX has 24.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seat.
• That’s identical to its corporate cousin, the Honda HR-V.
• Our real-world test shows how this cargo volume translates to actual stuff.

See what I mean about that liftgate opening angle? It goes all the way to the bottom, which makes it difficult to load rectangular things right up to the sill. 

Now, I could provide a photo of the HR-V cargo area, but please trust me that it is, in fact, identical with two exceptions.

Exception 1: The A-Spec Advance package/trim includes a superb 15-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system that brings with it a subwoofer. You can see it on the right side of the photos above and below. It chews into capacity, but it did not affect this test's results. It would, technically, result in a smaller cargo volume spec if Acura published one specifically for the A-Spec Advance. It does not. Moving on. 

Exception 2: The ADX has a rigid hatchback-style cargo cover that is not available in the HR-V. The Honda offers a thin screen-like cover within a wire frame (think a sunshade) as a dealer accessory. I might actually prefer that since it's easier/possible to stow. 

Anyway, the ADX's cargo cover means I'll need to test with and without it.

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 cargo cover, I could fit the four largest bags, but the Green and Fancy bags had to stay behind. While there is obviously space remaining, that angled liftgate opening means that the two remaining bags could not fit. 

This is equal to the Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA and Volvo XC40 with the cover in place (all had a similar amount of unusable extra space) and a Fancy Bag worse than the BMW X1.

OK, let's pull the cover.

So all the bags fit, but it sure wasn't pretty. Nor was it easy to do, with the Big Blue bag awkwardly placed diagonally in the back, the Green Bag plopped on top at its own weight angle and the Fancy Bag just barely fitting. It took a lot of tries to get here, and again, the reason is that angled opening. 

Actually, let me amend that last sentence: It took me a lot of tries to get there in the HR-V, because after two attempts in the ADX, I gave up and looked back to see what nonsense I eventually came up with in the Honda. 

Now, while the HR-V's result underwhelmed for its segment, that's not the case when lining up the ADX's identical result in its luxury segment. As always, it's a matter of perspective.

This result is better than the rather lame Audi Q3, which has an even worse liftgate angle. Utilizing the Volvo XC40's underfloor storage area allows it to match this result with all the bags loaded. The BMW X1 with its available spare tire also matches this result, but its cargo area is much boxier and far easier to load as a result. (Without a spare tire, the X1 would be superior.) The Mercedes GLA accepted all the bags and had room left over and is therefore higher on the leaderboard. The Mercedes GLB, meanwhile, is by far the segment champion thanks to its ultra-boxy cargo area. 

So, the ADX's capacity is OK for the segment, but its shape makes for difficult loading. It's also the same as the HR-V, but again, that's not surprising. 

Now, for some odds and ends.

The ADX comes with a spare tire. That's nice.

It also comes with a gargantuan slab of foam atop that spare tire. It sure would be nice if Honda could've engineered this space to be a dual-level cargo floor because it would radically transform the HR-V/ADX's cargo carrying ability and mitigate the impact of that angled liftgate opening. 

And finally, rest assured, that just like the HR-V, the ADX's plastic wheelwell trim is ribbed for your luggage's pleasure. Weird.