The Buick Electra has 16 cu ft of cargo space. In practice that is 2 checked suitcases, or 8 carry-ons, or about 12 supermarket bags. A folded pushchair fits. Against 97 cars with a similar-sized cabin it sits below the average of 16.8 cu ft.
What actually fits in a Electra
Cubic feet are an abstraction — 16 cu ft means nothing until you load it. Here is the same number in things people actually load, 2 checked cases or 8 carry-ons for the Buick Electra, with a packing allowance — a boot is not a cube, and corners go to waste.
| What you are loading | How many fit | Each item |
|---|---|---|
| Checked suitcases | 2 | 27 × 21 × 14″ — 4.6 cu ft |
| Carry-on cases | 8 | 22 × 14 × 9″ — 1.6 cu ft |
| Supermarket bags | 12 | about 1 cu ft each |
| Golf bags | 2 | full set, about 5 cu ft |
| Folded pushchair | Fits | about 6 cu ft |
Counts assume 80% usable volume: luggage does not tessellate, and a wheel arch eats the rest.
Cabin or boot — where the space went
Every car is a fixed envelope, and designers decide how to split it between people and things — the Buick Electra gives 12.4% of its 129 cu ft to luggage. The share below is the honest way to compare an estate with a coupé of the same footprint, and among 97 cars with a cabin within eight cubic feet of the Buick Electra the boot averages 16.8 cu ft.
| Space | Volume | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger cabin | 113 cu ft | |
| Cargo area | 16 cu ft | |
| Total interior | 129 cu ft |
Under 15% to luggage — the space went to passengers, not their bags.
Against cars with a similar cabin
Compared with 97 models whose passenger space is within eight cubic feet — a fairer group than marketing classes, which put an estate and a coupé in the same bracket.
| Measure | This car | Similar cars | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo volume | 16 cu ft | 16.8 cu ft | -0.8 cu ft |
| In checked suitcases | 2 | 2 | +0 |
Cars with the same room
Closest matches by trunk volume — useful when the boot is the deciding factor and the badge is not. The Buick Electra sits at 16 cu ft, so these are the cars that carry the same load.
| Car | Trunk volume | vs Buick Electra | Checked suitcases | Measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maserati 228 | 0 cu ft | 2 | 1990 | |
| Mercedes-Benz 600 | +1 cu ft | 2 | 1989 | |
| Chrysler FIFTH AVENUE | +1 cu ft | 2 | 1993 | |
| Chrysler Imperial | +1 cu ft | 2 | 1992 | |
| Dodge Monaco | +1 cu ft | 2 | 1992 | |
| Cadillac Brougham | +3 cu ft | 3 | 1992 |
Boot space is one number. Buying is a longer list.
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How we count
Cargo and passenger volumes come from EPA interior-volume records — the same figures manufacturers file for the window sticker, measured to a standard method rather than claimed in a brochure.
The luggage counts are ours — 2 checked cases for the Buick Electra come out of its 16 cu ft. We assume 80% usable volume, because a boot is not a cube: wheel arches, a sloping tailgate and the shape of the cases themselves waste the rest, which is why the Buick Electra counts as 12.8 cu ft of usable space rather than 16. Suitcase sizes are the airline standards — 22 × 14 × 9″ for carry-on, 27 × 21 × 14″ for checked, so the Buick Electra takes 8 of the small ones. Numbers are deliberately conservative; if we say four cases fit, four cases fit.
Frequently asked questions
How much cargo space does the Buick Electra have?
16 cu ft behind the rear seats, plus 113 cu ft of passenger cabin.
How many suitcases fit in a Electra?
About 2 checked cases (27 × 21 × 14″) or 8 carry-ons, allowing for the fact that a boot is not a perfect cube.
Will a pushchair fit in a Electra?
Yes — a folded pushchair takes roughly 6 cu ft and this car has 16, so it fits with room for shopping.
Is that a lot for this size of car?
Compared with 97 cars of a similar cabin size, it is below the average of 16.8 cu ft.
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