The Tesla Model 3 has one feature that gives it an edge over other sedans

• The Tesla Model 3 is a sedan, not an SUV.
• A selling point of SUVs is cargo capacity.
• But the Tesla Model 3 has extra space that can add to its gear-hauling credibility.

In some respects, the new Tesla Model 3 sedan is the wrong car for the current SUV-mad market in the US.

Americans are buying lots of compact SUVs. In fact, some automakers now think that a structural change has occurred and that SUVs have completely displaced passenger cars. If you want to buy or lease, you can start with a small SUV and never look back.

Tesla plans to roll out a compact SUV, the Model Y, but until then, we have to content ourselves with the four-door.

The Model 3 has a conventional, manually operated trunk that is reasonably roomy. But compared with the cargo hatch of a compact SUV, the Model 3 looks a bit meager. That is until you get the Tesla's secret cargo weapon: the frunk!

Read on.

The Model 3! It's smaller than the Model S sedan, to be sure. But ...

It has a decent-sized trunk that could swallow up a lot of equipment.

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

And of course a front trunk, or "frunk."

The total cargo capacity for the Model 3 is 15 cubic feet.

Tesla's can have the extra space up front because all-electric cars don't have a engine under the hood.

Here's the rear cargo area of a Model S.

Matthew DeBord/Business Insider

And here's the frunk in the Model S.

Matthew DeBord/Business Insider

The Model S offers 30 cubic feet in total.

Moving right along, here's the rear cargo area of Model X SUV.

Matthew DeBord/BI

And the Model X frunk.

In total, a whopping 88 cubic feet of capacity for the Model X.

On paper, the Tesla Model X looks like it could handle as much as the Toyota Sienna minivan. But in practice, I don't think I could pack five kids' camp gear into the X.

Matthew DeBord/BI

Maxed out, with the third row down, the Sienna can offer 150 cubic feet.

Just to be clear, you can put all kinds of things in the cargo area of a conventional compact SUV. Nissan even let me borrow its "Rogue Dogue" concept model.

Matthew DeBord/BI

Read the review. The Rogue Dogue isn't a car you can buy — Nissan just did it as a car-show special.

Here's a BMW X1. There's more space back there, so for longer jaunts, the X1 beats the Model 3.

Matthew DeBord/BI

Total capacity is close to 30 cubic feet for the X1.

The bottom line is that for day-to-day use, the Model 3 can perform about the same as a compact SUV.

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

However, if you need to routinely strike out on long weekends with four or five passengers, the Model 3 would show the strain. 

That said, the fastback design is far more elegant and sporty that what you'd get in a compact SUV, with an upswinging hatch.