Subaru Forester Cargo Space — 34 cu ft and What Fits

Quick answer

The Subaru Forester has 34 cu ft of cargo space. In practice that is 5 checked suitcases, or 17 carry-ons, or about 27 supermarket bags. A folded pushchair fits. Against 22 cars with a similar-sized cabin it sits above the average of 27.9 cu ft.

What actually fits in a Forester

Cubic feet are an abstraction — 34 cu ft means nothing until you load it. Here is the same number in things people actually load, 5 checked cases or 17 carry-ons for the Subaru Forester, with a packing allowance — a boot is not a cube, and corners go to waste.

FIG.01·Subaru Forester — what fits in the boot
What you are loading	How many fit	Each item
Checked suitcases	5	27 × 21 × 14″ — 4.6 cu ft
Carry-on cases	17	22 × 14 × 9″ — 1.6 cu ft
Supermarket bags	27	about 1 cu ft each
Golf bags	5	full set, about 5 cu ft
Folded pushchair	Fits	about 6 cu ft

ROWS 5·SOURCE ForCar, computed from EPA cargo volume

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 Subaru Forester gives 23.9% of its 142 cu ft to luggage. The share below is the honest way to compare an estate with a coupé of the same footprint, and among 22 cars with a cabin within eight cubic feet of the Subaru Forester the boot averages 27.9 cu ft.

FIG.02·Subaru Forester — cabin versus cargo
Space	Volume	Share of total
Passenger cabin	108 cu ft	76.1%
Cargo area	34 cu ft	23.9%
Total interior	142 cu ft	100%

ROWS 3·SOURCE EPA interior volume

A typical split for a family car: room for people first, luggage second.

Against cars with a similar cabin

Compared with 22 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.

FIG.03·Subaru Forester against similar cars
Measure	This car	Similar cars	Difference
Cargo volume	34 cu ft	27.9 cu ft	+6.1 cu ft
In checked suitcases	5	4	+1

ROWS 2·SOURCE ForCar, computed across cars of similar cabin size

Cars with the same room

Closest matches by load volume with the seats folded — useful when the boot is the deciding factor and the badge is not. The Subaru Forester sits at 34 cu ft, so these are the cars that carry the same load.

FIG.04·Subaru Forester — cars with the same cargo room
Car	Load volume	vs Subaru Forester	Checked suitcases	Measured
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport	35 cu ft	+1 cu ft	6	2013
Kia Rondo	32 cu ft	-2 cu ft	5	2012
BMW 640i	31 cu ft	-3 cu ft	5	2019
Acura RDX	28 cu ft	-6 cu ft	4	2011
Hyundai Ioniq	27 cu ft	-7 cu ft	4	2022
BMW X1	27 cu ft	-7 cu ft	4	2022

ROWS 6·SOURCE EPA interior volume + ForCar

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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 — 5 checked cases for the Subaru Forester come out of its 34 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 Subaru Forester counts as 27.2 cu ft of usable space rather than 34. Suitcase sizes are the airline standards — 22 × 14 × 9″ for carry-on, 27 × 21 × 14″ for checked, so the Subaru Forester takes 17 of the small ones. Numbers are deliberately conservative; if we say four cases fit, four cases fit.

Everything on the Subaru Forester

Recalls121 campaigns Fuel economy35 mpg best Reliability4.0/5 Common problems6,480 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Used prices7,541 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car1998–2026

Frequently asked questions

How much cargo space does the Subaru Forester have?

34 cu ft behind the rear seats, plus 108 cu ft of passenger cabin.

How many suitcases fit in a Forester?

About 5 checked cases (27 × 21 × 14″) or 17 carry-ons, allowing for the fact that a boot is not a perfect cube.

Will a pushchair fit in a Forester?

Yes — a folded pushchair takes roughly 6 cu ft and this car has 34, so it fits with room for shopping.

Is that a lot for this size of car?

Compared with 22 cars of a similar cabin size, it is above the average of 27.9 cu ft.

Cargo and passenger volumes from EPA interior-volume records, measured 2017 for the Subaru Forester, seats up. Luggage capacity computed by ForCar at 80% usable volume against airline-standard case sizes. Last updated Sep 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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