Small SUVs that can actually tow

Small SUVs aren’t built for heavy towing. The honest range is 1,500 to 4,500 lb depending on engine and trim, which covers a lightweight teardrop camper, a small boat, or a single-axle utility trailer. Past 5,000 lb you need a midsize SUV like the Highlander or Explorer.

Tongue weight, payload, and the right hitch matter more in this class than they do in a half-ton truck, because you’re closer to the limits and there’s less margin to ignore.

What “small SUV” tows at the high end of the class

Notes:

• Land Rover Discovery Sport quietly leads this class at 4,409 lb. Air suspension on higher trims helps with tongue weight.
• Chevrolet Blazer at 4,500 lb is the highest stock rating in the small class.
• Tesla Model Y with the tow package is rated 3,500 lb. Range drops dramatically when towing, often 50%.
• RAV4 with the Adventure or TRD trim package hits 3,500 lb. Lower trims drop to 1,500 lb. Big spread within the same nameplate.

What you can actually tow at each level

• 1,500 lb: Single-axle utility trailer, kayaks, two motorcycles, a small teardrop.
• 2,000 to 2,500 lb: Small fishing boat (14 to 16 ft), small enclosed cargo trailer, dirt-bike pair.
• 3,000 to 3,500 lb: Pop-up camper, R-Pod or similar small travel trailer, jet ski pair, lawn equipment with mower.
• 4,000 to 4,500 lb: Single-axle small travel trailer (Aliner, Casita, T@B), 18 to 20 ft fiberglass boat, small horse trailer for one horse.

Always factor 10 to 15% tongue weight against your SUV’s payload, which is the sneaky limit. A 3,500 lb tow rating with 400 lb on the tongue against a 1,000 lb payload leaves 600 lb for people and cargo, which gets eaten fast.

What matters more than the max rating

• Payload (GVWR minus curb weight): usually 850 to 1,300 lb in this class. Subtract passengers, gear, and tongue weight.
• Tongue weight rating: typically 10 to 15% of the tow rating.
• Cooling package: many small SUVs need an optional tow package (transmission cooler, beefier wiring) to hit the rated number.
• AWD vs FWD: AWD is generally rated equal or slightly higher than FWD, and gets better traction with weight on the rear.
• Brake controller: rare in this class. Most don’t have a factory integrated controller. Aftermarket Tekonsha or Redarc adds it.

Towing with hybrids and EVs

Hybrids in this class generally tow what their gas siblings do, sometimes slightly less. The RAV4 Hybrid is 1,750 lb, the Tucson Hybrid is 2,000 lb, both well below the gas-only Adventure/Limited trims.

EVs lose range proportionally to trailer weight and aerodynamics. Tesla Model Y at 3,500 lb tow can see a 50% range hit. Plan stops accordingly.

A word on the Jeep Renegade

Renegade production ended for the US market for 2024. If you want a small Jeep that tows, the Compass or Cherokee (where available used) is the next step up. The Wrangler tows 3,500 lb and is in roughly the same class, with much better off-road and flat-tow approval.

What this class is bad at

Continuous towing over hills. Long highway pulls in summer. Towing close to the rated max. Small SUVs make their numbers under ideal conditions on flat ground, and the moment you’re at 70% load up a 6% grade in Colorado in August, the transmission temperatures climb and the engine pulls timing.

If you tow more than occasionally, look at a half-ton truck or a midsize SUV instead. The Toyota Sequoia, Ford Expedition, Jeep Wagoneer all start at 8,400 lb or higher and have actual cooling for the job.

A small-SUV towing setup that works

• Stay under 80% of the rated tow capacity
• Use a brake controller for any trailer over 1,500 lb (legally required in most states above 1,500 or 3,000 lb depending on state)
• Aftermarket transmission cooler if you tow more than a few times a year
• Real tow mirrors or clip-ons if the trailer is wider than the SUV
• 10 mph below the posted limit when loaded near max