Hatchback Trunk Space

"UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy" (smithtaylorm) 06/04/2019 at 08:37 • Filed to: None

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Lately I’ve been thinking about getting a cheaper to run/own DD, as I use the ST for fun about 5% of the time, and getting a new motorcycle to replace my Ninja For fun duty. Normally it wouldn’t be a big deal but with my new job, my commute has doubled and has switched from no traffic and highway to mostly city and stop/go. One thing I can’t do is lose trunk space as I use it often. The ST has 23 cu. ft, and 44 with seats down. One car high on the list is a Corolla  XSE hatch with 6 speed. But looking at the trunk space, it says 18 with seats up and 23 with seats down. Is that for real? What’s even the point of getting a hatch in this car? Even with the seats down it only matches my trunk with seats up, and that’s wild.

Rainbow > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 09:07

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Yo u want a hatchback with good trunk space? Get a Kia Soul. 24 with the seats up, 62 w ith them down. You can also get it manual or turbo. (but not both, sadly)

E90M3 > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 09:08

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Would that even be that much cheaper to run than the Focus? More to the point, would the savings even be worth it even if was slightly cheaper to run? 

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 09:09

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The trunk space in the Corolla hatch is weird. I don’t think it was designed to have a spare tire (and in many markets can be had without the spare) and as such the spare and the associated tools exist in a box that sits on top of the metal trunk floor. It takes up quite a bit of space and when combined with the cargo cover results in a rather small trunk space. Remove the cover and fold the seats (the box results in a flat floor with the seats folded) and it’s pretty roomy.

TL;DR: it wasn't designed for a spare tire and as such the spare tire goes in the trunk instead of under it, eating a ton of space.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 09:12

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I think my Mazda 3 sedan has a deeper trunk than the hatch. Look at the Impreza too, the sedan is like 8” longer than the hatch. I’ve also driven the focus hatch and thought it had inadequate trunk space.

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > E90M3 06/04/2019 at 09:14

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Yes, saves me about $400- $500 a month. With the motorcycle I still have my dedicated fun whip 

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 06/04/2019 at 09:15

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I completely forgot about the 3. I don’t know why 

someoneatacura > E90M3 06/04/2019 at 09:33

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Corolla XSE with the 6 speed is 7mpg better city highway, and wouldn’t need premium. That would add up pretty quickly.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > someoneatacura 06/04/2019 at 09:37

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Plus the insurance difference between a Corolla and an ST.

E90M3 > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 09:42

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That’s actually a significant savings, as doing the math on gas it only saves ~86 a month, assuming 16k miles per year regular costing $2.50/gal, premium costing $3.20/gal and the Focus getting 22 MPG and the Corolla getting 31 MPG. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 09:48

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The previous generation Mazda3 and focus shared a platform and some small bits, but the Mazda used a mazda engine and the interior is worlds better. I did some good highway driving last weekend and returned 31 mpg with a bike rack on the top. Average mpg for me is 25-27 and that is mostly driving around town.

E90M3 > someoneatacura 06/04/2019 at 09:50

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You would save about 1300 a year assuming that you drive 16,000 miles a year premium is $0.70 more per gallon and the Corolla gets 8 better city MPG. So it’s ~86 a month, and if you’re spending more all in, such as insurance and car payment, it’s not worth it. 

The Ghost of Oppo > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 06/04/2019 at 10:05

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Sedans tend to be longer than their hatchback counterpart, but the hatches still have more cargo space. The out going generation 3 hatchback has 20.2cu ft with the seats up vs 12.4 for the sedan.  

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > E90M3 06/04/2019 at 10:58

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Payment base difference is about $150, however I’m paying way above minimum for the ST, so that’s why it’s pretty significant. Also I’m due for tires soonish which is going to be $1100ish, which would easily be less on the corolla(just thinking general running cost) . Gas, insurance (it’s killer for the ST here) and payment all together is probably about $300 if I compare minimum to minimum. One avenue I haven’t gone to yet is that our local credit union is super awesome for financing and I am looking at a refi. If I were to refi my balance for a 48 month loan (I’m only a year into my current loan) I may just keep it. Again, I can’t seem to find a hatch I like with the space the ST has, the new 3 isn’t great either.

someoneatacura > E90M3 06/04/2019 at 10:58

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You’re forgetting that the Corolla won’t e ntic e as much spirited driving, and therefore real world fuel economy will be even better.

Yeah, I stand by that statement.

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > someoneatacura 06/04/2019 at 11:01

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Our spirited driving in NKY is fun but we rarely get the chance anymore with how busy we are. I also remember it being way more fun on the bike. I’ve gone WOT on the highway late at night a few times but that’s about it for the last 6 months.

E90M3 > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 11:04

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Ah, that makes more sense now. I guess it really all depends on how much you’d get for the ST and if it’d be worth getting rid of. Yeah you might save some money getting the Corolla, but it might as be insignificant enough where you might as well keep the ST.

It cost me $1100 to get a set of tires for the M3, what kind of tires are you buying? 

Pich, with Z32 now featuring Civic [Si] / No > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 11:08

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I have been in them in person, its even worse irl

you cant fit anything in th em

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > E90M3 06/04/2019 at 11:14

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It would be either Michelin PSS for the RS wheels (and run my all seasons on the snowflakes in winter) or Continental DWS06 on RS. Price and installation in the contis are about $1000 and the Michelin’s are about $1100-1200

E90M3 > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 11:26

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I don’t think they make the PSS anymore. I had to get PS4s when I got tires last  year.

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > E90M3 06/04/2019 at 11:41

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They don’t, I was originally going to match what’s on there currently because there’s two good 5K PSS on there. I’d probably end up doing PS4

E90M3 > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 11:42

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I’d just mix and match, as long as they’re not on the same axle it’ll be fine. 

Ash78, voting early and often > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 11:43

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No substitute for a side-by-side comparison if you can. Cubic footage is an ok stat, but the depth/height/width combination is far more useful, as well as the size/shape of the opening. Figure out how you need to use the space and it will help.

My brother is on his third GTI and part of the test drive process is always loading a couple guitar cases, a head, and a big speaker box in the back (or an entire drum kit).

This is something I love to do when comparing crossovers with wagons or hatches. Crossovers usually look better on paper, but the extra space is usually vertical, which is less stable and less useful.

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > Ash78, voting early and often 06/04/2019 at 11:45

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Can confirm, my ex got a CX3 and there was absolutely no usable space in it.

Ash78, voting early and often > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 11:48

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I still can’t believe there’s a market for the CX3 that wasn’t already covered by the CX5 (which has a decent, but still small trunk area)

gmctavish needs more space > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 12:01

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Toyota doesn’t know how to design a hatch with trunk space anymore. The Yaris has a tiny trunk with a really high load floor, and  the seats don’t even fold down flat. When you compare it to a Fit it’s just embarrassing.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 12:39

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Original Matrix/Vibe had like 24 with the seats up, 52 with the seats down. That and the original Mazda3 were properly shaped hatchbacks.

Textured Soy Protein > Ash78, voting early and often 06/04/2019 at 13:00

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The trunk in m y wife’s CX-5 is fine. It’s not as good as the CR-V but she liked driving the CX-5 more and we can work with the room just fine.

The CX-3 is laughably small in comparison. It’s right at the top of the list of tiniest, most useless subcompact CUVs. The HR-V on the other hand has plenty of room.

When Mazda announced the CX-30 to slot in between the CX-3 and CX-5, my immediate thought was the CX-30 should be the smallest Mazda CUV in the US and badged as CX-3, and the CX-3 should really be the CX-2 since it’s based on the 2. The CX-30 trunk looks...totally acceptable for its segment !

A pparently the CX-30 is coming to the US now , because we need all the CUVs.

SpeedSix > gmctavish needs more space 06/04/2019 at 16:20

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The Corolla Hatchback is the only new compact design moving towards a double-wishbone independent rear suspension. The new Focus, A-Class, and Mazda 3 use a much simpler torsion beam rear.

The double-wishbone IRS allows for finer suspension tuning, but uses lots of space. The torsion beam rear is extremely compact, and much less expensive , but cannot be fine-tuned as well as IRS.

SpeedSix > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 06/04/2019 at 16:25

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I’m late to this, but the Corolla hatchback has notably little trunk space because of the new double-wishbone independent rear suspension setup. Most other compacts, such as the new A-Class, new Focus, and new Mazda 3 are switching to a simpler torsion-beam rear.

The independent rear is easier to fine-tune for handling, but reduces cargo space. The torsion beam is lighter, less expensive and very compact, but usually less-refined than a similar IRS.

The old Matrix is also some 4 inches taller than the new Corolla hatch, which also has a steeply-raked rear.