Top 5 Trucks for Towing and Hauling

Trucks are versatile vehicles, no matter what you need them for. But one of the most basic reasons that people buy a truck is to tow and haul. If you’re looking for a truck, chances are you’re looking in the most popular category of full-size trucks, like the Chevrolet Silverado 1500. However, there are good options for towing and hauling in every category. Here are the top 5 trucks for towing and hauling.

Best Compact Truck: Hyundai Santa Cruz

There aren’t a lot of compact truck options out there, and generally speaking, they’re not the best for towing and hauling. However, the Hyundai Santa Cruz holds its own pretty well, with a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds and a max payload of 1,700 pounds. The Santa Cruz offers an optional 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that delivers 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. With its compact size and agile handling, the Santa Cruz is a nice choice for those who only need a minimal amount of towing ability.

Best Midsize Truck: Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon

When you move up to the midsize truck class, there’s a significant jump in capability and power. The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon are more or less the same truck, and both come with a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers up to 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque in the most powerful version. The Colorado offers two other versions of this engine with lower power, but the Canyon only comes with the top version. If you opt for this engine, you’ll get up to 7,700 pounds of towing capacity and 1,670 pounds of payload.

Best Full-Size Truck: Chevrolet Silverado 1500/GMC Sierra 1500

Like the previous GMC and Chevrolet trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 are mostly the same. There are several engines available for these trucks, but if you want the maximum 13,300 pounds of towing capacity, you’ll have to choose either the 6.2-liter V8 or the 3.0-liter inline-six diesel engine. The maximum payload for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is up to 2,290 pounds, while the GMC Sierra is slightly less at 2,270 pounds.

Best 3/4 Ton HD Truck: Ford F-250

There’s a pretty big jump in towing capacity when you move up to the 3/4 ton segment of pickup trucks. The Ford F-250 comes in a wide variety of bed and cab layouts and offers a few different engines. The 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8 makes up to 500 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of torque in the high-output version. With the proper equipment and engine, the F-250 can tow an incredible 22,000 pounds. For most people, this is plenty to tow a large RV, boat, or toy hauler. The F-250 also has a max payload of 4,300 pounds.

Best One Ton HD Truck: Ford F-450 Super Duty

If the 3/4 ton truck segment isn’t enough for what you need to tow, there’s still the one-ton category that includes the hefty Ford F-450 Super Duty. This truck comes with a high-output 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8 that makes the same 500 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of torque as is available in the Ford F-250. However, the F-450 is further equipped to tow up to 40,000 pounds on a gooseneck hitch with a regular-cab, 2WD dual layout. The F-450 also has a 6,210 payload capacity.

As previously mentioned, for most people, a truck like the full-size Chevrolet Silverado 1500 offers plenty of towing capacity for the average RV or trailer, but the extra power is out there if you need it.