EPA Vehicle Size Classes: Compact, Midsize, Large and More

The EPA sorts passenger cars into size classes by interior volume, and sorts trucks, vans and SUVs by gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). These classes are what you see in fueleconomy.gov and in our rankings when vehicles are grouped as compact, midsize, large, small SUV, standard pickup and so on. They are regulatory groupings for comparison, not a statement about quality.

Key takeaways

• Cars are classed by passenger plus cargo interior volume in cubic feet; trucks by GVWR in pounds.
• A model’s class is set by the EPA’s definitions, not by the automaker’s marketing name.
• The cutoffs have changed over time for some truck classes, so older and newer model years are not always grouped the same way.
• Vehicles above the weight limits are not rated at all; see why heavy-duty pickups are not EPA-rated.

Car classes by interior volume

According to fueleconomy.gov’s size class definitions, cars are grouped by interior volume:

Class	Interior volume (cubic feet)
Two-seaters	Any (designed to seat only two adults)
Minicompact	Under 85
Subcompact	85 to 99
Compact	100 to 109
Midsize	110 to 119
Large	120 or more

Station wagons use their own thresholds: small is under 130 cubic feet, midsize is 130 to 159 and large is 160 or more.

Trucks, vans and SUVs by weight rating

The EPA classifies trucks by GVWR, the maximum weight of the vehicle as specified by the manufacturer, including the vehicle plus fluids, passengers and cargo, according to the AFDC. The class tables give these cutoffs:

Class	GVWR (pounds)
Small pickup (from model year 2008)	Under 6,000
Standard pickup (from model year 2008)	6,000 to 8,500
Small SUV (from model year 2013)	Under 6,000
Standard SUV (from model year 2013)	6,000 to 9,999
Cargo vans and minivans	Under 8,500
Passenger vans (from model year 2011)	Under 10,000

Before those years, the thresholds differed. For pickups through model year 2007, small meant under 4,500 pounds and standard meant 4,500 to 8,500 pounds. For SUVs, the limit was under 8,500 pounds through 2010 and under 10,000 pounds in 2011 and 2012, and the small and standard split began in 2013. Special-purpose vehicles are a separate group with their own thresholds.

Why a class is not a choice

Because the class follows the EPA’s measurements, an automaker’s size label for a model can differ from its EPA class, and a vehicle can change classes when it is redesigned and its interior volume or weight rating changes. A “compact” in the EPA’s system also need not match other countries’ segment names. When Gallonly groups vehicles, it follows the EPA data for the model year in question.

Comparing within a class

Class-based comparisons are useful because vehicles of similar size face similar physics: a larger, heavier vehicle generally needs more energy to move. Comparing within a class avoids asking whether a large SUV and a subcompact car are efficient for their size. It does not say which one suits your needs. Rankings on this site are grouped by class so a comparison within a class is straightforward; see the rankings.

Reading a class on a vehicle page

Take the car table above. A car with 105 cubic feet of interior volume is a compact (100 to 109). One with 112 is a midsize (110 to 119), and one at exactly 120 is a large. The boundaries are sharp, so two cars that are almost identical inside can land in different classes by a cubic foot. For trucks, the same sharp edges apply to the GVWR: a pickup at 5,999 pounds is small and at 6,000 pounds is standard. Keep that in mind when a ranking within a class shows two close vehicles in different classes.

Minivans and cargo vans use a GVWR under 8,500 pounds, and passenger vans use under 10,000 pounds from model year 2011.

Where classes stop

Large pickups, vans and passenger vehicles above the weight limits are outside the fuel economy rules. fueleconomy.gov says that for heavy-duty pickups with GVWR over 8,500 pounds, cargo vans over 8,500 pounds and passenger vehicles such as SUVs and passenger vans at 10,000 pounds or more (from model year 2011), the vehicles are exempt from testing. The reasons and what applies instead are covered in why heavy-duty pickups are not EPA-rated. For how classes change over the years, see why model year ratings change.