1997 towing capacity by make and model

Browse every 1997 model year vehicle in the towing capacity dataset — 798 models from 39 manufacturers. The highest tow rating across the 1997 lineup is the Dodge RAM 3500 Regular CAB at 14,000 lb — half-ton plus / heavy-duty truck territory.

Pick a manufacturer to see every 1997 model it offered, with the maximum tow rating across all trims. Click through to a model for the full per-trim breakdown including engine, drivetrain, GVWR, curb weight, and payload.

Top tow ratings of 1997

The 8 vehicles with the highest published tow rating across the 1997 model year. Click through for the full per-trim breakdown.

All 1997 makes

Every manufacturer with at least one 1997 vehicle in the database, sorted alphabetically. The number after each make is the count of distinct models the dataset carries for that year.

• Acura 5 models
• Audi 1 model
• Buick 7 models
• Cadillac 4 models
• Chevrolet 34 models
• Chevrolet-GMC 31 models
• Chrysler 6 models
• Dodge 53 models
• Eagle 1 model
• Ford 70 models
• Geo 3 models
• GMC 19 models
• Honda 5 models
• Hummer 1 model
• Hyundai 3 models
• Infiniti 5 models
• Isuzu 7 models
• Jaguar 1 model
• Jeep 5 models
• Kia 1 model
• Land Rover 3 models
• Lexus 8 models
• Lincoln 3 models
• Lincoln-Mercury 3 models
• Mazda 11 models
• Mercury 10 models
• Mitsubishi 2 models
• Nissan 9 models
• Oldsmobile 10 models
• Plymouth 5 models
• Pontiac 5 models
• Rover 4 models
• Saab 3 models
• Saturn 2 models
• Subaru 3 models
• Suzuki 5 models
• Toyota 19 models
• Volkswagen 1 model
• Volvo 3 models

How to read 1997 tow ratings

The headline tow rating shown for each vehicle is the manufacturer's published maximum across every trim and hitch class — typically the gooseneck or fifth-wheel rating on heavy-duty pickups and the bumper-pull rating on light-duty trucks and SUVs. The number you can actually tow on the road is constrained by your specific trim, hitch class, rear-axle ratio, and any tow-package option. Always confirm against your vehicle's door-jamb sticker before towing.

1997 ratings predate SAE J2807, the standardised towing-capacity procedure adopted industry-wide from 2015 onward. Pre-2015 figures from different manufacturers may have used different test conditions, so direct cross-make comparisons should be made with that caveat in mind.

All figures sourced from manufacturer documentation. See our methodology for how the dataset is compiled.