10 Cars That Still Have Gloveboxes Too Small for Manuals

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Cars That Still Have Gloveboxes Too Small for Manuals
Cars That Still Have Gloveboxes Too Small for Manuals

You know what’s dumb? Buying a car with all the latest tech—touchscreens, auto-parking, even fart-mode in some cases—but the glovebox? Too small for the dang manual. It’s like spending $30K+ and realizing your glovebox was designed for a single protein bar and some napkins.

And no, it’s not just sports cars or EVs that have this problem. It’s oddly common across all types—sedans, SUVs, luxury rides, even stuff you’d expect better from.

Car manuals aren’t short either—some are mini encyclopedias. But manufacturers still treat gloveboxes like an afterthought. It’s annoying when you open the box looking for info on a blinking light, and instead, you’re playing Jenga with registration papers, tissues, and that one pen that always leaks.

So, we’re calling out 10 cars that, in 2025, still have gloveboxes so embarrassingly small they can’t even hold their manual. Why is this still a thing?

Who thought it made sense to shrink the one compartment named after storage? Let’s get into the list and expose these underperforming cubbyholes.

1. Toyota Prius

The Prius—king of efficiency, queen of eco-bragging—drops the ball hard with its glovebox. This hybrid warrior has two compartments: an upper and a lower. Sounds fancy until you try stuffing the full-sized owner’s manual in there. Spoiler: it ain’t happening without folding it like origami.

Toyota Prius 
Toyota Prius

The top section looks useful, but is comically shallow. It’s more of a “ticket holder” than a storage space. The bottom half? Slightly better, but not manual-worthy. You’ll end up jamming papers into the manual’s sleeve or stashing it in the trunk like a fool. And good luck if you ever need to grab it on the go.

What makes it worse is that the Prius’s interior space is otherwise well-designed. So, why this weird oversight? Probably a combo of trying to preserve knee space and cramming in hybrid system components. But still—this car’s been around forever. Toyota had time to fix it. They just didn’t.

ALSO READ: 5 Sports Sedans That Are Built To Last and 5 That Break Under Pressure

2. Mini Cooper

Want a car that makes you feel like a rockstar but hands you a purse-sized glovebox? Hello, Mini Cooper. Stylish? Yes. Fun to drive? Totally. But practical? Not so much.

The glovebox in a Mini is an insult to the word “box.” It’s more of a “glove envelope.” There’s barely room for a manual, insurance papers, and not that random fast-food ketchup packet we all hoard. Mini’s quirky, retro design eats up interior space fast—and the glovebox pays the price.

Mini Cooper
Mini Cooper

The funny part? The manual itself isn’t even that thick. But the glovebox is just that narrow. And don’t expect to toss your sunglasses or USB cables in there either—you’ll need to find other places like the door pockets or under-seat tray (if you’re lucky).

It’s frustrating because Minis are premium-ish, and you expect more usability. Instead, you get a glorified brochure holder. Charming? Sure. But charming doesn’t help when you’re stranded on the road trying to decode a warning light with your manual… that’s in the trunk.

3. Mazda MX-5 Miata

The Mazda Miata isn’t even pretending to be practical. It’s a pure driver’s car. Two seats, barely a trunk, and no glovebox big enough for the manual. So in a way, it’s not shocking—but still worth calling out.

Mazda MX-5 Miata 
Mazda MX-5 Miata

MX-5 drivers have to store the manual in the trunk or behind the seat. Some even ditch it entirely and use the digital version. Which is cool until your phone dies and you’re stuck trying to remember if that engine light was red or orange-ish.

The glovebox here is minimal to begin with. It’s more of a secret stash spot. Fits a pair of gloves if you fold them twice. That’s about it. Mazda’s chosen weight savings and minimalism over convenience—and hey, that works for the niche. But it’s still annoying.

If you daily a Miata, you’re used to compromising space, comfort, and sound insulation. But when even your car’s paperwork doesn’t fit in its interior, something feels… broken. They didn’t need to go full SUV storage mode, just enough room to house the basics.

4. Tesla Model 3

Modern, sleek, minimalist—Tesla’s all about ditching the clutter. But sometimes, they take it too far. The Model 3’s glovebox is electronically controlled (yeah, button-only), but the real issue is size. It’s just too narrow for the chunky printed manual.

Tesla Model 3 
Tesla Model 3

Of course, Tesla assumes you’ll use the in-car touchscreen or app for everything, including reading the manual. But what if the system crashes? Or are you dealing with a screen glitch? You’re out of luck unless you keep a backup on your phone or laptop.

What’s weird is the Model 3 has decent interior space otherwise. But between the minimalist dash and lack of traditional storage bins, the glovebox is the last tiny stronghold of “normal” storage… and it’s still too cramped.

It’s like Tesla intentionally designed the glovebox small to discourage analog habits. We get it, Elon. Paper is passé. But until every Tesla system is 100% crash-proof, give people a glovebox that at least fits one dang book.

5. Jeep Wrangler

Off-roading, mud-slinging beast? Absolutely. Practical daily driver? Meh. And the glovebox? Forget about it.

The Jeep Wrangler’s glovebox is as rugged as the rest of the car, meaning it’s small, square, and barely functional. The locking mechanism is handy if you’re worried about theft on a trail, but size-wise? Useless. The manual doesn’t fit well. You either fold it or keep it in the center console.

Jeep Wrangler
Jeep Wrangler

This is especially frustrating because the Wrangler has a ton of random paperwork—accessory guides, roof instructions, off-road settings, and towing details. It should have the glovebox of a file cabinet, not a lunchbox.

Jeep loyalists may not care. They’re not exactly glovebox people. But still, when you’re stuck somewhere remote and need to know what fuse to pull, you’ll regret not being able to keep the full manual up front.

ALSO READ: 5 Affordable SUVs That Last Forever and 5 That Fall Apart Quickly

6. Chevrolet Camaro

Here’s the thing—the Camaro’s glovebox is a joke. It’s all muscle on the outside, cramped as heck on the inside. Even getting to the glovebox is tricky. There’s barely enough room to pull it open without bumping your knees.

Chevy packed this car with performance and forgot about practicality. And yeah, manuals don’t fit comfortably in there. It’s a game of “smash and shove.” There’s also barely room left after that for anything else.

Chevrolet Camaro 
Chevrolet Camaro

So, where do most Camaro owners keep their manuals? Trunk. Back seat. Center console (if it fits). Anywhere but the glovebox.

It sucks because the car should have more thoughtful design inside. The dashboard is bulky enough—could’ve easily carved out more room. But priorities were elsewhere. And not every Camaro driver wants to be “that guy” asking roadside assistance how to reset a tire pressure sensor because the manual’s at home.

7. Fiat 500

Cute, compact, and ridiculously limited on space. The Fiat 500 is a city car masquerading as a car. And the glovebox? It’s more like a sunglass drawer.

The owner’s manual? It barely fits unless you remove the case and squish the pages like you’re vacuum-packing beef jerky. Fiat didn’t design this with documentation in mind. To be fair, the car is small all over, but a glovebox should at least fit its paperwork.

Fiat 500
Fiat 500

Some models don’t even come with a printed manual anymore—Fiat started tossing them on USB drives. That’s fine, but again, tech isn’t always reliable. Plus, having to scroll through 1,000 PDFs on a tiny screen while parked on a shoulder is not ideal.

The glovebox is a victim of Fiat’s aesthetic choices. They went full retro-minimalist, but sometimes style needs to make room for function. And this car flopped hard in that balance.

8. Honda Civic Type R 

You’d think the Civic Type R, a performance hatch with a rep for being practical and aggressive, would have a glovebox that could hold more than a fast-food receipt. Nope. It’s disappointingly tiny.

Sure, it technically fits the manual… if you remove all the other stuff you might need—like your registration, sunglasses, tire gauge, etc. Once the manual goes in, it’s full. That’s not great for a car that encourages road trips and track days.

Honda Civic Type R 
Honda Civic Type R

The weird part is, the regular Civic has a better glovebox situation. It’s the Type R—supposedly the “race-ready” variant—that skimps out. Maybe they needed space for performance parts or figured owners wouldn’t care. But plenty of Type R fans do this car daily.

It’s another case of a solid all-around car with a silly weak point. For $45K, you’d expect more thought to be put into basic utility. It’s like they were too focused on spoilers and red stitching to notice there’s no space to stash your manual without evicting everything else.

9. BMW i3 

Let’s talk about the BMW i3, aka the car that looks like a toaster but drives like a spaceship. It’s got carbon-fiber everything, a super eco-friendly vibe, and… a glovebox that’s a napkin drawer.

The i3 glovebox is thin and tight, squeezed in between weird dash angles and minimalist design. BMW likely assumed people wouldn’t need a manual because they’re “digital-first.” But again, not everyone wants to rely on the iDrive or their phone for every detail.

BMW i3 
BMW i3

The i3 also comes with a bunch of booklets—charging guides, warranty info, tech instructions—and they don’t fit in the glovebox unless you chuck half of them. Some i3 owners just give up and use the rear storage compartment or door bins.

It’s a shame, because the car’s clever in so many other ways. But the glovebox? An afterthought. For a vehicle that was supposed to “rethink the car,” it forgot to rethink where to store a basic manual.

10. Nissan Leaf 

The Nissan Leaf deserves praise for bringing EVs to the masses. But glovebox design? Huge miss. It’s small, shallow, and awkwardly shaped. Even when empty, it looks full. Toss the manual in there, and it becomes a one-item vault.

Nissan Leaf 
Nissan Leaf

EVs like the Leaf often have extra guides—charging instructions, EV maintenance info, etc. You’d think Nissan would’ve designed a space specifically to house that stuff. Nope. Your options are to jam it in or store it elsewhere and hope you remember where.

And unlike Teslas, Leafs aren’t as digital inside. You need the manual more often, especially if you’re not used to EV systems. But Nissan gives you this tiny excuse of a glovebox that makes it tough to keep the basics nearby.

It’s one of those details that seems small until you realize you’re holding 500 pages of EV jargon and no place to stash them. Do better, Nissan.

Let’s be honest—gloveboxes shouldn’t even be a problem in 2025. But here we are, still dealing with cars that can’t hold the one book they came with. It’s not rocket science. Drivers don’t need a walk-in closet, just a spot to stash a couple of essentials without a game of Tetris every time.

What’s wild is that many of these cars are otherwise fantastic. Great design, great tech, great performance. But then they fumble the basics—like glovebox space. Whether it’s because of funky interior styling, tech-focused priorities, or just plain laziness, the result is annoying.

And while digital manuals are convenient, they’re not a full replacement. Sometimes you need paper, especially in an emergency or when the car’s system crashes. It’s ridiculous to pay tens of thousands for a car that expects you to store your manual in the trunk or the back seat.

Manufacturers: fix this. It’s not a big ask. Just make gloveboxes big enough to do their one job. Until then, glovebox-shaming will continue. You’ve been warned.

Cars That Still Have Gloveboxes Too Small for Manuals">
Victoria Miller

By Victoria Miller

Victoria Miller is an automotive journalist with a sharp eye for performance, design, and innovation. With a deep-rooted passion for cars and a talent for storytelling, she breaks down complex specs into engaging, readable content that resonates with enthusiasts and everyday drivers alike.

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