First generation

1997 Toyota Tacoma towing capacity

Max towing, 19975,000 lb

Maker2,268 kg

The 1997 Toyota Tacoma tows up to 5,000 lb (SR5 XtraCab 3.4L V6 5-speed manual 4x4, per the 1997 Toyota Tacoma all-text specifications).

Six more configurations are rated the same.

The lowest rating is 3,500 lb, for the Base XtraCab 2.7L 4-cylinder 5-speed manual 4x4.

1997 Toyota Tacoma all-text specifications (toyota.com)

Configurations: 15
Payload: 1,582–1,914 lb
GCWR: 6,700–9,000 lb
Tongue: 350–500 lb

Regular Cab 4x4 2.7L 5MT, drawn to scale from its published dimensions.

01 / Ratings

Every 1997 Tacoma configuration

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

Engine

Cab

Drive

Showing 15 of 15 rows

1997 Toyota Tacoma

Makerin pounds

1997 Toyota Tacoma towing capacity, GCWR, payload and tongue weight by configuration, in pounds
Configuration	Max towing lb	Max tongue lb	GCWR lb	Max payload lb	GVWR lb	Axle ratio	Tow check
2.7L 4-cylinder
BaseXtraCab · 4x4 · 5-speed manual	3,500	350	7,400	1,759	5,104	3.42	Check load →
BaseXtraCab · 4x4 · 4-speed ECT automatic	3,500	350	7,400	1,729	5,104	4.10	Check load →
BaseRegular Cab · 4x4 · 5-speed manual	3,500	350	7,400	1,914	5,104	3.42	Check load →
BaseRegular Cab · 4x4 · 4-speed ECT automatic	3,500	350	7,400	1,884	5,104	4.10	Check load →
2.4L 4-cylinder
BaseXtraCab · 4x2 · 5-speed manual	3,500	350	6,700	1,752	4,497	3.42	Check load →
BaseXtraCab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automatic	3,500	350	6,700	1,732	4,497	3.58	Check load →
BaseRegular Cab · 4x2 · 5-speed manual	3,500	350	6,700	1,684	4,244	3.42	Check load →
BaseRegular Cab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automatic	3,500	350	6,700	1,664	4,244	3.58	Check load →
3.4L V6
SR5XtraCab · 4x4 · 5-speed manual	5,000	500	9,000	1,699	5,104	3.91	Check load →
SR5XtraCab · 4x4 · 4-speed ECT automatic	5,000	500	9,000	1,669	5,104	3.91	Check load →
BaseXtraCab · 4x2 · 5-speed manual	5,000	500	8,300	1,602	4,497	3.15	Check load →
BaseXtraCab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automatic	5,000	500	8,300	1,582	4,497	3.15	Check load →
BaseXtraCab · 4x4 · 5-speed manual	5,000	500	9,000	1,694	5,104	3.91	Check load →
BaseXtraCab · 4x4 · 4-speed ECT automatic	5,000	500	9,000	1,664	5,104	3.91	Check load →
BaseRegular Cab · 4x4 · 5-speed manual	5,000	500	9,000	1,859	5,104	3.91	Check load →

“Not published”: the maker doesn’t print it. —: not in the documents we hold yet. Scroll the table sideways for every rating.

SourceMakerEvery figure above is Toyota’s, from this document.

1997 Toyota Tacoma all-text specifications (toyota.com) · Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Documents last checked Oct 9, 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.

1997 Toyota Tacoma specs: payload, dimensions, ground clearance and weight beside the towing ratings.

The 1997 Tacoma belongs to this generation; every configuration, its clearance, angles and weights are on its page.

Toyota Tacoma 1st gen (1995–2004): 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: 5,000 lb

SR5 XtraCab 3.4L V6 5-speed manual 4x4; six more configurations are rated the same.

Best rating by engine

3.4L V65,000 lb
2.7L 4-cylinder3,500 lb
2.4L 4-cylinder3,500 lb

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

03 / By year

Tacoma 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 1997 Tacoma’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 Tacoma specsClearance, angles, weights and the rig builder for every configuration.Open the spec plate Tacoma 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 1997 Tacoma configuration tows the most?

The SR5 XtraCab 3.4L V6 5-speed manual 4x4, at 5,000 lb; six more configurations are rated the same.

What is the max tongue weight of the 1997 Toyota Tacoma?

350–500 lb by configuration; the most is 500 lb, for the SR5 XtraCab 3.4L V6 5-speed manual 4x4. Tongue weight is the trailer’s downward push on the hitch; it counts against payload.

What is the GCWR of the 1997 Toyota Tacoma?

6,700–9,000 lb by configuration; the most is 9,000 lb, for the SR5 XtraCab 3.4L V6 5-speed manual 4x4. GCWR is the most the loaded vehicle and its loaded trailer may weigh together.

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

Highest rating by model year: 2026, 6,500 lb; 2024–2025, 6,500 lb; 2023, 6,800 lb; 2021–2022, 6,800 lb; 2019–2020, 6,800 lb; 2018, 6,800 lb; 2017, 6,800 lb; 2016, 6,800 lb; 2015, 6,500 lb; 2014, 6,500 lb; 2012–2013, 6,500 lb; 2011, 6,500 lb; 2008, up to 6,499 lb; 2006, up to 6,499 lb; 2005, up to 6,499 lb; 2004, 5,000 lb; 2003, 5,000 lb; 2002, 6,000 lb; 2001, 5,000 lb; 2000, 5,000 lb; 1999, 5,000 lb; 1997, 5,000 lb.

Does four-wheel drive change the 1997 Tacoma’s towing capacity?

No: Toyota rates each configuration the same with either drive (2 pairs in its table).

Does the engine change the 1997 Tacoma’s towing capacity?

Yes. Best rating by engine: 3.4L V6, 5,000 lb; 2.7L 4-cylinder, 3,500 lb; 2.4L 4-cylinder, 3,500 lb.

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.