Trunk Fail: 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid

CARS.COM — It takes a lot of hardware to transform an ordinary family sedan such as the 2017 Honda Accord into a gasoline-electric hybrid, and that equipment takes up trunk space. It’s one of those you-can’t-have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too elements of buying a hybrid sedan and a sore spot that was especially tender after I took a weekend trip in the Accord Hybrid.

Related: 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid Expert Review

The Accord Hybrid’s trunk looks competitive on paper. Its 13.7 cubic feet of cargo space bests the Ford Fusion Hybrid‘s 12.0 cubic feet and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid‘s 13.3 cubic feet. In the real world, however, the Accord’s funkily shaped trunk with small shelf and oddly shaped corners doesn’t leave room for much. I carried a backpack with camera gear and a birthday present in addition to my typical weekend trip luggage of duffel bag, backpack and roller luggage (slightly bigger than a carry-on), which quickly reached the limits of the hybrid trunk space.

A few features beyond the trunk’s shape made carrying cargo annoying, especially its pair of trunk arms that dip into the main trunk instead of into their own compartment like in the Fusion Hybrid. I crushed the birthday present after overlooking that the arms would rotate into the trunk upon closing; luckily, the 1-year-old kid didn’t notice the crumpled bag. A folding backseat wouldn’t have helped me carry any more cargo, but it’s functionality that the competitors offer. Both the Fusion Hybrid and Sonata Hybrid have folding backseats even in hybrid form.

The Honda Accord Hybrid’s trunk seemed barely adequate for two people’s stuff on a long weekend trip and laughably small when I added a third person on one leg of the trip, whose luggage had to be stored in the backseat. While coming up short on trunk space, the Accord Hybrid certainly delivered on its promise of fuel economy during my trip, where 45-50 mpg was attainable while using the various economy and electric-only modes.