Honda Pilot Cargo Test: Bigger or Smaller Than Competitors?
What Car Shoppers Need to Know
- The Honda Pilot’s cargo area measures 11 cubic feet behind the third row.
- There are 22.1 cubic feet with the third row folded, according to Cars.com’s measurements.
- Both figures lag behind most competitors, by a significant margin in many cases.
Numbers make all the difference for buyers of three-row SUVs: number of seat belts, second- and third-row head- and legroom, and cargo volume. In other words, how many kids can you haul, how old or how tall can those kids be, and how much stuff they can bring with them?
Related: Mild Refresh Makes Already-Good 2026 Honda Pilot Mildly Better: Quick Spin
The Honda Pilot is among the bestselling three-row SUVs, battling it out with relative newcomers such as the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride and Toyota Grand Highlander. But as we discovered in our review of the current-generation model when it was new, the Pilot’s rear quarters are relatively cramped — for both people and cargo.
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Shop the 2026 Honda Pilot near you
Cargo volumes listed below are measured by Cars.com staff according to our exclusive methodology. We developed our procedure to compare real-world cargo capacity better between brands, as manufacturer methods often result in disparate figures that create misleading comparisons. You can read more about how we measure cargo space here; to see how the current-generation Honda Pilot stacks up against the competition, check out the table below. To see how it stacks up against other models, check out our full list of measurements here.
Mid- and Full-Size 3-Row SUV Cargo Space Comparison
| Make, Model | Model Year, Trim Level Tested | Space Behind Second Row (Cubic Feet) | Space Behind Third Row (Cubic Feet) |
| Volkswagen Atlas | 2024 SEL Premium R-Line AWD | 28.5 | 13.3 |
| Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid | 2024 Limited | 26.0 | 14.5 |
| Rivian R1S | 2024 Performance Dual Max | 25.7 + 6.0† | 12.6 |
| Hyundai Palisade | 2024 Calligraphy Night Edition AWD | 24.9 | 11.2 |
| Kia Telluride | 2024 SX-Prestige X-Line AWD | 24.4 | 12.3 |
| Kia EV9 | 2024 Land | 23.4 + 0.7† | 10.4 |
| Mazda CX-90 | 2024 Turbo Premium Plus | 23.1 | 8.4 |
| Lexus GX | 2024 GX 550 Premium | 23.0 | 4.8 |
| Honda Pilot | 2023 TrailSport | 23.0 | 11.5 |
| Nissan Pathfinder | 2024 Platinum AWD | 23.0 | 9.1 |
| Subaru Ascent | 2024 Touring AWD | 22.5 | 9.6 |
| Lincoln Aviator | 2025 Black Label | 22.5 | 11.0 |
| Honda Pilot | 2023 Elite AWD | 22.1 | 11.0 |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 2024 Calligraphy | 20.9 | 7.2 |
†Volume measured in front trunks (frunks)
Read More About the Honda Pilot on Cars.com:
- 2026 Honda Pilot: Advanced Screening, Minor Updates
- 2023 Honda Pilot Review: Flying Straight and Level
- How Much Is the 2026 Honda Pilot?
- Every Honda Cash-Back Offer Right Now
- Research the Honda Pilot
- Add Cars.com as a Preferred Source on Google
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