Sedan trunk space is calculated differently than the cargo space in SUVs/hatchbacks/minivans. The official method to calculate sedan trunk space uses blocks to approximate suitcases or boxes, leaving a lot of empty space. For SUVs/hatchbacks/minivans, cargo space counts the whole volume of the cargo space. This means that sedan trunk size numbers will always significantly under-count their actual size by comparison. That’s happening in this video. A simple rule of thumb is that for real world comparison, you need to multiply the sedan’s trunk space by about 1.75 to get the equivalent cargo space in a hatchback/SUV/minivan. Looking at the Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback in the video, the sedan’s 13.2 cubic ft trunk would be equivalent to 13.2 X 1.75 = 23.1 cubic ft cargo space, which means the sedan’s 13.2 cubic ft trunk is actually larger than the hatchback’s 20.1 cubic ft cargo space in the real world. You can use suitcases or carry-on bags to demonstrate this. The Mazda 3 hatchback’s advantage is that its cargo space is more easily expanded when you drop the back seats, while the sedan’s cargo space expansion when you drop the back seats is more limited because the pass-through is still only at trunk height. So the hatchback can carry a larger box item. This is one of my pet peeves, because a lot of shoppers don’t realize that they have to make that mental multiplication adjustment and just assume that the numbers they are seeing mean the same thing, then they wonder why their new SUV or hatchback can’t carry as much as they thought it should. If anyone here is old enough to remember the big old New York Caprice Classic taxis from the 1990s, those were massive sedans that could easily carry the taxi driver, 5 passengers (because of the bench front seats), and all their suitcases to JFK for a one week family trip to Europe. That massive trunk was 20.4 cubic ft, on paper almost exactly the same size as the cargo space of the Mazda 3 hatchback’s cargo space (20.1 cubic ft) in this video. But in the real world, you could almost put half of an entire Mazda 3 hatchback in that big old taxi’s trunk. I’m only slightly exaggerating. 20.4 X 1.75 = 35.7 cubic ft, which is about the cargo space in an average family CUV like a Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV4 or Honda CRV.
The hatch "cargo volume" is measured differently than the sedan trunk per SAEJ1100 and can't be compared directly. This is just a dealership talking point. There is no standard for interior cargo space and Mazda can basically claim whatever they want. A video showing how many carry-on size suitcases fit in each car with seats up/down would be a lot more accurate. I guarantee the sedan would hold the same if not more in both situations. I've owned a 6 sedan, 3 sedan and a CX-5. Those trunks are longer than the hatch floors and hold a lot more than that number implies. That extra vertical space in the hatch is deceiving when you start loading real world cargo. Flexibility with larger items, hatch wins for sure, but don't believe that the sedan has 1/2 as much space. Go see for yourself.
Finally someone that understands that the numbers are BS talking points and don't exactly translate to the real world. This is especially true now that the new 'hatchback' is actually a 'liftback' and no longer has a squared rear end so you can't even fit tall items. I guarantee that for most big items that can fit in the Sedan trunk, you would need to fold down the rear seats in the Hatch to fit. A perfect real life example of mine is my Mazda 3 Sedan trunk is long enough to perfectly fit 2 XL Luggage bags lengthwise + 2 Carry-on without having to fold down the rear seats and still carry 4 Adults in the car. This would NOT be possible in the hatch because the cargo area is simply too short.
Hi Ronnie, is the m6 signifcantly more spacious in the driver seat compared to the m3? As in, more head space, easier getting in and out of the car? Im getting a mazda 3 but during a recent test drive, i find that i have barely any head space when sitting straight, and my head gets obstructed getting in and out of the car, and im only 178cm!
@@zScrotumify The front seat areas feel almost identical in the 3 and 6. The extra room in the 6 is all in the back seat and trunk. Either way, both cars have height adjustable drivers seats. I have more than enough headroom in both.
The sedan is more of a luxurious/ classy exterior, while the sportback has a more sporty and mean look. Sportback is surely will attract more younger generations.
Give me the sedan any day. The hatchback is ugly - and what causes the ugliness also creates one of the WORST REAR CORNER BLIND SPOTS found on any vehicle in recent years. Cool you say? Have at it.
I wanted a hatch untill I sat in it and saw the piss poor rear visibility, ended up going with a '21 Turbo Premium plus Sedan in silver, Sleeper spec if there ever was.
I like the sedan better for deeper trunk without lowering the back seats also it is annoying to not have where to store the cargo cover on the hatchback. I owned a hatchback car before the mazda 3 and many times I had to load it randomly when I was away from home and the cover is just a nightmare. In the sedan you fit in only what fits and that’s that also items generally tend to be longer instead of bulky so for me a longer trunk is better than a taller shorter one.
You mean Deeper ? Longer / Shorter is Horizontal Axis, while Deeper / Shallow is Vertical Axis >the cover is just a nightmare. Simple, just put it at your room / home. I know that it sacrify privacy but in term of practicality i would say hatch is quite versatile. The only disadvantage of hatch I could think of is when you store High hard item like a Wooden Table. You risk to break / crack the Rear Window in HatchBack Door somehow if you didn't close it gently / carefully. I think by reflex people will slam the rear hatch back door
@@UranusAnalyst On the horizontal axis the sedan has a longer boot, You get the advantage of having a full open trunk with the hatch as copared to the sedan but the boot overall is smaller. If they made the sedan have the boot open like on the Skoda Octavia or Superb it would have been perfect.
Thank you man for the video.....we really appreciate it....keep up the good work...this video is really helpful for buyers to see the boot space more in depth.....
Thank you you did a very good job good presentation and please put the back seats down on the sedan right away not later in the video so we can get a idea right away of the space and not be anxious that it was left out, but otherwise great presentation
YC RAO For the sedan, I would get the Machine Gray with White Leather in the premium. It won’t get any dirtier than any other light interior. Blue Jeans may be the worst on it, but cleaning it every so often will be easy.
I always thought that when the seats are up the cargo area of a sedan is bigger. But when the seats are down. The hatchback is more practical. So when you have 4 people with you on a trip maybe we he sedan is better. When you are with 2 or 3 than the hatch is the winner. But i gues i was wrong
Are those latches on the backseat of the hatchback or for child seat? I didn't see the same latches on the sedan version. I'm talking about the three things on the backside of the backseat on the hatchback.
@@JSS thanks for the fast reply! I would personally go for the one made in Japan. I live in the UK and have a mk3 Honda Jazz (Fit) made in Japan. I think the same generation in the US is made in Mexico. The Mazda 3 looks like a fantastic car!
Nice video. I am looking at CX5 but I think I may be able to skip the SUV with a 3i hatchback. Mainly I want to put a 29 inch wheel mt bike in the cargo space of a hatchback with the seats down. I think it could be done with the front wheel off my mountain bike. If you could, can you detail the length of cargo space with the seats down.
I am looking for the same thing but for the mazda 3 sedan. I just need to make sure the hole between the seating area and the trunk is wide enough for my bike: imgur.com/a/5nwMTZW
Cubic feet is about 20 for the cargo area of the hatchback. About 47 with back seats down. With regard to length of area I think you could put something in there about 5-1/2 feet long with back seats down. 6 feet long may be a smidge too far. This is from my research online. I have a 3 hatch in the garage if you need me to get out my measuring stick!
I’m not sure of bike sizes, but Joe is correct you have about 5.5 feet of length with seats down in the hatch. The hole created with the seats down is a little more than 3 feet. I hope this works for you Jeremy!
What don't you check CX-30? I have the same problem with the 29 mountain bike, but if you think about it would you put the dirty bike inside the brand new car on the way home? Maybe it's better to take the roof rails mount and choose the car which you like the most. Anyway I think CX-30 is the best choice for me if I can accept the plastic padding.
So with the rear seats up with the cover in place, the hatch has a smaller trunk then the sedan. Good to know. Thanks! BTW, please don't put pin stripes on your cars. Horrible flashbacks to the '90's!
The trunk of the hatchback is one of the worse trunks ever designed: just a void space without anything. No hooks for bags or elastic nets, no drawers or compartments for gloves, vests. Absolutely nothing. I hope they will invest/spend EUR 1 for the trunk in the next generation.
The sedan has a bigger trunk, if you leave the hatch's rear cover in place. Hatch's 20 cu. ft. measurement goes up to the roof, and it's shorter in length compared to the sedan's. I'm now doubting if the hatch's trunk will fit a medium-sized suitcase length-wise.
In europe In 1995 you had the Mazda 626 sedan and the Mazda 626 hatchback/liftback. The Mazda 626 lift back looked much and much nicer. With a much nicer shape. And also much more practical. But liftbacks are different than hatchbacks
Hei Jonathan Regarding the trunk volume are you sure those numbers are correct? According the Mazda 3 brochure the hatchback has 351 liters which is 12.39 cu ft while the sedan has 444l which which is 15.67 cu ft.
I like how the rear bumper cover on the sedan clearly doesn’t match on the soul red yet on the hatchback, the rear bumper cover matches much better. Guessing that sedan is Mexico built
I just got my 2019 3 hatch and my road bike does not fit with both wheels on, but it does with the front wheel off. I'm 6'1", so it may depend on bike size. Cargo space keeps shrinking each generation (my bike did fit with both wheels in a 2008 and 2018 3 hatch).
Sedan trunk space is calculated differently than the cargo space in SUVs/hatchbacks/minivans. The official method to calculate sedan trunk space uses blocks to approximate suitcases or boxes, leaving a lot of empty space. For SUVs/hatchbacks/minivans, cargo space counts the whole volume of the cargo space. This means that sedan trunk size numbers will always significantly under-count their actual size by comparison. That’s happening in this video.
A simple rule of thumb is that for real world comparison, you need to multiply the sedan’s trunk space by about 1.75 to get the equivalent cargo space in a hatchback/SUV/minivan.
Looking at the Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback in the video, the sedan’s 13.2 cubic ft trunk would be equivalent to 13.2 X 1.75 = 23.1 cubic ft cargo space, which means the sedan’s 13.2 cubic ft trunk is actually larger than the hatchback’s 20.1 cubic ft cargo space in the real world. You can use suitcases or carry-on bags to demonstrate this.
The Mazda 3 hatchback’s advantage is that its cargo space is more easily expanded when you drop the back seats, while the sedan’s cargo space expansion when you drop the back seats is more limited because the pass-through is still only at trunk height. So the hatchback can carry a larger box item.
This is one of my pet peeves, because a lot of shoppers don’t realize that they have to make that mental multiplication adjustment and just assume that the numbers they are seeing mean the same thing, then they wonder why their new SUV or hatchback can’t carry as much as they thought it should.
If anyone here is old enough to remember the big old New York Caprice Classic taxis from the 1990s, those were massive sedans that could easily carry the taxi driver, 5 passengers (because of the bench front seats), and all their suitcases to JFK for a one week family trip to Europe. That massive trunk was 20.4 cubic ft, on paper almost exactly the same size as the cargo space of the Mazda 3 hatchback’s cargo space (20.1 cubic ft) in this video. But in the real world, you could almost put half of an entire Mazda 3 hatchback in that big old taxi’s trunk. I’m only slightly exaggerating.
20.4 X 1.75 = 35.7 cubic ft, which is about the cargo space in an average family CUV like a Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV4 or Honda CRV.
I was looking all over for a video that truly showed trunk space with seats down.. thanks
Your Welcome! Let me know if you have any other questions.
The hatch "cargo volume" is measured differently than the sedan trunk per SAEJ1100 and can't be compared directly. This is just a dealership talking point. There is no standard for interior cargo space and Mazda can basically claim whatever they want. A video showing how many carry-on size suitcases fit in each car with seats up/down would be a lot more accurate. I guarantee the sedan would hold the same if not more in both situations. I've owned a 6 sedan, 3 sedan and a CX-5. Those trunks are longer than the hatch floors and hold a lot more than that number implies. That extra vertical space in the hatch is deceiving when you start loading real world cargo. Flexibility with larger items, hatch wins for sure, but don't believe that the sedan has 1/2 as much space. Go see for yourself.
Finally someone that understands that the numbers are BS talking points and don't exactly translate to the real world.
This is especially true now that the new 'hatchback' is actually a 'liftback' and no longer has a squared rear end so you can't even fit tall items.
I guarantee that for most big items that can fit in the Sedan trunk, you would need to fold down the rear seats in the Hatch to fit.
A perfect real life example of mine is my Mazda 3 Sedan trunk is long enough to perfectly fit 2 XL Luggage bags lengthwise + 2 Carry-on without having to fold down the rear seats and still carry 4 Adults in the car. This would NOT be possible in the hatch because the cargo area is simply too short.
Hi Ronnie, is the m6 signifcantly more spacious in the driver seat compared to the m3? As in, more head space, easier getting in and out of the car? Im getting a mazda 3 but during a recent test drive, i find that i have barely any head space when sitting straight, and my head gets obstructed getting in and out of the car, and im only 178cm!
@@zScrotumify The front seat areas feel almost identical in the 3 and 6. The extra room in the 6 is all in the back seat and trunk. Either way, both cars have height adjustable drivers seats. I have more than enough headroom in both.
The sedan is more of a luxurious/ classy exterior, while the sportback has a more sporty and mean look. Sportback is surely will attract more younger generations.
Give me the sedan any day. The hatchback is ugly - and what causes the ugliness also creates one of the WORST REAR CORNER BLIND SPOTS found on any vehicle in recent years. Cool you say? Have at it.
I wanted a hatch untill I sat in it and saw the piss poor rear visibility, ended up going with a '21 Turbo Premium plus Sedan in silver, Sleeper spec if there ever was.
I don’t usually comment but this is a great and pleasant review, very detailed and patience.
Thank you. I’m glad to help.
Hatchback all the way!
Yes! It’s sweet!
Nice car, but as always sedans just look better.
too bad we cant get the wagon here.
I like the sedan better for deeper trunk without lowering the back seats also it is annoying to not have where to store the cargo cover on the hatchback. I owned a hatchback car before the mazda 3 and many times I had to load it randomly when I was away from home and the cover is just a nightmare. In the sedan you fit in only what fits and that’s that also items generally tend to be longer instead of bulky so for me a longer trunk is better than a taller shorter one.
Yes, it’s frustrating to have that piece join you in one of the seats. I’ve heard of people leaving it before when they were carrying cargo.
@@JSS yeah, but if you need to carry cargo unexpectedly and you already left your home, you can't leave it anywhere, you are stuck with it.
I don't know why Mazda can't have a retractable cover for the hatchback.
You mean Deeper ? Longer / Shorter is Horizontal Axis, while Deeper / Shallow is Vertical Axis
>the cover is just a nightmare.
Simple, just put it at your room / home. I know that it sacrify privacy but in term of practicality i would say hatch is quite versatile.
The only disadvantage of hatch I could think of is when you store High hard item like a Wooden Table.
You risk to break / crack the Rear Window in HatchBack Door somehow if you didn't close it gently / carefully. I think by reflex people will slam the rear hatch back door
@@UranusAnalyst On the horizontal axis the sedan has a longer boot, You get the advantage of having a full open trunk with the hatch as copared to the sedan but the boot overall is smaller. If they made the sedan have the boot open like on the Skoda Octavia or Superb it would have been perfect.
Thank you man for the video.....we really appreciate it....keep up the good work...this video is really helpful for buyers to see the boot space more in depth.....
Thank you!
Thank you you did a very good job good presentation and please put the back seats down on the sedan right away not later in the video so we can get a idea right away of the space and not be anxious that it was left out, but otherwise great presentation
I'll focus on that next time. Thank you
@@JSS you seem like a very warm good sincere salesman if I have to buy a car I'd like to buy one from you!
@@Iambriangregory thank you Brian!
You are amazing. Needed this info badly
I’m glad I could help 😁
Lol but once you're actually driving the hatchback, its lack of visibility due to the c pillar...so i will go with sedan
Good choice!
@@JSS which color should i go for?
Blue or metal.grey?
Also i really want to get the white leather interior but it would get dirty very fast i guess?
YC RAO For the sedan, I would get the Machine Gray with White Leather in the premium. It won’t get any dirtier than any other light interior. Blue Jeans may be the worst on it, but cleaning it every so often will be easy.
I have the hatch and i don’t see a problem with it
I didn’t know this colour combo was available for the hatch. I thought the light coloured interiors only came in the sedan?
They have several options available for Premium and Preferred.
Great comparison. It might be an illusion, but it appears that the
hatchback's rear doors open more than the sedan's. ie more perpendicular to the car
I’ll have to double check that. I haven’t measured that specifically.
@@JSS Thanks! Also, a retractable cargo cover would make more sense.
I always thought that when the seats are up the cargo area of a sedan is bigger. But when the seats are down. The hatchback is more practical. So when you have 4 people with you on a trip maybe we he sedan is better. When you are with 2 or 3 than the hatch is the winner. But i gues i was wrong
Are those latches on the backseat of the hatchback or for child seat? I didn't see the same latches on the sedan version. I'm talking about the three things on the backside of the backseat on the hatchback.
How is the rear view with each? Which has better view? Cargo net would be nice on back left corner.
The sedan has the best visibility. The hatchback is something you have to get used to.
Is the sedan made in Mexico and the hatchback is made in Japan?
Yes, for our area that is the case.
@@JSS thanks for the fast reply! I would personally go for the one made in Japan. I live in the UK and have a mk3 Honda Jazz (Fit) made in Japan. I think the same generation in the US is made in Mexico. The Mazda 3 looks like a fantastic car!
In terms of performance are they the same pretty much? Like same or close 0-60s, braking, handling etc?
Can you fit a full size golf club with drivers in the hatchback without putting the seats down?
I don’t think you can. It’s not wide enough.
Do you lose headroom in the front as well or is it the same?
Nice video. I am looking at CX5 but I think I may be able to skip the SUV with a 3i hatchback. Mainly I want to put a 29 inch wheel mt bike in the cargo space of a hatchback with the seats down. I think it could be done with the front wheel off my mountain bike. If you could, can you detail the length of cargo space with the seats down.
I am looking for the same thing but for the mazda 3 sedan. I just need to make sure the hole between the seating area and the trunk is wide enough for my bike: imgur.com/a/5nwMTZW
Cubic feet is about 20 for the cargo area of the hatchback. About 47 with back seats down. With regard to length of area I think you could put something in there about 5-1/2 feet long with back seats down. 6 feet long may be a smidge too far. This is from my research online. I have a 3 hatch in the garage if you need me to get out my measuring stick!
I’m not sure of bike sizes, but Joe is correct you have about 5.5 feet of length with seats down in the hatch. The hole created with the seats down is a little more than 3 feet. I hope this works for you Jeremy!
What don't you check CX-30? I have the same problem with the 29 mountain bike, but if you think about it would you put the dirty bike inside the brand new car on the way home? Maybe it's better to take the roof rails mount and choose the car which you like the most. Anyway I think CX-30 is the best choice for me if I can accept the plastic padding.
Which one do you prefer? The hatch or the sedan?
I prefer the hatch for style, and the sedan for function and visibility.
I prefer the sedan for style and visibility.
Enough room for a lil mattress for late night sleeps
So with the rear seats up with the cover in place, the hatch has a smaller trunk then the sedan. Good to know. Thanks!
BTW, please don't put pin stripes on your cars. Horrible flashbacks to the '90's!
Hi Jonathan, Could you please comment on the legroom of rear seats please
Go to 7:47 - he mentions it there.
2022 0403. love it 1:35
Is there a difference in comfort when driving between this two vehicles?
I would say the ride is very similar, however the rear visibility is a lot better in the sedan.
1 video perfect and good
sedan=sexy hatchback=ugly
Sedan > Hunchback
The trunk of the hatchback is one of the worse trunks ever designed: just a void space without anything. No hooks for bags or elastic nets, no drawers or compartments for gloves, vests. Absolutely nothing. I hope they will invest/spend EUR 1 for the trunk in the next generation.
It could stand some updates
I'm thinking about buying one...just want to ask you which one have more space and comfort in the second row seat?
Thanks for this comparison! By assumption, I always thought the sedan would have bigger cargo space compared to the hatchback.
The sedan has a bigger trunk, if you leave the hatch's rear cover in place. Hatch's 20 cu. ft. measurement goes up to the roof, and it's shorter in length compared to the sedan's. I'm now doubting if the hatch's trunk will fit a medium-sized suitcase length-wise.
Depends, usually company either make a hatchback from a sedan by adding more vertical room or straight up removing the boot
In europe In 1995 you had the Mazda 626 sedan and the Mazda 626 hatchback/liftback. The Mazda 626 lift back looked much and much nicer. With a much nicer shape. And also much more practical. But liftbacks are different than hatchbacks
How far forward do the front seats have to be to lower the rear seats? Can you also remove the rear headrests? (I’m a tall person)
Just can't decide.. 😆😆😆 Both cars look good..
This demonstration would have been 10x better if you had suitcases to show the difference.
Hei Jonathan
Regarding the trunk volume are you sure those numbers are correct?
According the Mazda 3 brochure the hatchback has 351 liters which is 12.39 cu ft while the sedan has 444l which which is 15.67 cu ft.
The MazdaUSA site has Sedan at 13.2 cubic ft and hatch at 20.1. I haven’t measured them myself.
Please speak normal language and use metric system...
🤣 I’ll try to update this video and use metric. I’m not sure if I can do anything about my language 😬
@JSS I meant to say, normal language is the metric system, hahaha
Question : Doesn't the hatchback have a "double" trunk (under panel) ?
BRUH
I like how the rear bumper cover on the sedan clearly doesn’t match on the soul red yet on the hatchback, the rear bumper cover matches much better. Guessing that sedan is Mexico built
Can you fit a road bike in the hatchback without taking the wheels off?
I’ll have to try that one and see for sure.
Yes you can, is a little trickier but possible. I've done it on mine. But I would recommend you to better use a bike rack
I just got my 2019 3 hatch and my road bike does not fit with both wheels on, but it does with the front wheel off. I'm 6'1", so it may depend on bike size. Cargo space keeps shrinking each generation (my bike did fit with both wheels in a 2008 and 2018 3 hatch).
Hi, do you think it's possible to fit, say, a washing machine in the hatchback's trunks with seats down?
I doubt it.