Ford Towing Guide

You might have to take a closer look to tell the Lightning apart from the rest of the F-150 lineup, but it is still different enough that we gave it its own section. The Lightning is everything that makes the F-150 such a superb truck but with an electric drivetrain. The world’s first pure electric full-size pickup, the Lightning offers up to 320 miles of range and will hit 60 mph in under 4 seconds. There are two different battery packs offered, and each comes with different power, range, and towing capabilities, but whichever one you choose, you’ll get a superbly capable truck. To show off just how capable it is, when Ford announced the Lightning, it was with a publicity event where the truck pulled a 1 million pound train. Ford doesn’t recommend doing this yourself, but the towing capacities for the Lightning are nonetheless impressive. That’s why the Lighting was named MotorTrend’s Truck of the Year for 2023*.

If you’re looking for fantastic towing capacity in a midsize package, the Ford Ranger is a shockingly excellent solution. The standard 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine is turbocharged for better torque across a wider range of the powerband, and that makes for a much better towing capacity than what you’ll find in the Ranger’s competitors. This solidly built engine is mated with a durable 10-speed automatic transmission that delivers excellent capability as well as fuel economy. And like the rest of the Ford truck lineup, the Ranger is built to tackle offroad conditions as well as smooth highway cruising.

The Ford Explorer defines the SUV the same way that the F-150 defines the pickup truck. This iconic vehicle is the benchmark for midsize SUVs, and it’s easy to see why. With its luxurious cabin and highly capable drivetrain options, the Explorer is a stylish way to get all of your stuff to wherever it needs to go.

This rugged SUV is an absolute legend of offroading. Many of the things that make for a great offroader also make for great towing capacity, always useful, since many offroad adventures require additional equipment that’s easiest to tow. There are a couple of different body configurations, as well as two different engines offered, but you get the same great towing capacity whatever you choose.

Stylish, efficient, and technologically advanced, the Ford Escape has a lot to offer, and an uncommonly good towing capacity is definitely on that list. You might not think of a compact crossover as a good towing vehicle, but you can when it’s an Escape.