Get Hitched: Top Tow-Rated Trucks

March 15, 2023March 15, 2023 Darian A 0 Comments Chevy Colorado, Chevy Silverado, CURT, Ford F-150, Ford Super Duty, Jeep Gladiator, RAM HD, Towing, Towing Capacity

If you’re in the market for a pickup truck that can handle heavy loads, it helps to start your search with an already-capable tow-ready model. Whether you’re looking for a nimble mid-sizer or a heavy-duty workhorse, here are the best trucks for towing in 2023, across all weight classes.

Best Mid-Size Trucks for Towing

When it comes to mid-size trucks, it’s not surprising to find the Chevrolet Colorado at the top of the list, but a newcomer to the forefront is the Jeep Gladiator, recently revived in 2019 after the automaker left the truck market in 1992.

Jeep Gladiator

A hybrid between the Jeep Wrangler and a traditional mid-size truck, the Jeep Gladiator offers the fun of the Wrangler with a removable top, doors and windshield that can be folded flat for an open-air safari experience.

The Jeep Gladiator offers 7,700 pounds max gas towing capacity and 1,710 maximum 4X4 payload, as well as some useful tech so you can hitch up with ease. The ParkView Rear Back Up Camera displays dynamic gridlines and features an available 4X trailer hitch zoom, enabling the driver to align the truck more precisely when backing up to hook up to a trailer.

Just like you would expect of a Jeep, the Gladiator boasts extreme off-road capability and all-terrain abilities. However, also true to the Jeep name, the Gladiator gets less-than-stellar gas mileage. Additionally, while its suspension makes for a great off-road experience, it can feel a little stiff on pavement.

Chevy Colorado

If smooth ride quality and driver-friendly handling is what you’re after, then the Chevy Colorado stands to deliver. Long a staple on the mid-size market (alongside its mechanical twin the GMC Canyon), the Colorado is a true utility player, offering performance, capability, comfort, convenience and style – not to mention a well-honed menu of trims and packages.

With a max towing capacity of 7,700 pounds and a payload capacity of 1,684 pounds, the Chevy Colorado is a worthy contender to the Gladiator. What’s more, the mid-sizer gets a complete generational overhaul for 2023, with several upgrades that are certain to further improve the towing experience, including:

An all-new chassis that gives the Colorado a 3.1-inch-longer wheelbase
Increased ground clearance and better approach angle
A turbocharged 2.7-L inline-four engine across all models, upgraded for durability
Selectable drive modes, tailored to specific conditions including trailering and hauling
An enhanced roster of safety and driver awareness features
Up to 10 camera views accessible on the new 11.3-inch infotainment screen (the most camera views of any competitor in its class)

If you’re looking for an even littler hauler, check out the Ford Maverick. While it shares a platform with the Ford Escape and Bronco Sport SUVs, the compact truck can still pull an impressive 4,000 pounds when equipped with the 4K Tow Package and the EcoBoost engine.

Best Full-Size Trucks for Towing

It will probably come as no surprise that two of America’s most recognizable truck models – the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado – dominate as the two most capable when it comes to haulin’.

Ford F-150

The Ford F-Series has been America’s best-selling vehicle for more than 40 years, so it makes sense that the Ford F-150 comes out on top as one of the best full-size trucks for towing.

Stylish, rugged, and nicely appointed, the beloved ride maxes out at 14,000 pounds towing capacity (when equipped with the 400-hp twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6), but even in base form, the F-150 offers respectable 8,500 pounds of pulling power.

In addition to best-in-class towing capacity, the F-150 also offers some of the industry’s most innovative towing technology. Designed to help hitch, maneuver and tow with confidence, features include:

Onboard Scales, which measure payload weight in real time and then display it on the infotainment screen, a mobile phone, or as a handy graphic within the truck’s smart taillamps.
Class-exclusive Smart Hitch, which measures and displays tongue weight so you can properly hitch up and reduce the possibility of trailer sway when towing.
Smart Trailer Tow Connector, which informs you if any trailer lights go out.
Dynamic Hitch Assist, which helps you line up and attach a trailer via an on-screen guide, eliminating the need for spotters or getting out of the cab.
Continuous Controlled Damping, which automatically adjusts shock absorber stiffness in real time to match the road surface and driver inputs and provide enhanced vehicle control, especially when it comes to towing or hauling heavy loads.

Chevy Silverado

In a similar vein, Chevy’s Silverado has been a top-selling full-size truck for many years – largely due to its impressive towing capabilities. The model slots in second below Ford with a max towing capacity of 13,300 pounds when equipped with the 6.2-liter V-8 engine, but out-performs the Blue Oval’s base engine with a turbo four that can tow up to 9,500 pounds.

Like its rival, Chevy also packs its half-ton with plenty of smart towing assistance. Popular (and proven) technologies like Trailer Sway Control, Hill Start Assist and Auto Grade Braking bring some peace of mind to the towing experience, while 8 available cameras offering up to 14 views help you keep an eye on what’s happening out back. There’s even a special Trailering App that offers customized trailer profiles, pre-departure checklists and TPMS monitoring.

If next-gen tech is what you’re after, Chevy recently added its groundbreaking Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance technology to the Silverado. Currently only available on the High Country trim, Super Cruise manages speed and steering on more than 200,000 miles of compatible roads in the U.S. and Canada. The best part? It’s functional when towing, providing added comfort and confidence.

Best Heavy-Duty Trucks for Towing

For those who haul big toys, only a heavy-duty truck will do. The Ford SuperDuty and RAM HD models are up to the task, maxing out on maximum pulling power – and looking good in the process.

RAM 2500HD and 3500HD

A hard-working hauler, the RAM 2500HD and 3500HD models blend practicality, off-road prowess, and surprisingly cushy interiors to deliver a package that anyone would be happy to hit the road in. And if those travels involve towing? All the better, as RAM’s HD brothers serve up some of the best numbers in the class.

With standard V-8 equipment, the truck offers a very respectable 14,370-lb towing capacity and 3,240-lb payload. For those with big jobs (or toys), check out the RAM 3500 HD when equipped with the high-output 400-hp Cummins diesel inline-six. Its remarkable 1,075 pound-feet of available torque help it pull more than 37,000 pounds – or about the weight of a Greyhound bus.

Those with heavy-duty boondocking on the agenda or looking to haul their high-speed toys to empty dirt roads, a new off-road Rebel trim joins the HD lineup for 2023. Only available on the RAM 2500, it features a lifted suspension, skid plates, and an electronically locking rear differential – as well as 16,870-lb max gas towing capacity and 3,140-lb gas max payload capacity.

Other notable new additions to the heavy-duty RAM trucks include:

A digital rearview mirror with side camera integration, which makes it easier to see what’s behind and around the truck
Trailer Reverse Steering, which controls the steering wheel while you are backing up the truck and trailer and allows you to direct the angle via a knob on the center stack.

Ford SuperDuty

All-new for 2023, the Ford SuperDuty has thrown a gauntlet down on pulling power, delivering the highest towing and payload ratings of any vehicle ever to grace the heavy-duty pickup truck segment.

While the honor is relegated to a top-spec F-450 Regular Cab equipped with the 6.7L high-output diesel engine, Max Towing Package, and only when pulling a gooseneck trailer – 40,000 pounds of towing capacity is still an unbelievable achievement. As is the best-in-class 1,200 pound-feet of torque. And the best-in-class 500 horsepower. And the best-in-class 8,000-lb payload capacity (though, that one belongs to a specially-configured F-350 model).

Even with conventional towing setups, the SuperDuty outpaces its competitors at 30,000 pounds. It attempts to outpack them with towing and trailering technology as well, offering the aforementioned Onboard Scales and Smart Hitch, alongside a 360-Degree Trailer Camera Package, a full-color head-up display, Pro Trailer Hitch Assist which steers the truck to align hitch ball and receiver, and Trailer Navigation which optimizes your travel route to accommodate a trailer.

Ford also adds the industry’s first “tailgate down” backup camera to the Super Duty, which ensures your additional rear view isn’t useless just because the tailgate is down.