Boot space: how it's measured and how to check the space you can actually use

• In Europe, carmakers measure boot space using the VDA method set out in ISO 3832. The boot is filled with one-litre blocks measuring 20 × 10 × 5 cm. Measuring with liquid gives a higher figure that cannot be compared with the VDA value.
• Figures for the same car differ mainly because of where the measurement stops (up to the load cover or up to the roof), the position of sliding seats and the false floor, and whether the spare-wheel well is included.
• The same model can have a different boot depending on the powertrain. The pre-facelift Škoda Octavia Combi IV (from 2019) has 640 litres, but the iV plug-in hybrid only 490 litres.
• For a pushchair and large suitcases, the width between the wheel arches, the length of the boot floor and the size of the opening matter more than the litres alone.
• You will find the correct figure for a used car in the period brochure or the manufacturer's technical data for that generation, body style and powertrain. The figure in a listing often belongs to a different version.

Boot space is often one of the first filters when choosing a family car. But you don't load litres into a car – you load a pushchair, suitcases and sports kit. The brochure figure is therefore only a starting point; it is the shape of the space and how easy it is to reach that show what will really fit. With a used car, it also depends on the exact version and whether the original floor, load cover and other boot equipment are still in the car.

The VDA method: one-litre blocks instead of luggage

In Europe, boot space is usually quoted according to the VDA method described in ISO 3832. Rigid blocks measuring 20 × 10 × 5 cm are packed into the boot, and each one represents one litre. The number of blocks that fit gives the boot volume in litres. Škoda measures its models this way.

The process is a bit like playing Tetris. The small blocks fill nooks where a suitcase would never go. The result is useful for comparing cars, but it doesn't tell you how many large bags the car can take.

Measuring with liquid: a bigger number for the same space

Some figures are based on the volume a liquid would fill, or on a calculation of the entire interior space. That includes the gaps around the trim and small recesses where a one-litre block won't fit. The result tends to be higher than the VDA figure.

For a family, narrow gaps next to the trim are useless. If you don't know which method was used, don't assume that a higher number means a more practical boot.

Up to the load cover or up to the roof?

Besides the method, it matters where the measurement ends and how the seats are set.

For a family, the most important figure is the volume up to the load cover with the rear seats in the passenger position. The maximum with the seatbacks folded describes a different situation, such as moving house. How much boot is left when a seven-seater is fully occupied is covered in the article on the 7-seater car with a big boot.

A difference doesn't have to mean a mistake. According to ADAC, discrepancies arise mainly because sources choose a different measuring boundary, a different position for the adjustable parts and count the spare-wheel space differently. A sliding rear bench pushed all the way forward adds dozens of litres to the boot, but takes legroom away from rear passengers.

Equipment and powertrain bring further differences:

• A spare wheel takes up the underfloor well, which a car with a tyre repair kit offers for small items.
• A false floor in the upper position lines up with the folded seatbacks; in the lower position it gives the boot more height.
• Hybrid batteries and powertrain components reduce the space under the floor or raise the floor itself.
• A different body style means a different boot, even if the car carries the same name. The hatchback and estate versions of the same model differ by hundreds of litres.

Example: same generation and body style, different powertrain

A 150-litre difference is larger than the gap that often separates two different estates in the same class. A boot space figure should therefore always come with the generation, body style, powertrain and, where relevant, whether it applies to the version before or after the facelift.

A regular boot with straight sides takes more luggage than an irregular space with a higher brochure figure. An estate usually offers a long floor, an SUV more height. Specific models are compared in the articles on the best estate car and the family SUV with a big boot. On a body with a steeply raked tailgate, the angle of the rear window limits tall loads.

For family kit, these dimensions and features are what count:

Every load needs something different. A folded pushchair needs a long, wide, continuous surface. Hard suitcases make poor use of rounded corners. Soft bags adapt to the shape and fill the gaps between other items.

Treat the promise of a flat floor with the seats folded with similar caution. A flat surface often appears only with the false floor in the upper position, which in turn takes height away from the boot.

The most reliable source is the period brochure or the manufacturer's technical data for that generation, body style and powertrain. The owner's manual explains how to use the floor and seats, but it may not include a table of volumes for every version.

The figure in a listing is often taken from a database and may belong to a different engine or trim. The exact version of the car is revealed by a VIN-based specification. Only then does it make sense to look up the brochure volume.

Independent measurements, for example by ADAC, are useful for comparing several cars using one methodology. The result tends to be lower than the brochure figure, because the test centre measures differently. Only values measured under the same conditions belong in one comparison.

A test with your own kit is worthwhile mainly for a pushchair or other large item the family carries regularly. How the pushchair folds matters too: taking the wheels off before every shopping trip soon gets old.

During a viewing, a short routine is enough:

1. Set the rear seats for passengers. A sliding bench pushed all the way forward creates an impressive boot, but nobody can then sit in the back.
2. Put in the folded pushchair the way you normally carry it, including the carrycot or other parts.
3. Add your usual luggage. A pushchair that takes up the whole floor leaves little room for everything else.
4. Close the load cover and the tailgate. The load may get in the way of the cover or foul the tailgate as it closes.
5. Look under the floor. You will see whether there is a spare wheel, dividers and every part of the false floor.

If you are choosing a car remotely, simply measure the folded pushchair and compare it with the narrowest points of the boot: the width between the wheel arches, the floor length and the opening. Interior dimensions are no help if the item won't go through the opening.

Space that already has another job

An empty underfloor compartment looks tempting in a photo. In everyday use, though, it fills up with charging cables on a hybrid, tools or a first-aid kit. Only part of it is left for luggage.

Missing parts on a used car

A missing load cover, boot liner or false floor changes everyday usability. In a photo of an empty boot, you often can't tell they are missing. Without the false floor, you also won't get a flat surface when the seatbacks are folded.

Litres confused with kilograms

A big boot tells you how much fits into the car, not how much the loaded car may weigh. Passengers and luggage both have to fit within the weight limits. How to work them out and how to carry a roof box or bikes is covered in the article on taking the car on holiday.

Unsecured loads above the seatbacks

The space up to the roof is not a storage shelf. Items above the level of the seatbacks need a net or guard and tie-downs, otherwise they will fly into the cabin under hard braking. A roller load cover only hides what's in the boot; it won't hold back a heavy bag.

Finding a used car with the right body style, powertrain and a complete set of boot equipment is easier when there is plenty to choose from. Carvago has the widest selection of used cars, roughly a million cars from dealers in several European countries. A family doesn't have to take the first car just because its listing shows an attractive number. It can look for exactly the version it needs, for example an estate with a combustion engine rather than a plug-in hybrid with a smaller boot.

Every car is inspected by a technician before sale as part of CarAudit™, which has up to 270 checkpoints. The inspection covers the exterior and interior, technical components, diagnostics and a test drive. The customer knows the result before deciding to buy, and Carvago guarantees the condition of the car stated in the certificate.

Once the purchase is approved, Carvago uses a power of attorney to register the car in the customer's country, including all the paperwork, and delivers it to the customer's door as standard. The family loads the pushchair for the first time into a car it can drive away straight away.

Can you add up the front and rear boots of an electric car?

Yes, for an overview of total storage space. But the front boot is a separate, smaller compartment, most often used for charging cables and bags. For large luggage and a pushchair, look at the rear boot volume on its own.

Does an LPG conversion make the boot smaller?

Usually, yes. The LPG tank is typically ring-shaped and sits in the spare-wheel well. The main boot stays the same, but the underfloor space disappears and there is usually no spare wheel.

Does a boot organiser help make better use of the space?

It keeps small items in order and stops them sliding around, but it takes up part of the floor itself. For a pushchair and hard suitcases, a clear floor is more practical. An organiser is better suited to underfloor compartments or the side walls.

• https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/skoda-world/measuring-boot-space-a-process-a-bit-like-tetris/
• https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/autokatalog/autotest/kofferraumvolumen-vergleich-2026/
• https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/models/octavia/first-sketches-of-the-innovated-octavia-take-a-look/
• https://carvago.com/car-delivery
• https://carvago.com/caraudit
• https://carvago.com/how-carvago-works