Mazda CX-30 Cargo Test: How Big Is the Trunk?

• The CX-30 has 20.2 cubic feet of space behind its raised back seat.
• That's virtually identical to the Mazda 3 hatchback's cargo capacity.
• Our real-world test puts that volume into perspective.

If I actually said this was the Mazda 3 hatchback's cargo area, you'd probably believe me. It sure is hatchbacky. That said, my test vehicle did not have the rigid hatchback-style cargo cover that it quite obviously is set up to have.

That said, I can see exactly where the cargo cover would be and that my biggest bag can fit under it. Therefore, I can report how much you can fit inside the CX-30 if you forget to take the cargo cover out and suddenly need to load 'er up.

OK, let's get to the test. 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.

Voilà! All the bags fit, and I would've been able to add the Edmunds Golf Classic Duffle Bag (20 x 10.5 x 10.5) in the upper left. I just didn't take the picture. Visibility is certainly reduced in the rear, especially compared to various competitors, but it was sufficient.

So what does this tell me? The CX-30 can carry more stuff than many competitors with greater cargo volume specs. The Buick Envista (20.9 cubic feet), Honda HR-V (24.4 cubes), Chevrolet Trailblazer (25.3 cubes) and the Chevrolet Trax (25.6 cubes) couldn't fit these same items. For the record, neither could the Subaru Crosstrek, but it was very close. It too is more functional than its volume suggests. Meanwhile, the Hyundai Kona (25.5 cubic feet) was basically identical, albeit with better visibility.

The Kia Seltos (26.6 cubic feet) could swallow the same bags, but they were further away from the roof leaving better visibility. So could the Nissan Kicks ... sorta kinda ... read its cargo test here.

In the end, the CX-30 is mid-pack despite its volume showing it near the bottom.

Subcompact SUV cargo test leaderboard

1. Volkswagen Taos FWD
2. Kia Seltos
3. Nissan Kicks SR FWD (no spare tire)
4. Kia Niro
5. Hyundai Kona
6. Mazda CX-30
7. Subaru Crosstrek
8. Chevrolet Trax
9. Honda HR-V
10. Buick Envista
11. Chevrolet Trailblazer

(I am amending the previous order, shown in the Kicks cargo test, that listed the CX-30 after the Trax. I did not account for the Edmunds duffle bag.)

Now, to answer the question of how many bags can fit under the cargo cover, just take away the Green Bag and Fancy Bag from the above photo. Of the vehicles in the segment I've tested with a cargo cover, only the Nissan Kicks and VW Taos have done better than this. Most are identical, including the Trax.

Sorry, hatchback fans, but the Mazda 3 hatchback is much worse despite the specs showing it down by only one-tenth of a cubic foot. I was unable to fit the Green Bag or the Fancy Bag. Oh, it might look like they'd fit, but the hatch would not close. I can, as you can see, still fit a duffle bag of comparable size. If anything, I would say this actually looks like 20 cubic feet and that the CX-30 has more than that in reality.

Now, I don't have a usable photo, but I have also tested the Mazda 3 sedan. As I explained in the Civic Hatchback cargo test, the cargo volume specs of hatchbacks and sedans are not comparable. This is another example. The Mazda 3 sedan specs say it has a 13.2-cubic-foot trunk, and yet, it can actually swallow all my bags. It's obviously not as useful for larger, bulkier items like a TV box, for example, but when it comes to luggage, your Mazda cargo-carrying order is CX-30, Mazda 3 sedan and Mazda 3 hatchback.