2023 Toyota Prius

According to its specs, the all-new 2023 Toyota Prius has perhaps 7 fewer cubic-feet of cargo space than its predecessor. That's theoretically significant, but honestly, who the hell cares? If losing all those cubes in any way resulted in the new Prius looking the way it does rather than the horror show that was the last generation, well, Autoblog Luggage Test HQ is more than happy to look the other way. I do suppose this is the one way the old Prius was better, which still makes for a ratio exponentially in favor of the 2023. I really can't underline enough how much better this car is, and for more reasons than just aesthetics.  But I'm here to talk about cargo capacity. On paper, the Prius LE has 23.8 cubic-feet of space, while the XLE and Limited have 20.3. That's roughly equivalent to a subcompact SUV, but the shape of its cargo area is quite obviously different and the amount of actual stuff you can carry is therefore likely to be different. The trunk space is longer and shallower, and is similar in theory to the Honda Civic Hatchback, which will soon be available as a Hybrid.  This test is of the Limited, so the smaller of the two versions.  No problem with loading this sucker, that's for sure. The hatchback makes for easy access.  You can also see the cargo cover. This is a similar unit as you'll find in the Lexus NX, which folds up neatly and can be placed on top of your bags should you need to. It cannot fit under the floor (more on that later). Now, although it's easy to store aboard, there's a very good chance you'd need to chuck it anyway. As such, I still tested with and without it.  As in every luggage test I do, that means two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D). Yikes. This would only be the four smallest bags, and even then, they're a bit squished. If the fancy bag and the black one second from the right were full, this might not work.  Now, again, I could've just removed the cargo cover and plopped it atop the bags, but I decided to keep it in place for two reasons ... First, the good news: The trunk will still close even if you exceed the cargo cover's height. That's a good thing. The cover can still protect your stuff from the sun and thieving eyes. Second, the bad news: This clearly illustrates just how limited in height the new Prius' cargo area is. Those are the smallest bags, remember. And let's take another look at …
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