The full chart groups SUVs and trucks by size. SUV configuration summaries are visible beside the ratings; expand a row for the longer explanation and dated sources. The selected comparisons use individual configurations from that same dataset. Model years are shown with every vehicle; this is a mixed-year comparison.
How to read this towing capacity chart
Read the maximum alongside the model year and the configuration that achieves it. Then use the range and row notes to find the version you are considering. A model name by itself is not enough to assign that maximum to your vehicle.
Open the manufacturer's source in the expanded row before relying on a figure. Check the engine, drivetrain, cab or body style, axle ratio and required towing equipment where those distinctions apply. A figure from another model year or configuration may not apply to yours.
The next check needs your actual load. Passengers, cargo, accessories and tongue load use the vehicle's carrying allowance. The example below shows how a trailer can fall below the tow rating while the vehicle exceeds its payload allowance.
How do hybrid SUV tow ratings compare?
Use the gas, HEV and PHEV comparison to match the named powertrain and equipment. Those ratings belong to individual configurations. The full chart also includes model-family rows: its “Models with a hybrid” filter finds those families, while the visible configuration explains which version achieves the maximum.
The small and midsize SUV tables keep those model years and configurations together so you can compare the version you are considering. Once a trailer is involved, its tongue weight also uses the SUV's payload allowance. The tongue weight and payload guide explains what to check alongside the tow rating.
Truck towing capacity
Use the compact, midsize and full-size truck groups to compare the model years listed, then read each configuration note. Cab, bed, axle ratio, engine and towing equipment can change which manufacturer's rating applies.
A crew-cab truck should be checked against its own specification. Copying the maximum from another cab or drivetrain can give you the wrong starting point. After confirming the rating, account for the people and equipment in the truck and the trailer's loaded tongue weight.
Why a max tow rating isn't a yes for your loaded rig
The ratings stay fixed as you load the vehicle; the remaining allowance decreases. A tow rating alone does not establish that the truck, trailer, axles and hitch are within their limits. Equal-i-zer's trailer-loading guidance calls for checking all of those ratings and the loaded tongue weight.
Consider an illustrative midsize SUV with a 5,000 lb tow rating and a 1,600 lb payload allowance. Assume its people and cargo weigh 1,100 lb, and a loaded 4,200 lb trailer has a measured tongue weight of 600 lb. With no weight distribution active in this example, 1,100 + 600 = 1,700 lb, which is 100 lb over the payload allowance. The trailer is below the tow rating, but the proposed vehicle load needs to change. These are example inputs, not figures for a named model or a required tongue-weight percentage.
Use payload vs towing capacity to separate the carrying and towing allowances. The towing weight ratings guide explains the other limits. If a weight-distribution hitch is required, check the measured axle loads with it correctly configured for travel; do not assume this simplified payload sum describes that redistributed load.
How loadmate helps you stay under payload and GCWR
A shortlist gives you model ratings. The next step is to record the limits for the vehicle you choose, then add the passengers, accessories, cargo and trailer you expect to take.
loadmate keeps those recorded loads with the truck and trailer limits. Set up your combination in the app, using your own vehicle information. The chart example does not transfer into the app.
Once weighed, the rig can have a measured baseline for the changes you record between trips. That gives the next packing decision a known starting load. Saving your own weigh-in record requires loadmate Pro; the form can be explored in Free/demo.
loadmate provides decision support for towing safety, not legal weight certification. Score, compliance checks, and trip readiness are based on the data you enter and the regulator information current at the time of release. For legal weight evidence, use a certified truck scale / CAT scale. Towing remains the operator's responsibility. See /safety-disclaimer.
Related guides
For more detail on the SUVs in the chart, compare the Outback engines or Highlander powertrains. The Ranger example follows one truck and trailer through the loading checks.
