Five big SUVs that are great for towing big trailers

Big boats, motorcycles, and travel-trailers require muscle to move over hills and highways. A pickup truck will obviously do the job, but an SUV is better suited to also comfortably accommodate your kids, pets, and associated gear. Here is today's best three-row SUVs with the brawniest towing limits. With most small boats and camping trailers topping out at around 8,000-9,000 pounds, any of these picks can get you on the road to adventure in no time.

Jeep Wagoneer

You might not have guessed a Jeep to be a top-towing SUV, but the Wagoneer isn't a typical Jeep. Jeep introduced its three-row Wagoneer a few years ago, and the 2024 model comes with a powerful turbocharged six-cylinder engine. With it, the Wagoneer can tow up to 10,000 pounds. Other attributes include an upscale cabin and an available backup camera that lets you zoom in to help when aligning hitch and trailer. Jeep also sells a Wagoneer L version that is longer and provides significantly more cargo space.

Toyota Sequoia

Toyota recently redesigned its Sequoia, and the results are impressive. As with its predecessors, the latest Sequoia is a truck-based three-row SUV. But it also has a comfortable ride and comes with a V6-based hybrid power train that is both robust and respectably fuel efficient. The Sequoia can tow up to 9,520 pounds, making it the second-most capable big SUV on our list. Toyota's big SUV also offers technology to make towing easier, including a load-levelling air suspension, tow modes that optimise gear shifts, and multiple bird's-eye and side-view camera angles.

Ford Expedition

The Expedition is one of Edmunds' top-rated large SUVs. It looks great, it is loaded with technology, and the interior is cavernous, especially in the longer Max model. The Expedition can also tow up to 9,300 pounds. Like the Sequoia, the Expedition offers features to reduce towing anxiety, including trailer sway control, backup guidance, and the ability to reverse a trailer by twisting a knob on the console rather than using the steering wheel.

Chevrolet Suburban

The Suburban has been a family road-trip staple for nearly a century. Today's model is big, roomy, muscular, and capable of carrying ample cargo. Maxing out at 8,300 pounds, the Suburban can't tow quite as much as its main rivals. But a forthcoming refresh for 2025 offers innovative towing aids such as trailer-tire monitoring and turn-path guidance to keep your cornering smooth. There is also Boat Ramp Assist to minimise the stress of launching or retrieving a boat. The Suburban can also be a fuel economy champ thanks to its available diesel-powered engine that gets up to an EPA-estimated 23mpg in combined driving.

Rivian R1S

Feeling electric? With a respectable rating of 7,700 pounds, the R1S can tow less than its gas-powered peers, but it is still a very capable electric SUV. It outmuscles the rival Tesla Model X by nearly 3,000 pounds. While not Suburban-sized, the R1S offers seats for seven, ample cargo space, an extra front trunk, an air suspension, and clever interior storage. But EV batteries work hard when towing. In Edmunds' testing with an electric pickup, they found that towing sapped nearly 30% of our range. Another catch? The R1S starts at around US$76,000 with just 270 miles of range. You will need to pay more to get a bigger battery with more range. Still, if you want to go electric and take toys, the R1S is the best choice.