Bring up towing, and most people jump straight to a pickup truck. That reflex makes sense, because trucks still own the image of hard work. They get the big hitches, the giant mirrors, and the ads with boats, horses, and enough dust to choke a cactus. But image and reality do not always shake hands. Some modern pickups chase comfort, style, and everyday usability more than max trailer numbers, and the 2025 Honda Ridgeline is a good example. It tops out at 5,000 pounds, which is fine for light duty, but it is not exactly a heavyweight champ.That is where things get interesting. The ten SUVs below all beat the Ridgeline’s towing capacity, and the smallest margin here is still a chunky 2,400 pounds. And the diversity here is huge – some are old-school V8 bruisers with truck bones and a taste for regular gas, and some are luxury rigs that tow like a workhorse while looking like they should be parked outside a steakhouse. There’s something for everyone. Dodge Durango 5.7 V8 (2015-2025) Maximum towing: 7,400 lbs StellantisThe DurangoDurango is the sneaky one in this group. It does not look like a giant tow mule, and that is part of the charm. It sits lower than the truck-based giants, feels sportier from the driver’s seat, and still packs a Dodge 5.7-liter HEMI V8 with 360 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque. Properly equipped, that setup pulls up to 7,400 pounds depending on the exact model year. For people who want three rows, a V8 soundtrack, and enough muscle to tug a car trailer or decent-size boat, the Durango lands like a muscle car that learned how to wear hiking boots.StellantisWhat also makes the Durango interesting is the mix of attitude and usefulness. Dodge’s Multi-Displacement System can shut down four cylinders in light driving. So this HEMI is not always gulping fuel like it just crossed a desert. Even better, the Durango does not drive like a giant appliance when it is not towing. Of course, you need the V8 and the right equipment to get the headline number and road behavior. Toyota Sequoia (2018-2022) Maximum towing: 7,400 lbs Via: ToyotaThe second-generation Toyota Sequoia earns respect the old-fashioned way. It is big, boxy, thirsty, and stubbornly honest about what it is. Under the hood sits Toyota's 5.7-liter i-FORCE V8 with 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque, and properly equipped models can tow up to 7,400 pounds. The firm also engineered the hitch into the frame as a single unit, which sounds like a boring brochure detail until a trailer starts pushing back on a downhill grade. Another neat bit is that the V8 delivers 90 percent of peak torque at just 2,200 rpm. That’s especially helpful when towing.Gabriel Vega | HotCars.com The Sequoia’s appeal goes beyond the spec sheet, though. It feels like the anti-gimmick SUV. No turbo drama, no fake toughness, no complicated identity crisis. It just shows up with a big V8, a rugged six-speed automatic, and enough grunt to tow serious weight while carrying a full cabin of people. It is a dinosaur, sure, but dinosaurs were not exactly weak. Mercedes-Benz GLS (2017-2019) Maximum towing: 7,500 lbs MercedesLuxury SUVs usually talk more about ambient lighting than trailer ratings, which makes the GLS a fun surprise. Used GLS models, including the 2017-2019 GLS 450 4MATIC, carried a 7,500-pound towing rating. Mercedes-Benz also backed that with serious hardware, including four-wheel independent air suspension in that generation. So yes, this is an SUV that can tow a real trailer while still making the driver feel like the road just got freshly ironed. That split personality is the whole point here.The used-market trick with a GLS is understanding what kind of buyer it suits. It’s not the choice for someone who wants a rough-and-ready, hose-it-out tow pig. It’s better suited for someone who wants calm, quiet power and the kind of trailer manners that make long drives less tiring. In plain English, the GLS makes towing feel less like a chore and more like a flex. That might sound silly, but there is nothing silly about 7,500 pounds from a leather-lined family bus. Audi Q7 55 / SQ7 (2019-2026) Maximum towing: 7,700 lbs Audi USAAudi’s Q7 lineup hides one of the smartest towing buys on this list. The Q7 55 makes 335 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, and when equipped with the tow package, it can pull 7,700 pounds. The SQ7 also tows 7,700 pounds, but it does it with a 500-horsepower V8 and 568 lb-ft of torque, while the smaller-engine Q7 45 drops way down to 4,400 pounds. You should be careful about the badge on the fender.Audi The Q7 55 seems to be the sleeper choice, while the SQ7 is the hot-rod version for people who believe trailers should not slow down lane changes. Audi also gave the SQ7 standard all-wheel steering, which helps this big SUV feel smaller and more eager than the numbers suggest. In both versions, the Q7’s real party trick is balance. It does not feel clumsy in daily driving, yet it carries a tow rating that beats more than a few modern trucks. That is rare. Porsche Cayenne (2019-2026) Maximum towing: 7,716 lbs PorscheThe Cayenne's towing number looks oddly specific because it is. Porsche rates it at 7,716 pounds, which is the kind of figure that looks like a typo until the metric system enters the room. That number reflects a 3.5-ton rating, and it tells a bigger story about what the Cayenne has always been. A performance SUV engineered to do more than just go fast in a straight line.PorscheWhat makes the Cayenne special is not just the number, though. It is the fact that the chassis never feels like it was built around compromise. Plenty of SUVs can tow, but far fewer can tow on Saturday, then turn around and feel sharp on a winding road Sunday morning. That is why the Cayenne keeps such a strong enthusiast following. Land Rover Discovery (2021-2025) Maximum towing: 8,200 lbs Via: Land RoverThe Discovery reaches 8,200 pounds, and unlike some SUVs, it does not treat towing like a side hobby. Land Rover openly frames the Discovery around hauling horse boxes and trailers, which feels about right for a machine with this much British-country-estate energy. More importantly, the Discovery backs up the number with Advanced Tow Assist. Land Rover says the system lets the driver display the current and desired trailer trajectory to control the trailer more precisely when reversing.Land Rover The Discovery’s place on this list comes from character as much as capability. Sure, it is not the cheapest option, and its reputation makes some used buyers nervous, fair or not, but when maintained properly, it offers a blend few rivals can match. In a field full of competent machines, the Discovery still feels like it has stories to tell, and probably mud on its shoes. Chevrolet Tahoe (2022-2026) Maximum towing: 8,400 lbs Via: ChevroletThe Tahoe is one of the clearest examples of old-school SUV values still paying off. Chevrolet says the current Tahoe can tow up to 8,400 pounds, and this is a solid number considering this generation switched to a multilink independent rear suspension. Usually, buyers hear “better ride” and fear the towing number got soft. Here, that did not happen. Chevy managed to make the Tahoe more refined without taking away the heavy-lifting part of its personality. It’s worth pointing out that for this number, you’ll have to find an example equipped with the Max Trailering Package.Via: Chevrolet The Tahoe still feels like a real full-size American SUV but it no longer drives like one from a decade ago. Families get the space, the commanding view, and the ability to tow serious weight without stepping into pickup-truck life full time. The best used examples strike a sweet spot between daily comfort and weekend utility, which is probably why the Tahoe never seems to go out of style. Nissan Armada (2020-2025) Maximum towing: 8,500 lbs (Evan Williams/HotCars/Valnet)The Nissan Armada does not always get the same attention as the Tahoe or Expedition, but that only makes it more interesting. In 2024 form, the old Armada packed a 5.6-liter V8 with 400 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque, and Nissan rated it to tow up to 8,500 pounds. Then Nissan redesigned it for 2025 and kept the same max tow rating, even while switching to a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 with 425 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. That means used shoppers can pick their flavor. Old-school V8 buyers still have options, while newer used examples bring stronger torque and far better towing tech.Nissan The newer Armada especially deserves more credit than it gets. It offers features like an integrated trailer brake controller, trailer sway control, and trailer blind spot warning, which are the kind of details that make a big trailer feel less dramatic. But even the older V8 trucks have appeal because they feel honest and tough in a way buyers still understand instantly. Lincoln Navigator (2022-2025) Maximum towing: 8,700 lbs LincolnThe Navigator proves that luxury and towing do not have to live in separate zip codes. Lincoln says the available Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow Package raises towing capacity to 8,700 pounds, and the current Navigator brings 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque from its twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6. Lincoln also pairs that with trailer-focused help like Pro Trailer Backup Assist and Trailer Hitch Assist. So yes, this thing can tow like a proper big SUV while wrapping the family in one of the plushest cabins in the class. It is basically a rolling private lounge with a hitch receiver, which sounds ridiculous until the numbers show up and ruin the joke.Lincoln The best lesser-known detail here is that wheel choice can change the story. Lincoln’s own specs show some 24-inch-wheel setups cut max towing from 8,700 pounds to 8,500 or even 8,400, depending on the version. The prettiest wheels in the ad may not belong on the best tow rig. Ford Expedition (2018-2025) Maximum towing: 9,300 lbs FordThe Expedition sits at the top of this list for a reason. Ford knows how to build machines to tow, and a properly equipped Expedition can tow up to 9,300 pounds, which pushes this SUV deep into serious-trailer territory. That number bulldozes the Ridgeline’s number by 4,300 pounds. Ford has also continued to load the Expedition with useful towing tech, and for 2025, it made Pro Trailer Backup Assist and Pro Trailer Hitch Assist standard across the lineup.Ford The most important detail is one many buyers get wrong. The standard-wheelbase Expedition can actually out-tow the bigger Expedition MAX. The regular Expedition is rated at 9,300 pounds for 2022, and the Expedition MAX at 9,000 in comparable maximum form. So yes, If the trailer matters most, the shorter truck wins. If cabin and cargo flexibility matter more, the MAX still has a strong case, because the difference is not that huge after all. Either way, the Expedition closes this list with the strongest number here, and it does it without pretending to be anything other than what it is, a full-size tow weapon with a family room attached.Source: Honda, Ford, Lincoln, Nissan, Chevrolet, Land Rover, Porsche, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Dodge