Sport utility vehicles, more commonly referred to as SUVs, are one of the most popular classes of vehicle on the road today. Most automakers have an extensive selection, ranging from small crossovers to large, full-size trucks. It’s a competitive market, so manufacturers have created SUVs with a value-oriented mix of versatility, standard equipment, and technology for their respective retail prices.
When it comes to versatility, one good litmus test for this area is towing capacity, as SUVs are often used for pulling campers, trailers, or even boats.
Small SUVs may be the most popular type of SUV of them all. Consumers who want to utilize these vehicles for towing must understand which offers the most tow capacity and is able to meet their travel needs.
This article outlines how towing capacity works and describes which current small SUVs possess the best in the segment.
Before hitching a trailer up to any vehicle, it’s important to understand how the weight of the trailer impacts capacity.
Towing capacity isn’t just based on what’s being hauled, but rather the whole package–cargo and trailer. If a vehicle has a 5,000-lb tow capacity and is hauling a 3,200-lb car atop a 1,000-lb trailer, that is close to its overall capacity. It’s still safe, but if its tow capacity was just 4,000 lbs, that would exceed it.
Exceeding towing capacity may cause mechanical or structural damage to the vehicle. It also makes for a very unsafe driving experience because too heavy a load is difficult to safely guide down the road, as it could overpower the brakes and could cause a life-threatening accident.
When shopping for an SUV, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for certain drivetrains and packages that may affect towing capacity. Typically, rear-wheel drive vehicles have a higher towing capacity than those equipped with all-wheel drive, and some automakers offer optional tow packages that add stronger transmissions, transmission coolers, and other components that make the vehicle more suited for towing.
The Jeep Cherokee has the highest towing capacity on this list. When purchased with a 3.2-liter Pentastar V6 engine and the Trailer Tow Package, it will haul as much as 4,500 pounds.
The very off-road-capable Land Rover Discovery Sport sports a 2.0-liter 4-Cylinder engine under its hood that puts out 246 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. When combined with the Discovery’s standard all-wheel-drive system, it will haul up to 4,409 pounds. It’s worthwhile to note that Land Rover offers a $650 trailer hitch and the Towing package to make such duty a little easier.
While the Audi Q5 comes in three trims, its best option for towing is either of the two that sport a 261 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque turbocharged inline-four. This is the sweet spot between fuel economy and towing capacity.
It’s important to note that while the plug-in hybrid model produces a combined 362 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, it has a towing capacity of just 2,000 pounds. All models have standard all-wheel drive.
It’s important to note that the turbocharged 2.0-liter-equipped XC40 is a mild hybrid, which, when factoring in its 247 horsepower output, allows it to tow up to 3,500 pounds. This is the preferred trim over the XC40 Recharge, which is a plug-in hybrid. Plug-ins are great for overall fuel economy, but it decreases tow capacity to just 2,000 pounds.
The Ford Escape has a lower range of tow capacity than other options on this list. Models that are equipped with the 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that produces 180 horsepower and 199 lb-ft torque—which means just 2,000 pounds. However, stepping up to the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder nets up to 3,500 pounds when also equipped with the Class II Trailer Tow option.
There are more than a few RAV4 trims available for the 2025 model year. The maximum amount of towing capacity comes with the Adventure and TRD Off-Road trims, which, thanks to their sophisticated all-wheel drive system, nets as much as 3,500 pounds. This is thanks to a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that produces 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque.
There’s quite a range of tow capacities available in the small SUV segment, not just among different automakers, but also between each automaker’s various models as well. Therefore, it’s important to add in tow capacity with every other option, including amenities and fuel economy rating, while researching small SUVs.
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