The Best 2022 Trucks and SUVs for Towing

If you want a confident towing rig with the latest trailer tech, look no further than these five vehicles.

Benjamin Hunting | 

Dec 15, 2021 | 5 min read

Ford

There is no such thing as one perfect vehicle for towing. If you plan to tug a modest utility trailer or pop-up camper in the sub-3,500-pound range, you don't need the biggest, baddest truck out there. But if you intend to haul some weighty equipment, a bigger vehicle with a higher towing capacity will help keep your cargo under control. For this list we stuck with vehicles capable of hauling smaller trailers more suited to weekend getaways rather than heavy-duty work trailers.

No matter what you’re towing, you’ll want a weight buffer between your load and the vehicle’s max capacity. There are also several features that will make the job easier. When putting together this list of the best towing SUVs and trucks for 2022, we set some baselines. For starters, each truck or SUV in this article offers a factory-installed trailer wiring harness and at least a Class III hitch. We also required a minimum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds as well as trailer sway control, which is designed to help reign in any fishtailing.

Our list of top picks for towing covers a range of vehicle segments from mid-size SUVs to full-size pickups. Start with any of the vehicles on this list and you’ll be well on your way to finding a perfect tow vehicle.

Ford

Full-Size Pickup: 2022 Ford F-150

Ford's F-Series has topped the bestseller charts for years, and the lineup's phenomenal towing capacities are a big reason why. The star of the series, the F-150 half-ton truck, can lug an incredible 14,000 pounds' worth of trailer in certain configurations with the Max Trailer Tow package. This option includes seven- and four-pin wiring harnesses, a Class IV hitch, a locking rear differential, an integrated trailer brake controller, and an upgraded rear bumper, plus other goodies depending on which powertrain and trim you select.

Perhaps the coolest F-150 towing feature is the newly available Smart Hitch. It works like this: Once you've attached a laden trailer to the truck and entered its weight in the F-150's touchscreen, the Smart Hitch measures the tongue weight. If that's out of balance with the trailer's overall weight, the system will guide you to redistribute your load via a graphic on the infotainment screen or smartphone app as well as through taillamp indicators. It will also suggest raising or lowering the hitch for optimal performance and safety, helping make it one of our best towing trucks for 2022.

Chevrolet

Full-Size SUV: 2022 Chevrolet Suburban

With its long wheelbase and selection of two strong gas V-8s and a Duramax turbo-diesel inline-six, the Chevrolet Suburban is a comfortable and capable towing option, with a seven-pin wiring harness and trailer sway control system both standard. When equipped with the Max Trailering package—which brings improved underhood cooling and the Advanced Trailering pack’s trailer brake controller and multiview camera system—two-wheel-drive Suburbans can tow 8,300 pounds.

The aforementioned camera system can show up to 13 different views, one of which makes lining up your truck and trailer a cinch by showing the driver an overhead shot of the hitch ball. Perhaps the most intriguing view, though, is something Chevrolet calls “transparent trailer.” New to the Suburban for 2022, it uses trailer- and side-mounted cameras to stitch together a clear picture of the road behind your load.

Nissan

Mid-size SUV: 2022 Nissan Pathfinder

The Nissan Pathfinder proves you don't need to go big to tow. This three-row unibody mid-size SUV isn't quite as capable as either of the brand's Titan and Frontier pickups, but it still offers up to 6,000 pounds of towing capacity thanks to its strong V-6, which generates 259 pound-feet of torque. Even base models provide trailer sway control, lending to it ranking as one of our best towing SUVs for 2022, but you’ll have to make some upgrades if you want the factory seven-pin wiring harness and Class III hitch, and you’ll have to choose a 4x4 model if you want the Tow mode that initiates engine braking on downhill slopes. We’d opt for the SL or Platinum model, as both come with Nissan’s Intelligent Around-View Monitor—a handy camera system that displays views of the Pathfinder’s exterior on the infotainment screen to assist you with the task of lining up the hitch and keep an eye on your trailer while you’re on the move.

Lincoln

Luxury Mid-Size SUV: 2022 Lincoln Aviator

The Lincoln Aviator's luxurious accommodations and robust twin-turbocharged V-6 make it an appealing tow rig for the glamping crowd. The plug-in-hybrid version of this mid-size SUV can manage 5,600-pound trailers, due in part to its 630 pound-feet of torque. But the unelectrified V-6 does better, tugging up to 6,700 pounds when paired with the Class IV Trailer Tow package. That option brings the requisite hitch, seven-pin trailer wiring with a four-pin connector, and trailer sway control. It also extends Lincoln’s blind-spot-monitoring system and cross-traffic detection to cover the trailer (size permitting).

Chevrolet

Mid-Size Pickup: 2022 Chevrolet Colorado

The mid-size Chevrolet Colorado is a great truck option for anyone who needs to tow a heavy load but doesn't want to deal with the larger footprint of a full-size pickup. Four-cylinder models will get your sub-3,500-pound pop-up trailer to the campsite with no problem. Dealing with more weight than that? A V-6 truck with the Trailering package (consisting of a seven-pin connector and a Class III hitch) can manage 7,000-pound loads. Or take advantage of the Colorado’s class-exclusive turbo-diesel and pull up to 7,700 pounds with ease, thanks to the Duramax’s 369 pound-feet of torque.

Benjamin Hunting

Benjamin Hunting is a writer and podcast host who contributes to a number of newspapers, automotive magazines, and online publications. More than a decade into his career, he enjoys keeping the shiny side up during track days and always has one too many classic vehicle projects partially disassembled in his garage at any given time. Remember, if it's not leaking, it's probably empty.