The Kia Optima 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 227 cars with a similar-sized cabin it sits below the average of 17.6 cu ft.
What actually fits in a Optima
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 Kia Optima, 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 Kia Optima gives 13.1% of its 122 cu ft to luggage. The share below is the honest way to compare an estate with a coupé of the same footprint, and among 227 cars with a cabin within eight cubic feet of the Kia Optima the boot averages 17.6 cu ft.
| Space | Volume | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger cabin | 106 cu ft | |
| Cargo area | 16 cu ft | |
| Total interior | 122 cu ft |
Under 15% to luggage — the space went to passengers, not their bags.
Against cars with a similar cabin
Compared with 227 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 | 17.6 cu ft | -1.6 cu ft |
| In checked suitcases | 2 | 3 | -1 |
Cars with the same room
Closest matches by trunk volume — useful when the boot is the deciding factor and the badge is not. The Kia Optima sits at 16 cu ft, so these are the cars that carry the same load.
| Car | Trunk volume | vs Kia Optima | Checked suitcases | Measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz 300 | 0 cu ft | 2 | 2023 | |
| Toyota Avalon | 0 cu ft | 2 | 2022 | |
| Hyundai Azera | 0 cu ft | 2 | 2017 | |
| Kia Cadenza | 0 cu ft | 2 | 2020 | |
| Honda Clarity | 0 cu ft | 2 | 2021 | |
| Hyundai Equus | 0 cu ft | 2 | 2016 |
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 Kia Optima 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 Kia Optima 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 Kia Optima 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 Kia Optima have?
16 cu ft behind the rear seats, plus 106 cu ft of passenger cabin.
How many suitcases fit in a Optima?
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 Optima?
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 227 cars of a similar cabin size, it is below the average of 17.6 cu ft.
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