One of the biggest concerns I’ve noticed from many Tesla Model 3 reservation holders is the Model 3’s trunk. Will it be big enough? Will it hold a stroller or bike? Will it safely house my full-sized LEGO Batman?
I was personally a bit concerned about it as well, for a couple of reasons — 1) everyone else seems concerned about it and 2) getting our stroller in and out of car trunks hasn’t been particularly easy (even with hatchbacks).
However, I also thought, “Wait a sec, we always had trunks growing up (in a 4-child family) and never seemed to have a problem. Is this really a big deal?”
In a bit of luck, I recently rented a Volvo S60 … with a traditional trunk. Furthermore, the trunk is rated at 12 cu. ft. Tesla has indicated that Model 3 cargo capacity will be 14 cu. ft. I’m assuming ~2 cu. ft. of that storage space is in the frunk, putting the rear trunk at ~12 cu. ft, which makes the Volvo S60’s trunk an exceptional comparison (I think).
When I opened up the Volvo S60’s trunk, I thought, “Oh shit, the stroller’s definitely not going to fit in here, and especially not with the ‘big suitcase’ and other bags.”
Apparently, my eyes and mind have spatial challenges when looking into a trunk. I went upstairs, brought down the funky stroller, broke it into two parts (as you have to do), folded those parts up, and slid them into the trunk. To my great surprise, they fit superbly if I put the two pieces in with the long sides parallel to the long side of the car (different from how I normally do it in a hatchback).
I still thought, “Well, there’s definitely not space for the ‘big suitcase’ next to the stroller. How are we going to handle this?” I went and got the suitcase and tried anyway — it fit! Snug as a cat in a top hat. I was honestly shocked. Looking at the trunk at the beginning, I almost broke into cold sweats. Our trip to the in-laws was going to start off with a disaster … it seemed. In the end, though, everything fit great — disaster averted (or, more accurately — “imagined disaster just a premature hallucination”).
Naturally, a prime thing I was thinking about all of this time was how things would work with the Model 3. I feel much more comfortable about the Model 3’s practicality now. In fact, thinking about taking the Model 3 on a long trip instead of the Model S, I’m even more excited since I really prefer smaller cars. The Model 3 isn’t a particularly small car (it’s a little longer than a BMW 4 Series — 430i Coupe — and a little wider than a BMW 5 Series — 530i Sedan), but the Model S is a landboat.
Granted, there’s still a tiny tingle of concern, and it’ll be there until I actually get a Model 3 to my home and stick our luggage, strollers, and such into the trunk, frunk, and perhaps passenger area. But I feel confident that our needs will be adequately met by the Tesla Model 3 if they were met by the Volvo S60.
When you look into a dark, cavernous trunk, it looks like a debilitating trick meant to inspire claustrophobia, but remember that wearing black makes you look skinnier, and the deep shadows of a trunk have a similar effect. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
For one more look at the numbers, if the Tesla Model 3 does have 14 cu.ft. of cargo capacity, consider how your needs may or may not be met by ~2 cu. ft. in the frunk, potentially a small storage area under the main floor of the trunk, and a fairly deep, dark, dreadnought-produced main storage area.
But, again, don’t stress unnecessarily. 🙂
Related:
- 30 Reasons Your Next Car Should Be Electric
- 20 Gasmobiles Tesla Model 3 Will Body Slam
- Tesla Model 3 vs BMW 2 Series, 3 Series, 4 Series, 5 Series, & i3
- Tesla Model 3 vs Audi A3, Audi A4, Audi A5, Audi S3
- Tesla Model 3 vs Lexus ES (& ES Hybrid), Lexus IS, Lexus GS (& GS Hybrid), & Lexus CT Hybrid
- Tesla Model 3 vs Acura ILX, Acura TLX, & Acura RLX
- Tesla Model 3 vs Mercedes 300, Mercedes 350e, Mercedes AMG
Images: Volvo S60 photos by me, first and third Tesla Model 3 photos via Elon Musk, second Model 3 photo a screenshot of YouTube video by TehBestGamer505.
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