R2 Buyers Measured the Cargo and Found More Space Than Model Y, But the 29-Inch Hatch Opening Excludes Large Dog Crates.

What You Need to Know

• Rivian officially lists the R2 at 28.7 cu ft behind the second row and 79.4 cu ft with seats folded.
• A forum user measured the real cargo area at approximately 41" wide, 36.5" deep, with a 29" hatch opening.
• The 29-inch hatch opening excludes most large dog crates, including standard German Shepherd travel kennels.
• The 5.2-cubic-foot frunk is larger than the Tesla Model Y's 4.1 cu ft and dwarfs the Hyundai Ioniq 5's 0.85 cu ft.
• Rivian's roll-down rear glass extends usable length for skis and surfboards, but only if the hatch can close.
• Total enclosed storage of 90.1 cu ft beats the Model Y's approximately 76 cu ft on paper.

The numbers look impressive on paper. Rivian's official spec sheet lists the R2 at 28.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, expanding to 79.4 cubic feet when the rear seats fold flat. Add the 5.2-cubic-foot front trunk and the under-floor sub-trunk, and total enclosed storage reaches 90.1 cubic feet, nearly 20 percent more than a Tesla Model Y's approximately 76 cubic feet.

But cubic feet are abstract. Inches are real. And a pair of forum users who brought tape measures to Rivian preview events found a disconnect between the volume figures and the actual geometry of the cargo bay.

CODogMom, a Colorado-based Rivian reservation holder who posted measurements in a Rivian Forums thread that now has over 3,100 views and 14 replies, found the cargo area width between wheel wells to be approximately 41 inches. The depth to the back of the upright second-row seats measured roughly 36.5 inches. The ceiling height inside the cargo area is about 31 inches. Those numbers suggest generous interior volume, until you look at how cargo actually gets inside.

The hatch opening, measured at its lowest and narrowest point, is approximately 29 inches. That single dimension matters more than all the cubic feet combined.

Maryclover, a Chicago-area buyer who attended the 2025 Chicago Auto Show with a tape measure and a specific mission, confirmed the concern. "I have dogs (lots of them) and wanted to make sure my crate/containment setup would work in the smaller R2," she wrote in a February 2025 forum post. A Rivian supervisor helped her measure the prototype's cargo area at 44 inches wide (ledge to ledge) and 40 inches deep. The back seat, door handle to door handle, spanned 51.5 inches.

For most daily cargo, groceries, luggage, camping chairs, and a stroller, those dimensions are more than adequate. Rivian claims the R2 can fit five suitcases, three backpacks, and a stroller simultaneously, and there's no reason to doubt that based on the volume figures. The 5.2-cubic-foot frunk, which measures roughly 52 inches wide by 18 inches long by 12 inches deep, adds a genuinely useful separate compartment for muddy boots, wet gear, or items you want to keep away from the main cabin. That frunk volume beats the Tesla Model Y's 4.1 cubic feet and absolutely dwarfs the Hyundai Ioniq 5's tiny 0.85-cubic-foot front trunk, which is barely large enough for a charging cable and a small handbag.

The problem emerges when you start loading things that are rigid and tall. A standard German Shepherd travel crate measures 36 to 40 inches in length and 25 to 27 inches in height. The R2's 41-inch interior width could accommodate the length. The 31-inch ceiling could handle the height. But the 29-inch hatch opening, with its lower lip cutting into usable entry height, excludes the most popular travel crate sizes for America's favorite breed.

One forum user who measured the space specifically for his German Shepherd wrote that he couldn't find any crate that would fit through the opening. The cargo area itself is generous. Getting cargo into it is the bottleneck.

This isn't a Rivian-specific failure, but it is a Rivian-specific problem. EV designers across the industry prioritize aerodynamic efficiency to maximize range, and that priority inevitably produces sloped rear hatches with tight openings. The Tesla Model Y, the Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 all make similar tradeoffs. But Rivian markets itself as the adventure brand, the company for hikers, campers, and dog owners. A 29-inch cargo opening that can't accommodate a large dog crate undermines that identity in a way that spec sheets never capture.

TorqueNews previously reported that a 6-Foot Rivian Fan Was Taller Than the R2's Roofline but Still Shocked How Roomy It Felt Inside at an early preview event, and the interior passenger space genuinely impresses. But passenger room and cargo practicality are different engineering challenges, and the R2's hatch design favors the former.

The competitor comparison puts Rivian's cargo story in sharper focus. The Tesla Model Y offers 30.2 cubic feet behind the second row, slightly more than the R2's 28.7, but only 76.2 cubic feet total. The Model Y's hatch opening is approximately 27 to 29 inches at its narrowest point, putting it in the same ballpark as the R2. The Ford Mustang Mach-E delivers 29.7 cubic feet behind the second row, but just 59.7 cubic feet total, trailing the R2 by nearly 20 cubic feet. The Mach-E's frunk ranges from 4.7 cubic feet on early models to just 2.6 on newer ones, making Rivian's consistent 5.2-cubic-foot front storage a genuine advantage. The Hyundai Ioniq 5, meanwhile, offers 26.3 cubic feet behind the second row and 58.5 cubic feet total, competitive in the segment but well behind Rivian's volume figures.

Where Rivian pulls ahead is in the details that don't show up on comparison charts. The roll-down rear glass, standard on Performance and Premium trims, effectively extends the cargo area's usable length for long items like skis, surfboards, and lumber. Rivian's head of design, Jeff Hammoud, noted at the SXSW 2026 reveal that a 95th-percentile male, roughly six-foot-two, can stretch out full length inside with the rear seats folded, turning the R2 into a genuine car-camping platform. One forum user calculated that with the seats down and the rear glass rolled down, the total length from the back of the front seat to the tailgate reaches approximately 75 inches, long enough, in theory, to transport a sheet of plywood if the width works.

But that theory ran into the same geometry problem. A standard plywood sheet is 48 inches wide. The R2's 41-inch interior width between wheel wells can't accommodate it. The 44-inch ledge-to-ledge measurement Maryclover recorded offers slightly more hope, but even that falls short of the 48-inch threshold.

The camping angle is where Rivian's cargo story gets genuinely interesting. With both front and second-row seats folding completely flat, the R2 creates a level sleeping surface that the Model Y and Mach-E can't match. Tesla's Model Y folds only the second row. Ford's Mach-E offers a flat floor but lacks the front-seat fold-flat feature. For buyers who plan to sleep in their vehicle on road trips, that Rivian-specific flexibility could be the deciding factor, and it aligns with the adventure-brand positioning in a way that cubic-foot comparisons never could.

Rivian also offers something none of its EV competitors have: the Rivian Treehouse. The company displayed a rendering of a canvas rooftop tent housed in a polymer shell at the R2 reveal, designed to mount on a roof rack and turn the R2 into a mobile base camp. Combined with the rear hatch's drop-down glass and the fold-flat seats, the R2 starts to look less like a compact SUV and more like an adventure platform that happens to have four wheels.

For buyers who don't own large dogs or transport plywood, the 29-inch hatch opening may never matter. A Costco run, a weekend ski trip, a stroller, and a diaper bag all fit comfortably within the R2's cargo envelope. The 5.2-cubic-foot frunk is large enough for a carry-on suitcase and a backpack, or for keeping muddy hiking boots separate from clean gear. The under-floor sub-trunk adds another 4.6 cubic feet of hidden storage. The dual gloveboxes, a direct response to R1 owner complaints, keep small items organized.

But for the buyers Rivian is explicitly trying to attract, the dog owners, the campers, the outdoor enthusiasts who need their vehicle to work as hard as they do, the hatch opening is a silent filter. It doesn't appear on spec sheets. It doesn't show up in marketing materials. It only reveals itself when you try to load a crate, a cooler, or a piece of gear that you assumed would fit.

That disconnect between volume and usability is common in the EV world. The Hyundai Ioniq 5's 27.2 cubic feet of cargo space sounds competitive, but its hatch opening and sloped roofline make loading bulky items frustrating. The Ford Mustang Mach-E's sporty profile cuts into vertical cargo height despite its nearly 30 cubic feet of volume. The Tesla Model Y's 76.2 cubic feet of maximum cargo space is class-leading on paper, but its continuous glass roof and sloped hatch create similar loading constraints.

What makes the R2's case interesting is the gap between Rivian's marketing and the physical reality. The company claims the R2 can haul "a family's worth of gear" and advertises the vehicle specifically to outdoor enthusiasts. Yet the 29-inch hatch opening, confirmed by two independent measurements from two different preview events, suggests that some of that gear won't fit through the door.

The frunk is where Rivian's cargo story shines brightest. At 5.2 cubic feet with dimensions of roughly 52 by 18 by 12 inches, it's the largest in the compact-to-midsize EV segment. Automotive content creator JoshWest247, who got hands-on with the R2 at SXSW 2026, noted that Rivian's design team intentionally kept the front end taller than strictly necessary to maximize that storage space. "Whether you're a weekend warrior or you're out in the woods or just hauling stuff through the city, we've got a huge amount of additional storage space here," he reported. The frunk's rectangular shape makes it more practical than the Model Y's narrower, deeper compartment, and its hands-free opening, a feature the Mach-E lacks, adds everyday convenience.

For prospective buyers, the cargo question comes down to a simple test: measure the tallest and widest item you plan to carry regularly, then compare it to that 29-inch hatch opening. If you transport a large dog crate, a bulky cooler, or oversized camping gear, the R2's volume advantage may not translate to real-world usability. If your cargo is soft-sided luggage, groceries, and weekend bags, the R2's 90.1 cubic feet of total storage, plus the largest frunk in the segment, makes it one of the most practical EVs on the market.

The R2 isn't a cargo disappointment. It's a cargo contradiction, enormous volume behind a surprisingly small door. And for buyers who discover that contradiction after they've already signed the paperwork, it could be the detail that turns excitement into regret.

Rivian's reservation numbers suggest most buyers aren't thinking about inches yet. Rivian Sales Staff Revealed "Over 200,000 R2 Reservations Are In Our System" after one buyer's R1S test drive, a figure that signals genuine market demand. But demand doesn't guarantee satisfaction, and the buyers who need their R2 to carry large, rigid cargo may find that the numbers on the window sticker tell only part of the story.

The advice from owners who have already done the measuring is straightforward: bring your gear to a Rivian Block Party event before you commit. The 29-inch opening isn't a flaw if you don't need to fit anything larger through it. But if you do, no amount of cubic feet will fix geometry.

Image Sources: Rivian Media Center

About The Author

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia, covering sports cars, luxury vehicles, and performance culture. His reporting focuses on explaining the engineering, design philosophy, and real-world ownership experience behind modern vehicles.

Noah has been immersed in the automotive world since his early teens, attending industry events and following the enthusiast communities that shape how cars are built and driven today. His work blends industry insight with enthusiastic storytelling, helping readers understand not just what a car is, but why it matters.

Noah is also a member of the Southeast Automotive Media Association (SAMA), a professional organization for automotive journalists and industry media in the Southeast. 

His coverage regularly explores sports cars, luxury vehicles, and performance-driven segments of the automotive industry, including the evolving culture surrounding Formula Drift and enthusiast builds.

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