SUV for Towing

BMW F5 will get the job done and give you a great ride while doing it.

lots of choices. I know first hand the grand Cherokee can pull well as can the explorer and sorento. Im sure there are others. Pay attention to payload and frontal area restrictions and make sure you have a proper hitch/anti sway setup.

Whats in the vehicle when you go? as someone who owns a newish explorer and f150 I would never buy the explorer for myself. the f150 was cheaper and is better at about everything (including fuel mileage) Only downfall is it doesn't have the 7th seatbelt that ive used once in the last 2 years.

I put 140,000 towing miles on a 2008 Highlander. I was towing 16' and 17' trailers for work and for recreation, with trailer weights between 2200 and 3500 lbs. It did well at 60-62 mph max speed in 4th gear (out of 5); on long grades I'd shift to 3rd and run mostly about 40-50 mph depending on the steepness. Stability was good (I kept 10%-15% of trailer weight on the tongue). By the time the odometer had 185,000 the transmission light was coming on when traveling those steep grades, and I thought about adding another tranny cooler but in the end I sold it and got a used Lexus GX470.

Keep in mind that the 3.5L V6 will do best with smaller frontal area trailers. My largest frontal area trailer was 7.5' wide by about 100" high.

There are some people on the Escape Trailer forum who tow 19' and even 21' Escapes (molded fiberglass made in BC) with newer Highlanders. I personally feel like 21' is pushing it a bit; one would definitely want an anti-sway hitch!

wpd909 wrote:
Hi everyone,

My wife and I are interested in towing a 17 or 19 ft ultra light trailer using an SUV. We prefer not to go the Suburban or similar size route. Does anyone have experience with towing using an SUV such as a Toyota Highlander or something similar?

Thanks --- Ron

We towed our 27', 6000lb TT, with a 5.4, 3.55, 2004, Expedition. Did a GREAT job.

I tow with a 2002 Durango SLT Plus. It has a 6000lb tow capacity and a 1640lb payload. My trailer has a GVWR of 2250lbs. I have no trouble.

Starting around 2009, they went to a unibody style. So I cannot comment on that They just went back to the body-on-frame style.

X5/Toureg/Audi are strong vehicles but the repair costs are a little exotic for someone who's thinking Highlander.

Spose I'd throw an Eco Boost Explorer in the mix too. Good durable vehicles or they wouldn't sell 100,000s of them as cop cars.

And don't even consider the Traverse/Acadia/Previous gen Trailblazer and its counterparts. Some of GMs poorer executions.
If you want a midsize SUV for towing, either older 4 runner V8 or pick your flavor of Durango/Grand Cherokee.

Go for the longest wheelbase, to prevent that "tail wagging the dog" effect

Might take a look at the Nissan Pathfinder it's rated up to 6,000lb towing. We have a 2018 model haven't towed anywhere near 6,000lb but have towed a little over 3,000 with no problem at all.

I certainly wouldn't look at anything smaller than a Traverse / Acadia / X5. Chevy did bring back the Trailblazer but the specs limit the tow cap at 4500 lbs.

Tahoe/Yukon would be a better choice.