Can an SUV Tow a Car?

SUVs are great vehicles and there is little doubt about that. They are fuel-efficient, have powerful engines and they are quite spacious. Did we also mention that they have a great towing capacity? Most people think that they need a big truck in order to tow a big load but that is not always the case.

So how much can SUVs tow? Can an SUV tow a car? If you have been wondering these exact questions then rest assured that you are not alone.

Let’s get started!

Can an SUV Tow a Car?

An SUV is capable of towing a car since the average weight of a car is just 3,000 pounds. In general, many SUVs have a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds on average. The biggest reason your car cannot be towed by an SUV would be the design of your car. Some cars can be flat towed, while others require a car dolly or trailer to be towed behind an SUV.

Let’s dive deeper into the details.

How Much Do Cars Typically Weight?

Before we dive into if SUVs can tow vehicles we should calculate how much cars typically weigh to get a better idea of the situation at hand.

According to the Autoshop Accessories website, they note “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that the average weight of a car in 2018 was 4,094 pounds. That aggregate number can be broken down into much more detail. For compact cars, it’s 2,919 pounds, and large cars tip the scales at 3,882 pounds.”

Of course, there is some room for give and take but let’s just oversimplify things for matter’s sake and say the average vehicle weighs around 3,000 lbs to 3,500 lbs.

Now in order to figure out if an SUV can tow a certain car, we would have to know the exact weight of said car as well as the towing capacity of the SUV. to make things simple, we have compiled a list of the best SUV for towing. This means all of these SUVs have a great towing capacity, and they can tow items over 3,500 lbs.

If you are interested in learning more about different weights of cars, including a detailed breakdown of it all, then we would recommend reading up on the Autoshop Accessories article on the matter. You can find their article here.

Best SUVs for Towing

Below are our top picks for towing capacities. Do keep in mind that the majority of SUVs (and vehicles in general) reach their maximum towing capacity through some sort of heavy-duty towing package.

Yes, this means that if you opt to not get the towing package then you will not be able to reach your SUVs maximum towing capacity. Also yes, it will cost you extra to install the heavy-duty towing package.

Is it worth it, you ask? Well, that highly depends on you and what your needs are. Generally, the differences between a car with an installed towing package and one without is quite drastic (around 1,000 lbs difference at least).

However, some people do need that extra 1,000 plus pounds and are more than happy with the standard towing features. Once again, this is entirely up to you and your everyday needs.

●     Dodge Durango SRT

• Towing capacity: 8,700 lbs
  • First, on our list, we have the Dodge Durango SRT.
  • Let’s get one thing straight, you do not need to buy a full-size SUV in order to get some impressive towing capacity and this rings true with the Dodge Durango SRT.
  • The Dodge Durango SRT comes standard all-wheel drive.
  • The Dodge Durango SRT comes equipped with a 6.4 L V8 engine which yields 475 HP. The Dodge Durango SRT can go from 0 to 60 in just 4.5 seconds.
  • Did we also mention its impressive towing capacity? An amazing 8,700 lbs!
  • Even if you opt for the 3.6 L V6 or 5.7 L V8 engines the towing capacity is 6,200 lbs and 7,400 lbs-it is still very impressive.
  • Take into consideration that the average car weighs around 3,500 lbs and you will know just how great the Dodge Durango SRT is.
  • This means no matter what engine choice you decide to go with, your Dodge Durango SRT will be able to tow a car.
  • Now, how many SUVs can you say that about? Not many and that is why the Dodge Durango SRT is first on our list.

●     Ford Expedition (Expedition Max)

• Towing capacity: 9,300 lbs
  • Is there really any surprise that the Ford Expedition (Expedition Max) made it on the list?
  • The Ford Expedition (Expedition Max) with an optional heavy-duty trailer package can tow up to 9.300 lbs!
  • The Ford Expedition (Expedition Max) can tow 9,200 lbs with a four-wheel drive.
  • Now if you are not impressed by that towing capacity, then how about this? The towing capacity of the Ford Expedition (Expedition Max) is the highest rating for any model-year 2020 SUV.
  • The Ford Expedition (Expedition Max) is an extended-length version of the Ford Expedition.
  • If you are wondering just how much the Ford Expedition can tow without the packages, the answer to that is 6,000 lbs. So yes, quite the drop!
  • You will have to decide if the 6,000 lbs are good enough for you or if you would rather pay extra for the 9,300 lbs.

●     Lincoln Navigator (Navigator L)

• Towing capacity: 8,700 lbs (8, 300 lbs with 4WD).
  • Next in line is the Lincoln Navigator (Navigator L).
  • Lincoln Navigator (Navigator L) is Ford’s luxury edition and do not let the term “luxury” steer you away because the Lincoln Navigator (Navigator L) has a great towing capacity.
  • If you are wondering if you have to opt for a heavy-duty tow package in order to get the 8,700 lbs towing capacity, the answer to that is yes.
  • What happens if you do not get the heavy-duty towing package you ask? Well, if you opt to not get the heavy-duty towing package for the Lincoln Navigator (Navigator L) then the towing capacity will range from 6,200 lbs to 6, 600 lbs.
  • Not bad but then again, it is up to you whether you want the extra 2,000 or so extra lbs.

●     Nissan Armada

• Towing capacity: 8, 500 lbs.
  • The Nissan Armada is next on the list and for very good reasons.
  • The Nissan Armada is a full-size SUV and it comes equipped with a standard 5.6 L V8 engine.

●     Chevrolet Tahoe (Suburban)

• Towing capacity: 8, 600 lbs.
  • Lastly, we have the Chevrolet Tahoe (Suburban).
  • The Chevrolet Tahoe (Suburban) comes equipped with a 5.3 L V8 engine that has a towing capacity of 8,600 lbs (8,400 pounds with 4WD).
  • The ChevroLet Tahoe (Suburban) 6.2 L V8 can tow 8,400 lbs (8,100 lbs 4WD).

In Conclusion | Can an SUV Tow a Car?

The short and simple answer to that is yes! When we think about cars, most of us think they weigh a lot and we are not wrong. Cars are quite heavy but SUVs also have powerful towing capacities.

If we think about it, a lot of SUVs can even tow boats! Boats! Since the average car weighs around 3,000 lbs then of course an SUV can tow it if it is able to tow items as large as boats.

Of course, it does vary from car to car as well as from SUV to SUV. be sure to check specs and information on your SUV to see how much it is able to tow beforehand, just to be safe.