Choosing the Best Tow Vehicle for Your Boat, Part 2

Gasoline and Diesel Tow Vehicles

In Part 1, we looked at the features needed on a good tow vehicle based on boat weight, size and typical speed and towing distances. In this segment, we’ll look at some of the best gasoline and diesel tow vehicles currently on the market. (Part 3 will be a roundup of the rapidly growing all-electric pickup and SUV field.) 

Here’s the 2023 roundup:

The Chevrolet Silverado fully loaded for trailering can tow up to 13,300 lb (kg) with the 6.2L V8 engine with 10-speed automatic transmission, and up to 11,500 lb (kg) with the 5.3L V8 with 10-speed. 

The optional 3.0L Duramax^® Turbo Diesel engine produces 460 ft. lb. of torque can tow up to 9,500 lb. (kg). Pricing starts at $35,900 for the base two-door but most crew-cab versions well-equipped for towing and comfort will be in the $50,000 range.

Chevy’s Suburban makes an excellent tow vehicle that also can double as a 9-seat bus for soccer moms. The base model starts around $66,000, and the fully-loaded High Country model at $77,000. 

The 5.3 liter V8 produces 355 horsepower and 383 lbs ft of torque, and listed tow capacity is 8,300 lb (3,765 kg). If you’ll be doing a lot of towing or live in mountainous terrain, a better choice will probably be the 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, which is rated to tow 8200 lb. (3,719 kg) (Yes, we know this is less than the 5.3 liter—don’t ask us why, ask Chevrolet.)

If you opt for 4WD models, towing capacity goes down about 200-300 lb each. This is common for all 4WD’s—the added weight of the additional running gear deducts from the towing capacity. 

The 3.0 turbo-diesel is also available; tow capacity is 8100 lb. It gets about 5 mpg better highway mileage than either gas package, but of course you pay more to fill up with diesel. With all of Chevy’s Dura-Max diesels, the buyer gets a 5-year, 100,000-mile drive train warranty, a point to consider if you tow frequently and far.

Chevy’s strongest SUV for towing is the Tahoe, which has a towing capacity of 8,400 lb (kg) with the 5.3 liter V8 - it beats the Suburban because of less gross vehicle weight.

For serious towing, the 2500 or 3500 Silverado HD models are the way to go. The 2500 can be maxed out at a capacity of 18,500 lb (kg) while the 3500 dually can haul an impressive 36,000 lb. (kg) when properly equipped. 

Both rely on the 6.6L Duramax Turbo-Diesel V8 producing 910 ft lb of torque. The company says these engines reach 95 percent of maximum torque at just 1,250 rpm, making them ideal for towing up steep ramps or mountains. 

The 10-speed automatic transmissions are standard. Backup cameras and trailer-assist hookups are options most will want. The 2500 base price is about $42,000, the 3500 around $43,000. A gooseneck hitch for maximum loads adds about $1400; www.chevrolet.com.  

Dodge Ram pickups start with the 1500, which offers options including the Trailer 360° Surround View Camera, designed for maximum awareness and enhanced visibility while towing. 

The Trailer Reverse Steering knob allows intuitive backing while watching the rear camera monitor. Towing capacity maxes at 12,750 lb (kg) with the 5.7L HEMI^® V8 engine with eTorque electric boost system producing 395 hp and 410 lb ft of torque.

If you need to pull a really large boat, the Dodge Ram 3500 has an available 6.7 L High-Output Cummins Turbo Diesel option that delivers up to 37,090 lbs of towing capacity. 

The 2500 models powered with either the 6.4L HEMI^® V8 gas engine or 6.7L Cummins^® turbo diesel I6 can be equipped to tow up to 25,000 lb (kg), and start at about $43,000. 

The 3500 models can tow up to 37,500 lb with the 6.7 L Cummins H.O. Turbo Diesel option, and start at about $46,000; https://www.ramtrucks.com. 

Ford’s venerable F-150, most popular pickup in America as the company is proud to report, has a wide variety of towing packages available. Max capacity is 14,000 lbs. (6,350 kg) available on SuperCab and SuperCrew® 4x2 configurations with the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine, which produces a surprising 375 hp and 470 lb ft of torque. 

Ford is perhaps the winner in tow-friendly packages, aside from capacity, with its very useful Pro Trailer Backup Assist system allowing almost completely automatic backing of trailers into tricky spots like tight garages or ramp parking spots.

Perhaps the king of the heap in pickup tow vehicles is the Ford F450, which can be maxed out at a stunning 45,300 pounds with Regular Cab. A 420 Whaler Outrage weighs about 30,000 pounds with engines, fuel and gear, if you’re wondering. Next step up from here is a Peterbuilt or a Kenworth. 

The 450 is powered with a turbocharged 6.7-liter diesel V8 producing 475 horses and 1,050 pound-feet of torque at just 1600 rpm, great for hauling up difficult ramps as well as towing in hill country. The F-450 starts at around $55,000—if you don’t quite need that much capacity, the F-350 starts at $40,000 and can be maxed out at 37,000 lb, way more than most of us will ever need.

Ford’s jumbo Expedition can haul up to eight passengers and is rated to tow up to 9,300 lb (4,218 kg) properly equipped. The engine is the 3.5L EcoBoost engine producing 4005 hp and 470 lb.-ft. of torque. Base price is about $53,000.

The mid-sized and very popular Explorer SUV starts at $36,750. It’s rated to tow up to 5,600 lb (2,540 kg) with the optional twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 with 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque; https://www.ford.com.

Honda’s Passport is a mid-sized SUV with a 280-hp V6 engine rated to tow 5,600 lb (kg). The company also produces the Ridgeline pickup, also with the 280-hp V6 and the 5,600-lb rating. Their focus is primarily in passenger cars, however; https://automobiles.honda.com. 

Jeep’s Grand Cherokee has an off-road reputation, but it’s also a capable tow vehicle with the optional 5.7L HEMI^® V8 engine providing up to 357 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque. The base Laredo model starts at about $41,000, while the fully-loaded Summit Reserve lists at about $67,200.

Jeep’s four-door Gladiator pickup is also a great off-road and beach vehicle, and can tow up to 7,700 lb when properly equipped. Standard power is a 3.6-liter V-6 that produces 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque routed through a standard six-speed manual transmission or an optional eight-speed automatic. The optional diesel 3.0-liter V-6 develops 260 hp and an impressive 442 lb-ft of torque. Prices range from $38,000 to $55,000.

Jeep’s largest and most capable tow vehicle is the Grand Wagoneer, rated to tow up to 9,850 lb (kg) with a muscular 6.4 L gas V8 that produces 471 hp and 475 lb ft of torque. They’re not bargain basement vehicles—base is $88,640 and prices range to over $100,000 fully loaded.

If you need to spend less (and can get by with less towing capacity) the basic Jeep Cherokee can tow up to 4,500 pounds with its 3.2 L Pentastar V6 option. Base price is $34,895; https://www.jeep.com.  

Mercedes is better known for luxury sedans than SUV’s but it makes a very capable full-sized SUV, the seven-passenger GLS.  The 580 version has a 483-hp bi-turbo V8 with an integrated starter-generator that can also add 21 hp, or allow gas-free coasting and lower emissions where appropriate. Tow capacity is listed as 7,700 lb (3,493 kg) It starts at $81,800; https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en. 

The Nissan Frontier is a mid-size truck with a 3.8 L V6 producing best-in-class 310 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque. Towing capacity maxes at 6,720 lb. Prices range from $28,000 for the base two-door up to $39,000 for a fully-loaded crew-cab.

 The Nissan Titan has a base 5.6 L V8 producing 400 hp and 413 lb ft of torque. Prices range from $36,000 for the no-frills model to over $65,000 for a fully-loaded Platinum Edition model. Max towing capacity is up to 9,323 lbs. with the King Cab® 4X2, or just over 11,000 lb for the Titan XD with available gooseneck hitch; www.nissanusa.com. 

Toyota’s Sequoia full-sized SUV powered by the i-FORCE MAX Twin Turbo V6 Hybrid Powertrain with 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque delivers a surprising 22/20 MPG, and maxed out it can tow up to 9,520 lb (4,323 kg). Prices start around $58,000.

Toyota’s largest pickup, the Tundra, makes quick work of mountain roads even with a boat in tow. Its powered with the  i-FORCE MAX 3.4L Twin-Turbo V6 Hybrid with 437 hp at 5200 rpm and 583 lb.-ft. of torque at 2400 rpm. It can tow up to 12,000 lb (5,443 kg) when properly equipped.

Toyota has stayed out of the heavy duty truck market so far, so this is tops if you like the brand; www.toyota.com.