Measurements
Cargo dimensions.
SK (5th generation, SGP), U.S. market, 2019–2024 model years; dimensions checked against 2021 model-year sources.
| Layout | Length | Width | Height | Opening W | Opening H | Volume (published) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All seats upright (behind 2nd row) | ≈35.7"Estimated | ≈43.2"Approximate | ≈31"Approximate | ≈51.3"Estimated | ≈35"Estimated | 31.1 cu ft |
| 2nd row folded | ≈70.3"Estimated | ≈43.2"Approximate | ≈35"Approximate | ≈51.3"Estimated | ≈35"Estimated | – |
| Rear seat areaPassenger space, low confidence | ≈31.5"Estimated | ≈51.2"Estimated | ≈37.4"Estimated | ≈37.4"Estimated | ≈41.3"Estimated | – |
≈ marks an estimated or approximate value. Opening sizes are the catalog figures before the calculator's 5% safety allowance.
Not modeled yet
- Folding only part of a split rear seat — the calculator checks the rear seats fully upright or fully folded.
- Storage outside the rear cargo area, such as a front trunk or an underfloor bin — not part of the fit check.
How the calculator checks a fit
- The opening check and the interior check run independently: an item must clear the opening with one face and fit inside the modeled space.
- The solver takes a 5% safety allowance off the opening. The opening sizes shown above are the catalog figures before that allowance.
- Tilted placements inside the cargo space are checked in 3D. The loading path is not simulated: turning after entry, angling through the opening, wheel wells, roof taper and the seat-fold step are not modeled.
Sources recorded for these dimensions
What fits
What fits in a Subaru Forester?
Each result below is computed by the same solver as the calculator, against the layouts in the table above.
Measure smart
What to measure.
Four numbers decide nearly every fit check. Get these right and the rest follows.
- 01The opening width and height of the trunk or liftgate, not just the total volume, since the opening is what an item has to pass through.
- 02The load-floor length behind the rear seats, then again with the seats folded.
- 03The height available under the roofline or parcel shelf, measured at the lowest point.
- 04Your item at its widest point, including feet, handles, and packaging.
Don't make these
Common mistakes.
Most “it didn't fit” stories trace back to one of these oversights.
- ⚠Trusting the cubic-foot figure and assuming a wide item will fit, when the opening is narrower than the item.
- ⚠Measuring the cargo floor but forgetting the roofline tapers toward the opening.
- ⚠Ignoring that a full-size spare, subwoofer, or hybrid battery eats into the quoted volume.
- ⚠Folding only one seat when the long item needs the full flat load floor.
Frequently asked
Questions we keep getting.
What are the Subaru Forester cargo dimensions?
For the SK (5th generation, SGP), U.S. market, 2019–2024 model years, ItemFits models two cargo layouts. All seats upright (behind 2nd row): a floor about 35.7 in long (estimated) and 43.2 in wide (approximate); Subaru publishes 31.1 cu ft for this layout. 2nd row folded: about 70.3 in long (estimated). Cargo height (about 35 in) and the liftgate opening (about 51.3 × 35 in) are estimates.
01Which Forester model years does this cover?
SK (5th generation, SGP), U.S. market, 2019–2024 model years. The dimensions were checked against 2021 model-year sources; a result for a 2022–2024 model is labeled as not separately verified. The 2014–2018 Forester is a different generation; the calculator uses that generation's own catalog dimensions for those model years, so its results can differ from the figures on this page. Foresters built after 2024 are a newer generation we don't have dimensions for, so the calculator labels any result for those years as an approximation based on the 2019–2024 model.
02How does the calculator decide whether something fits?
It runs two independent checks: whether one face of the item clears the liftgate opening (with a 5% safety allowance taken off the opening), and whether the item fits inside the cargo space, including tilted placements. It does not simulate the loading path itself — turning the item once inside, angling it through the opening, wheel wells, roof taper, or the step where the seats fold — so treat a close result as a reason to measure.
03
Go deeper