Toyota Highlander Towing Capacity

The Toyota Highlander at a Glance:

Engine Specs and Performance

As mentioned above, the Highlander comes equipped with a powerful 3.5-liter V6 engine that puts out 295 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque. This is a great starting base for a vehicle designed to be utilized as a heavy towing machine.

Speaking of torque, there is a feature available on higher trims called Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD. For all-wheel drive models, this feature improves responsiveness and stability by sending up to 50 percent of the power to the rear and then further distributing more power to the wheel that needs it.

The standard drivetrain is front-wheel drive (FWD), which gives the Highlander excellent traction in messier parts, like snow, mud, and rain-soaked roads. You’ll have an easier time keeping your vehicle on the road, not to mention whatever you are towing along.

However, available on higher trims that include AWD is a Multi-Terrain Select feature. You’ll be able to choose between four modes (MUD & SAND, ROCK & DIRT, SNOW, and NORMAL) that improve traction in those conditions and regulate wheelspin at the same time.

Part of making navigating those roads easier is the 8-speed automatic transmission. Thanks to this system, your vehicle will automatically know which gear to put itself in to when tackling different kinds of roads or inclines, or traffic.

All of which makes for an easy and excellent ride when hauling materials long distance to the work site or bringing home goods or other necessities.

Towing Capacity Specs

As we’ve shown you earlier, when the Highlander is fully kitted out, it has a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. That is some serious power to play around with. When you reach those numbers, it becomes a question of what can’t you tow?

Everything from boats to trailers to raw materials to whatever you need to get the job done, the Highlander can get it done. But it is unwise to forget other important specs that influence this power.

For instance, the curb weight (standard seating config) is 4,145 pounds, while the gross vehicle weight rating is 5,830 pounds.

The Highlander offers up to 1,685 pounds of payload capacity. This means you can haul a generous amount of weight without the towing gear. However, it also means that once the hitch is attached, it gives you extra strength to tow whichever object you’ve got along that day.

With these serious numbers, the Toyota Highlander shows its towing capacity is an excellent feature that can’t be overlooked. For those wanting to bring the world with them on the road, the Highlander gets it done.