Need to drive your living room and tow your house behind you, too? Ok, maybe that last part is a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much as there are a handful of modern luxury suvs offering some incredible hauling capability. With the ability to pull full-size campers, boat trailers or even enclosed automobile trailers, luxury sport-utility vehicles can step in and serve a larger role than just turning in a performance as the last word in premium daily driving comfort.
Let’s take a look at 10 luxury SUVs that can tow a ton – or even two.
01. 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-ClassThe 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is the proverbial gorilla in a tuxedo - an elegantly-styled full-size SUV that is built around the bones of a true workhorse. The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class offers two V-8 engines (a 335-horsepower 4.7-liter unit and a 382-horsepower 5.5-liter that also puts out 391 lb-ft of torque), as well as a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 engine that generates 210 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. Each engine is paired with a standard seven-speed automatic transmission and full-time all-wheel drive, and all three flavors of the GL-Class can tow up to 7,500 pounds – and look great while doing it, too.
02. 2011 Porsche CayenneThe 2011 Porsche Cayenne is of course well known for its ability to cut through a slalom course with the poise of a sports sedan and for its ability to launch to 60 miles per hour from a standing start in just 4.6 seconds (when found in 500-horsepower Turbo trim). Even Porsche Cayenne models that don’t feature the Turbo’s force-fed 4.8-liter V-8, however, offer the kind of towing one would expect out of a large SUV: the 3.6-liter V-6’s 300 ponies and 295 lb-ft of torque are good for a rating of 5,952 lbs, while every other edition of the Cayenne (the 400 horsepower 4.8-liter V-8, the Turbo and even the S Hybrid model) can haul up to 7,716 lbs of trailer weight. Transmission choices for the Cayenne include a six-speed manual and an eight-speed automatic, and all-wheel drive comes free of charge.
03. 2011 Audi Q7The 2011 Audi Q7 continues the trend of German SUV manufacturers providing drivers with an available turbodiesel engine that grinds out significant power. The Audi Q7’s 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 is good for 225 horsepower and a stump-pulling 405 lb-ft of torque. If gasoline engines are more your style, then the Q7 can be had with a 3.0-liter V-6 that offers 272 or 333 supercharged horsepower, depending on what trim level is selected. All versions of the luxury SUV come with an eight-speed automatic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive, and towing maxes out at 6,600 lbs.
04. 2011 BMW X5The 2011 BMW X5 is a luxury SUV with a reputation that is based more on its sporty handling than its perceived utility. Ultra-comfortable and of course designed around the type of responsive chassis that has helped BMW make its mark on the world of performance automobiles, the BMW X5’s range of powerful engines also introduce better than average towing capacity. The X5 starts out with a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine (300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque), which is followed by a 400 horsepower, 4.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 that also produces 450 lb-ft of torque. A frugal 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline six-cylinder motor offers up 265 horsepower and 425 lb-ft of torque for drivers interested in better than average fuel economy in their large SUV. The end result is a 6,000 lb tow rating for the BMW X5, with the hauling experience enhanced by standard all-wheel drive (great for un-sticking a camper from the mud) and either a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission (gasoline engines) or a stout six-speed auto box (turbodiesel unit).
05. 2011 Land Rover Range RoverThe 2011 Land Rover Range Rover has long garnered accolades for its seemingly effortless combination of on-road prowess and off-road acumen. The Land Rover Range Rover is also a viable tow-rig, a fact that is frequently obscured by its high class, country-club image. There is certainly no lack of power on tap in any edition of the Range Rover, with 5.0-liters of V-8 power offered in 375 and 510 horse editions (with the latter featuring a supercharger). Six-speed automatic transmissions and full-time four-wheel drive are the order of the day for all Range Rover models, and the full-size SUV makes the most of its brawny drivetrains while towing up to 7,700 lbs.
06. 2011 Lexus LXThe 2011 Lexus LX enjoys an unusual towing advantage over some of its full-size luxury SUV competitors: it is based on the same platform as the venerable Toyota Land Cruiser, an unstoppable trail warrior and a truck whose chassis can take an extraordinary amount of abuse without complaint. As such, the Lexus LX comes with a towing capacity of 8,500 lbs, which rivals several full-size pickup trucks. It certainly doesn’t hurt that all editions of the LX also come standard with a 5.7-liter V-8 engine that produces 383 horsepower and 403 lb-ft of torque, and that a six-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive are also included at no extra cost.
07. 2011 Mercedes-Benz M-ClassThe 2011 Mercedes-Benz M-Class is the vehicle that started the luxury SUV craze in the 1990’s, and it is still going strong with its winning combination of comfort and practicality. The Mercedes-Benz M-Class can be had with a startling array of gasoline engine options – including a 268 horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6, a 335 horsepower hybrid edition of the same engine, and a 5.5-liter, 382 horsepower V-8 – as well as a torquey 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 that provides 210 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of twist. Transmission choices range from a seven-speed automatic to an eight-speed autobox, and all-wheel drive can be ordered as an option. When properly outfitted, the M-Class checks in with a respectable 7,200 lb tow rating.
08. 2011 Infiniti QX56The 2011 Infiniti QX56 is all-new for the current model year, and it brings with it an oversized portion of towing capacity that ties it with the Lexus LX for tops on our list of luxury haulers. The Infiniti QX56 is good for 8,500 lbs of trailer, a figure which is made possible by the stabilizing effect of the premium behemoth’s enormous size and its generous V-8 drivetrain. The QX56’s 5.6-liter motor posts up 400 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque, sent to either the rear or all four wheels (if optional four-wheel drive is selected) by an advanced seven-speed automatic transmission.
09. 2011 Volkswagen TouaregThe 2011 Volkswagen Touareg is another premium Teutonic workhorse, an upscale SUV that comes in diesel, hybrid and gasoline editions and which boasts a top towing capacity of 7,700 lbs. This figure can be achieved with any edition of the Volkswagen Touareg, regardless of whether it is equipped with a 280 horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6, a 380 horsepower, supercharged gasoline / electric hybrid V-6, or a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 (225 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque). Eight-speed automatic transmissions are featured with each available Touareg engine, and all-wheel drive is also standard on the full-size sport-utility vehicle.
10. 2011 Lexus GXThe 2011 Lexus GX might be the LX’s little brother, but it still packs quite a wallop in the towing department. The mid-size Lexus GX is as luxurious as any Lexus ought to be, but it can also tow up to 6,500 lbs, thanks in part to its 4.6-liter V-8 engine that offers 301 horsepower and 329 lb-ft of torque. Also contributing to the GX’s substantial hauling capacity are its stout chassis, its six-speed automatic transmission and its full-time four-wheel drive system. In combination, the Lexus GX provides an all-weather, all-terrain towing platform that packs in all of the comforts of home.
