When the days get long and the mountains, lakes and campgrounds beckon, you need a vehicle that can pull what you might call the Toys of Summer. Big boats, motorcycles and travel-trailers require muscle to move over hills and highways. A pickup truck will obviously do the job, but a SUV is better suited to also comfortably accommodate your kids, pets and associated gear. Here is what Edmunds’ experts have gathered for 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. All prices include the destination charge.
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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.
2024 Jeep Wagoneer starting price: $64,945
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 powertrain that’s 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-leveling air suspension, tow modes that optimize gear shifts, and multiple bird’s-eye and side-view camera angles.
2024 Toyota Sequoia starting price: $63,125
The Expedition is one of Edmunds’ top-rated large SUVs. It looks great, it’s 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. At less than $60,000 to start, the Expedition is also somewhat of a bargain.
2024 Ford Expedition starting price: $57,625
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’s also Boat Ramp Assist to minimize 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 23 mpg in combined driving.
2024 Chevrolet Suburban starting price: $61,195
Feeling electric? With a respectable rating of 7,700 pounds, the R1S can tow less than its gas-powered peers, but it’s still a very capable electric SUV. It out-muscles 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, we found towing sapped nearly 30% of our range. Another catch? The R1S starts at around $76,000 with just 270 miles of range; you’ll 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.
2024 Rivian R1S starting price: $77,700
Edmunds Says
Whether your summer plans include boats, big bikes or boondocking, today’s top three-row SUVs offer the muscle and tech to tow your toys with ease.
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This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds.
Dan Frio is a contributor at Edmunds.