10 Minivans With the Most Cargo Space

Minivans are incredible family cars. They have three rows of adult-friendly seats, they’re comfortable and easy to drive, and they tend to cost less than similarly sized SUVs and crossovers. 

They’re also great cargo haulers. When it’s time to carry as much stuff as possible, they’ve got you covered. Today, we’ll discuss the minivans with the most cargo space. We’ll cover the traditional minivans that most families buy, a couple of options that skew toward more commercial use, and a relatively spacious minivan alternative. 

The all-new 2022 Kia Carnival is the minivan with the most cargo space. It provides 40.2 cubic feet behind its third-row seats, 86.9 cubic feet behind its second row, and 145.1 with the third-row seat folded into the floor and the second-row seats removed from the van. 

Besides its cargo-hauling capability, the Carnival stands out for its upscale design, a quiet ride, and lots of features for the money. It’s priced from $32,190, and it’s packed with high-end options for less than $40,000 — in a segment where many vans can top $50,000. Steer clear of the top SX Prestige model for maximum cargo space, though, because its second-row seats aren’t removable.  

The 2021 Kia Sedona is the predecessor to the Kia Carnival, and if you still find one, it can be a way to get plenty of cargo space at a steep discount. It’s not as roomy as the Carnival, but it's still excellent by any other standard; it has 33.9 cubic feet of space behind the third row, 78.4 cubic feet behind the second row, and 142 cubic feet in total. The Sedona also lets you choose between collapsing the second-row seats against the front seats for greater convenience or removing them for the most possible space. 

Like the Carnival, the Sedona has an upscale design and a quiet ride. The biggest downside is that most models are missing advanced safety features like automatic emergency braking and a lane-departure warning, which are standard on the Carnival and other leading vans. Prices do start at a mere $30,400. 

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica comes up short of a few competitors in its cargo-carrying numbers, but it’s No. 1 when it comes to cargo flexibility. That’s thanks to the Stow ’n Go system, in which you can fold not only the van’s third row but also the second row into wells in the floor. That means you get maximum cargo space without needing to find a place to store the middle-row seats. 

By the numbers, the Pacifica provides 32.3 cubic feet of space behind the third-row seat, 87.5 cubic feet behind the second row, and a total of 140.5 cubic feet with both rows folded into the floor. It’s also a stylish, luxurious minivan — at least by minivan standards. And all-wheel drive is a newly available option. However, the Pacifica is on the pricey side, starting from $35,495. And those fold-into-the-floor seats aren’t as comfortable or adjustable as most competitors, while the top Pinnacle model loses second-row Stow ’n Go. 

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid costs less than the standard Pacifica when you factor in a $7,500 federal tax credit, yet it adds the capability to go an EPA-estimated 32 miles at a time using only electricity (at which point it gets an estimated 30 mpg with the gasoline engine). What could go wrong? 

Well, when cargo flexibility is a priority, there’s an issue: The Pacifica Hybrid lacks second-row Stow ’n Go. That means that while you can fold the third row into the floor, you have to remove the second-row seats for maximum cargo capacity. For many buyers, that’s worth it to get the only minivan that can travel significant distances using only electricity. 

There’s another version of the Pacifica that’s well-suited for bargain hunters: the 2021 Chrysler Voyager. That’s the new name for the Pacifica’s previous base trim levels, which lose second-row Stow ’n Go along with valuable safety technologies and minivan basics like power sliding doors and a power liftgate. 

The good news: The Voyager starts at just $27,860, a huge discount from other vans on the market. And you get the Pacifica’s same refined driving manners and modern styling. And you get the same ample cargo hold, even if you have to remove the second-row seats to make full use of it.

Another minivan with excellent cargo space is the 2022 Honda Odyssey: 32.8 cubic feet behind its third-row seat, 88.8 cubic feet with the third row folded down, and 144.9 cubic feet with the second-row seats removed. 

The Odyssey also stands out for comfortable eight-passenger seating and an excellent balance of poised handling yet a smooth ride. It also has a lower base price than its closest competitors — $32,090 — though that’s in part because it skips lots of standard features, such as a touchscreen infotainment system and power sliding doors. And a 2021 update also made it easier to fold and remove the second-row seats. 

The newly redesigned 2021 Toyota Sienna defies a couple of minivan conventions. First of all, it replaces the previous model’s gasoline-powered V6 engine with a four-cylinder gas-electric hybrid powertrain. That means it’s not as quick or quiet as before, but it gets incredible gas mileage: an EPA-estimated 36 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. 

The other change affects its cargo capacity: Toyota made it easier to collapse the second-row seats against the front seats to quickly and easily increase cargo space, but it took away the ability to remove the seats from the van. That means its total cargo capacity is a comparatively modest 101 cubic feet. You also get a more competitive 33.5 cubic feet of space behind the third-row seat and 75.2 cubic feet behind the second row, and the Super Long Slide second-row seats have an uncommon 25 inches of fore-aft travel to balance comfort and cargo space. Optional all-wheel drive is another nice perk. 

While you might assume Mercedes-Benz has made a luxury van, the Metris is actually a commercial vehicle that can be kitted out with eight seats for passenger duty. It’s a comfortable and solidly built commercial vehicle, though, as you’d expect for the $36,840 base price of its passenger version. 

Cargo capacity is exceptional for this size of vehicle, though. It’s a similar size to conventional family vans, but it has 38 cubic feet of cargo space behind its third-row seat and 97 cubic feet behind its second row. You can also get up to 199 cubic feet if you remove the second row, but it takes tools and muscle to do it; this isn’t a family car that’s meant for idiot-proof cargo flexibility. 

A more affordable, more user-friendly commercial van is the Ford Transit Connect. It’s not as roomy, but it lets you fold down the second- and third-row seats. And it handles with an unexpectedly delightful sporty flavor, while achieving an excellent EPA-estimated 26 mpg in mixed driving with its optional turbocharged four-cylinder engine. 

Cargo volume is relatively modest, maxing out at 25 cubic feet behind the third row, 60 cubic feet behind the second row, and 106 cubic feet in total. But that’s excellent for a vehicle that’s so small, economical, and easy to drive. It’s missing some minivan features, so you still won’t mistake it for an everyday minivan. But you’ll appreciate its base price of $27,920 for a passenger version. 

Since there are so few minivans available today, we’ll use the final slot of this article to highlight a minivan-like crossover. We’ve picked the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse, which is the roomiest SUV you can buy until you get to bulky, far more expensive models like Chevy’s own Tahoe. 

The Traverse has the style of an SUV, but it drives like a minivan: comfortable and unremarkable. It seats up to eight passengers and provides 23 cubic feet of cargo space behind its third row, 58 cubic feet behind its second row, and 98 cubic feet behind its third row. That’s significantly less than you’ll get in most vans, though maximizing its capacity takes just a few seconds of seat-folding — no fussing with bins or wrestling seats out of the vehicle. Some other roomy crossovers have a similar experience but a bit less room. Prices start at $33,700.