The 2025 Subaru Outback has up to 42.0 inches of cargo floor behind the rear seats, or 75.0 inches with the seats folded. For 2026, those figures rise to 42.8 and 75.9 inches. Both models have a listed 43.3 inches between the wheel housings. 2025 specifications · 2026 specifications
But floor space is only half the story. A dog crate can sit comfortably inside and still catch on the hatch as you load it. Before buying anything bulky, check three things: the space on the floor, the shape of the opening, and the room left when the hatch closes.
For U.S. models · Specifications checked September 7, 2026
Jump to: 2025 vs. 2026 dimensions · Seats folded · Hatch opening · Earlier years · Fit checks · How to measure · FAQs
Subaru Outback cargo dimensions in inches
Start with your model year. Pay particular attention to the two height rows: the space inside is taller than the opening you have to lift things through.
| Published measurement | 2025 Outback | 2026 Outback |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum floor length, rear seats up | 42.0 in | 42.8 in |
| Maximum floor length, rear seats down | 75.0 in | 75.9 in |
| Width between wheel housings | 43.3 in | 43.3 in |
| Cargo-area height | 32.1 in | 34.1 in |
| Lower hatch-opening width | 44.1 in | 44.0 in |
| Maximum hatch-opening width | 45.2 in | 44.3 in |
| Hatch-opening height | 29.5 in | 31.5 in |
| Liftover height, non-Wilderness trims, at curb weight | 28.4 in | 28.3 in |
| Liftover height, Wilderness, at curb weight | 29.2 in | 29.1 in |
Sources: Subaru product specification sheets, 2025, PDF page 13 and 2026, PDF page 15, hosted by a Subaru retailer. Values are listed across the trims shown, except where the table separates Wilderness. Inches are retained from the source; multiply by 2.54 for centimeters.
These numbers describe different parts of the cargo area, not one perfect box. A crate also has to get past the trim, clear the wheel housings, and sit behind the seatbacks. If a product matches a listed limit exactly, get a tape measure out before ordering it.
Cargo volume with seats up and down
The 2025 Outback provides 32.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 75.6 cubic feet with them folded. For 2026, Subaru lists 34.6 and 80.5 cubic feet, respectively. 2025 Subaru brochure · 2026 Subaru specifications
The bigger volume figure is useful when you’re comparing cars. It is much less useful when you’re trying to bring home a cabinet. Two spaces can hold the same number of cubic feet and still fit completely different objects.
Subaru Outback cargo dimensions with seats down
For a mattress or sleeping platform, start with the seats-down length. Then measure at the height where you plan to sleep. A platform raised above the wheel housings meets different trim and seatback clearances from a thin pad resting on the floor.
Not to scale. Arrows show where the published floor dimensions apply.
Leave the driver’s seat where you normally use it for your first measurement. You can check again with it moved forward for sleeping, but don’t confuse the two setups. You still need somewhere to put the mattress when it’s time to drive.
Run a straightedge over the join between the cargo floor and the folded seatbacks, too. A small rise that doesn’t matter under grocery bags can be uncomfortable under a thin sleeping mat. Check the slope and any gap before building a platform around it.
Trunk opening: the clearance that can decide whether it fits
Here’s an easy detail to miss: the 2026 opening is taller, but its listed maximum width is 0.9 inch narrower than the 2025 opening. More cargo volume doesn’t mean more clearance in every direction.
The hatch opening is not rectangular. Its maximum width and maximum height should not be combined into a guaranteed rectangular clearance.
Measure a crate at its widest point, including the latches. For furniture, include the legs and packaging. Then work backward: can you get it through the opening, settle it into position, and close the hatch? All three need to work.
The 2026 specification sheet also lists a 51.9-inch maximum internal cargo width. That wider point is not the wheel-housing gap or hatch-opening width. It should not be used by itself to select a mattress or justify a plywood fit. 2026 cargo-area specifications
2020–2025 and earlier Outback cargo space
Shopping for a used Outback? Check the year on the listing before using a cargo-space figure. The published numbers change, even between cars that look much the same.
| U.S. model year | Cargo volume, seats up | Cargo volume, seats folded | Manufacturer source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 35.5 cu ft | 73.3 cu ft | 2019 specifications |
| 2020 | 32.5 cu ft | 75.7 cu ft | 2020 specifications |
| 2021 | 32.5 cu ft | 75.7 cu ft | 2021 brochure |
| 2022 | 32.5 cu ft | 75.7 cu ft | 2022 brochure |
| 2023 | 32.6 cu ft | 75.6 cu ft | 2023 brochure |
| 2024 | 32.6 cu ft | 75.6 cu ft | 2024 brochure |
| 2025 | 32.6 cu ft | 75.6 cu ft | 2025 brochure |
For 2020 Subaru Outback cargo dimensions, the manufacturer’s sheet specifies a 42.0-inch load length with seatbacks raised, 75.0 inches folded, and 43.3 inches between wheel housings. Those match the corresponding 2025 figures, while the published volumes differ slightly. Keep each year’s source attached to its values rather than replacing them with a single range-wide estimate. 2020 specifications
The 2019 model is worth checking separately: its listed lengths are 41.8 inches with seatbacks raised and 77.7 inches folded. Don’t assume an older Outback has a shorter sleeping area. These figures still need checking against your front-seat position. 2019 specifications
For 2015–2018 or older vehicles, use that exact year’s specification and measure any critical clearance. This guide does not substitute 2019 dimensions for years it has not verified.
Will a mattress, dog crate, bike, or plywood fit?
Use these checks to rule out obvious mismatches before you buy. They’re based on dimensions, not hands-on tests of particular products.
Mattress or sleeping platform
Check the mattress’s actual inflated size, including any raised edges. A 54-inch-wide mattress is 10.7 inches wider than the 43.3-inch wheel-housing gap. It won’t sit there as a flat, uncompressed rectangle. Whether a flexible mattress can bend around the housings depends on that mattress; don’t buy it on the assumption that it will.
Length also needs margin. A mattress as long as the listed maximum floor length may still meet a seatback, curved hatch trim, or a gap that needs support. Check the full sleeping surface with the hatch closed before choosing a size.
Dog crate
Measure the crate’s exterior, including latches and handles. Its upper corners must clear the hatch and any reclining seatback. A floor-level length measurement can overstate the room available to a tall crate. Physical fit alone does not establish that a crate is suitable for vehicle restraint.
Bicycle
Decide whether you’re willing to remove a wheel before measuring. Turn the handlebars into the position you’ll use for loading and check the bike’s full outline. The awkward part may be getting the bars through the hatch, rather than finding enough room once the bike is inside.
A full 4×8 sheet of plywood
A nominal 4×8 sheet is 48 inches wide and 96 inches long. It cannot lie flat, lengthwise between the wheel housings with the hatch closed within the 2025 or 2026 dimensions listed here. This conclusion applies to that orientation; it is not a tested claim about diagonal loading. Do not treat an open-hatch arrangement as equivalent to enclosed cargo space.
How to measure your Outback before buying a large item
- Record the configuration. Note model year, trim, floor liner, sidewall protectors, and which seats must remain usable.
- Set the seats. Keep required passenger seats in their intended positions. Record any adjustment made only for loading or parked use.
- Measure the floor path. Check the length to the closed hatch and the narrowest width along the item’s full footprint.
- Measure at item height. Repeat the width and length checks where the top of a crate, furniture piece, or raised platform will sit.
- Check the entrance. Measure opening width and height at the points the object will cross. Account for curved corners and trim.
- Test with a template. A cardboard outline or lightweight mock-up can reveal a loading-path problem before you buy. Never force the liftgate closed against an object.
For a repeatable record, photograph the tape’s endpoints and note whether dimensions include a cargo mat. For loading and securing instructions, use the owner’s manual for your vehicle. Subaru owner’s information
Frequently asked questions
Does the Outback Wilderness have a larger cargo area?
The 2025 and 2026 tables above list the same cargo lengths, wheel-housing width, and volumes across the trims shown, including Wilderness. Liftover height differs. Check aftermarket liners and protectors separately; they are not additional usable space.
Are trunk dimensions the same as cargo space?
In everyday searches, “trunk” often means the Outback’s rear cargo area. For fitment, distinguish its linear dimensions from cargo volume. Width and height also change depending on where you measure.
Can I sleep in the back with the seats down?
The folded-seat floor length is a useful starting point, but comfort depends on your height, front-seat position, mattress, floor support, and desired clearance. Test a parked setup before buying a platform or mattress.
Does removing the cargo cover increase the floor length?
It does not change the floor’s physical length. Removing a cover may change the space available above the floor, so measure the height needed for your particular load.
Sources and measurement limits
SUVLook checked the linked U.S. manufacturer brochures and specification sheets on September 7, 2026. The 2025 and 2026 detailed sheets are retailer-hosted copies of Subaru product specifications. The historical table preserves the values printed for each cited year.
These are published specifications. SUVLook has not physically measured the vehicles or tested the example loads. For a close fit, check your own car with its liners and accessories installed. A few minutes with a tape measure is easier than returning a crate that won’t clear the hatch.
