Best Cars for Towing in Australia (2026)

Whether you're towing a caravan around Australia, pulling a boat to the ramp, or hauling a box trailer on weekends, your tow vehicle matters. We ranked every car in our database by towing capacity and real-world towing suitability.

Understanding Towing Numbers

Before we get to the rankings, you need to understand three numbers:

• Braked towing capacity. maximum weight you can tow with trailer brakes fitted. This is the headline number.
• GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass). maximum weight of your car fully loaded (passengers, fuel, cargo). If you're over GVM, you're illegal and uninsured.
• GCM (Gross Combined Mass). maximum combined weight of car + trailer. This is often the limiting factor, not towing capacity.

The trap: A car might have 3,500kg towing capacity but only 5,800kg GCM. If the car weighs 2,500kg kerb + 200kg payload, you can only actually tow 3,100kg before hitting GCM. Always check GCM.

Best for Heavy Towing (3,000kg+)

1. Toyota LandCruiser 300. 3,500kg

The king of towing in Australia. 3,500kg braked, 7,500kg GCM, and a 3.3L twin-turbo diesel with 700Nm of torque. The 300 Series is purpose-built for heavy towing with a low-range transfer case, crawl control, and multi-terrain select.

→ Compare LandCruiser 300 variants

2. Ford Ranger. 3,500kg

Australia's best-selling vehicle and a proven tower. The 3.0L V6 turbo diesel (Wildtrak, Raptor) delivers 600Nm and tows the full 3,500kg with ease. The bi-turbo 2.0L 4-cylinder is rated at 3,500kg but works harder. Pro Trailer Assist makes reversing with a trailer nearly foolproof.

→ Compare Ranger variants

3. Toyota HiLux. 3,500kg

The HiLux with the 2.8L turbo diesel tows 3,500kg and has Toyota's legendary reliability behind it. It's not the most refined tow vehicle, but it's the most dependable. Resale value is exceptional.

→ Compare HiLux variants

4. Isuzu D-Max. 3,500kg

The D-Max's 3.0L turbo diesel is one of the most capable in the segment at 450Nm. It shares its platform with the MU-X wagon. Both tow 3,500kg. The 6-speed auto is well-matched for towing.

→ Compare D-Max variants

Best SUVs for Towing (2,500-3,500kg)

5. Toyota LandCruiser Prado. 3,000kg

The Prado is the default caravan tower for good reason. comfortable on long highway drives, capable off-road, and can tow 3,000kg all day. The new model has a 2.4L turbo petrol with 460Nm.

6. Ford Everest. 3,100kg

Shares the Ranger's engines and chassis but in a wagon body. More comfortable for families who tow occasionally but need 7 seats the rest of the time.

7. Hyundai Santa Fe. 2,500kg

The Santa Fe doesn't match the utes on capacity, but 2,500kg covers most boat trailers and medium caravans. The hybrid version can tow 1,650kg. enough for a box trailer or small camper.

Can EVs Tow?

Yes, but with caveats. The Tesla Model Y tows 1,600kg, the BYD Shark 6 tows 2,500kg, and the Kia EV9 tows 2,500kg. The problem is range under towing drops 40-60%. A Model Y with 455km range might only get 200-250km towing a 1,200kg trailer.

For weekend trips under 150km, EV towing works fine. For long-distance caravan touring, it's not practical yet unless you plan charging stops every 150-200km.

Use our Speed vs Range calculator to see how towing weight and speed affect your range for any vehicle.

Towing Tips

• Always check GCM, not just towing capacity. this catches more people than anything else
• Weigh your trailer loaded. most people underestimate their caravan's actual weight by 200-500kg
• Ball weight matters. should be 10% of trailer weight. Too little and the trailer sways
• Transmission cooler. essential for heavy towing. Most utes have one standard, some SUVs don't
• WDH (Weight Distribution Hitch). mandatory for caravans over 2,000kg for safety and stability

Full Towing Comparison

Want to compare towing specs for any vehicle? Our towing comparison tool lets you filter by minimum towing capacity and compare GCM, GVM, torque, and towing features side-by-side.