Fifth generation (XA50)

2021 Toyota RAV4 towing capacity

Max towing, 20213,500 lb

Maker1,588 kg

The 2021 Toyota RAV4 tows up to 3,500 lb (Adventure and TRD Off-Road 2.5L Dynamic Force 4-cylinder Electronic on-demand all-wheel drive, per Toyota’s 2021 RAV4 Product Information).

The lowest rating is 1,500 lb, for the XLE Premium and XLE 2.5L Dynamic Force 4-cylinder Electronic on-demand all-wheel drive.

2021 RAV4 Product Information

Configurations: 17
Payload: 1,050–1,295 lb
Tongue: 150–350 lb

01 / Ratings

Every 2021 RAV4 configuration

17 configurations Toyota sells, each with the ratings Toyota publishes for it. A package that changes a rating gets its own row.

Engine

Drive

Showing 12 of 12 rows

2021 Toyota RAV4

Makerin pounds

2021 Toyota RAV4 towing capacity, GCWR, payload and tongue weight by configuration, in pounds
Configuration	Max towing^{source 3} lb	Max tongue^{source 3} lb	Max payload^{source 3} lb	GVWR^{source 3} lb	Axle^{source 3} ratio	Tow check
2.5L 4-cylinder hybrid
LEElectronic on-demand all-wheel drive	1,750^{source 1}	175^{source 1}	1,230^{source 1}	4,920^{source 1}	not in our data	Check load →
XLE Premium · XSE · XLEElectronic on-demand all-wheel drive	1,750^{source 1}	175^{source 1}	1,165^{source 1}	4,920^{source 1}	not in our data	Check load →
LimitedElectronic on-demand all-wheel drive	1,750^{source 1}	175^{source 1}	1,140^{source 1}	4,920^{source 1}	not in our data	Check load →
2.5L 4-cylinder plug-in hybrid
SEElectronic on-demand all-wheel drive	2,500^{source 2}	250^{source 2}	1,295^{source 2}	5,530^{source 2}	not in our data	Check load →
XSEElectronic on-demand all-wheel drive	2,500^{source 2}	250^{source 2}	1,230^{source 2}	5,530^{source 2}	not in our data	Check load →
2.5L Dynamic Force 4-cylinder
LEElectronic on-demand all-wheel drive	1,500	150	1,120	4,610	3.177	Check load →
LEFront-wheel drive	1,500	150	1,240	4,610	3.177	Check load →
XLE Premium · XLEElectronic on-demand all-wheel drive	1,500	150	1,095	4,610	3.177	Check load →
XLE Premium · XLEFront-wheel drive	1,500	150	1,205	4,610	3.177	Check load →
LimitedElectronic on-demand all-wheel drive	1,500	150	1,065	4,705	3.177	Check load →
LimitedFront-wheel drive	1,500	150	1,125	4,610	3.177	Check load →
Adventure · TRD Off-Road MostElectronic on-demand all-wheel drive	3,500	350	1,050	4,705	3.177	Check load →

“Not published”: the maker doesn’t print it. —: not in the documents we hold yet. A number by a column’s name is the source of its figures that have none of their own. Scroll the table sideways for every rating.

SourcesMakerThe small number by a figure says which document it is from.

How Toyota rates towing: as printed (maximum towing capacity).

Documents last checked Oct 12, 2026. How we read them and what the marks mean: how we source the numbers. A figure doesn’t match its document? Report a wrong number.

2021 Toyota RAV4 specs: payload, dimensions, ground clearance and weight beside the towing ratings.

The 2021 RAV4 belongs to this generation; every configuration, its clearance, angles and weights are on its page.

Toyota RAV4 XA50 (2019–2025): full specs

02 / Why

Which one tows the most, and why

Each figure below is the gap between two of Toyota’s own ratings for configurations that differ in one thing only.

What moves the rating

Maker

Tows the most: 3,500 lb

Adventure and TRD Off-Road 2.5L Dynamic Force 4-cylinder Electronic on-demand all-wheel drive.

Best rating by engine

2.5L Dynamic Force 4-cylinder3,500 lb
2.5L 4-cylinder plug-in hybrid2,500 lb
2.5L 4-cylinder hybrid1,750 lb

The line is the highest rating on this page. Each bar is that engine’s best configuration.

03 / By year

RAV4 towing by model year

The highest rating each model year, from that year’s documents. Years rated the same in every configuration share one page.

04 / Next

Check it against your load

Towing calculatorPut your trailer and cargo against a 2021 RAV4’s ratings and see what’s left.Check my load GVWR, GCWR & payloadWhat each rating limits, and why the trailer number alone isn’t the answer.Read the guide RAV4 specsClearance, angles, weights and the rig builder for every configuration.Open the spec plate RAV4 tire sizesStock tire and wheel sizes by trim, and what bigger tires change.See tire sizes All towing capacitiesEvery truck and SUV we cover, side by side, sortable.Compare vehicles

05 / FAQ

Questions people ask

Which 2021 RAV4 configuration tows the most?

The Adventure and TRD Off-Road 2.5L Dynamic Force 4-cylinder Electronic on-demand all-wheel drive, at 3,500 lb.

What is the max tongue weight of the 2021 Toyota RAV4?

150–350 lb by configuration; the most is 350 lb, for the Adventure and TRD Off-Road 2.5L Dynamic Force 4-cylinder Electronic on-demand all-wheel drive. Tongue weight is the trailer’s downward push on the hitch; it counts against payload.

Has the Toyota RAV4’s towing capacity changed by year?

Highest rating by model year: 2026, 3,500 lb; 2025, 2,500 lb; 2023–2024, 3,500 lb; 2022, 3,500 lb; 2021, 3,500 lb; 2020, 3,500 lb; 2019, 3,500 lb.

Does four-wheel drive change the 2021 RAV4’s towing capacity?

No: Toyota rates each configuration the same with either drive (4 pairs in its table).

Does the engine change the 2021 RAV4’s towing capacity?

Yes. Best rating by engine: 2.5L Dynamic Force 4-cylinder, 3,500 lb; 2.5L 4-cylinder plug-in hybrid, 2,500 lb; 2.5L 4-cylinder hybrid, 1,750 lb.

Which 2021 RAV4 configuration tows the least?

The XLE Premium and XLE 2.5L Dynamic Force 4-cylinder Electronic on-demand all-wheel drive, at 1,500 lb; five more configurations are rated the same.

These are Toyota’s published ratings, not a weighbridge. Your own vehicle’s GVWR and axle ratings are on its certification label, and only a scale tells you what your loaded rig weighs. Found a figure that doesn’t match the document? Tell us.