Jeep Grand Cherokee Towing Capacity: What To Know
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Jeeps are known for being top-of-the-line SUVs and are often the first things that come to people’s minds when they think of an SUV. This is for a good reason! Jeeps are some of the most reliable SUVs on the market and see an increasingly robust suite of features being implemented with each passing year. One particular area that Jeeps excel in is the ability to pull large amounts of weight using a trailer, and the Grand Cherokee is no exception. Read on to learn all you need to know about the Jeep Grand Cherokee towing capacity and how it stacks up to competitors.
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What is Towing Capacity?
Your towing capacity is the amount of weight your vehicle can pull with a trailer without danger. This means that you have to know your towing capacity well before you start loading up your trailer because if you exceed the weight limit, things can start to go awry. You might risk causing damage to your equipment and trailer, and even worse, yourself and your passengers. Please always be aware of how much your vehicle is able to handle.
Your next question is probably “if towing capacity is so important, how do I find mine?”. You have multiple options here. The simplest (and probably most accurate) way comes from finding your manufacturer’s estimated number in the owner’s manual that came with your SUV. In certain vehicles, this information will also be disclosed on a little sticker that’s inside the driver’s side door jamb.
If you’d rather, you can also calculate your vehicle’s towing capacity by yourself, and it actually isn’t too difficult a process. You simply take the gross combined weight of your vehicle (your vehicle’s weight plus your trailer and load weight) and subtract the curb weight, which is the weight of your vehicle when it’s got nothing in it whatsoever. This is always a decent way to find out your towing capacity, but it’s easier and more foolproof to just get it from the manufacturer directly.
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How Much Can the Jeep Grand Cherokee Tow?
The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee is one of the biggest heavy hitters in the SUV market. Its towing capabilities are a huge example of this. We’ll get into how exactly it compares to the competition later, but for now, let’s take a look at the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee towing capacity on its own. This SUV can tow different amounts of weight depending on the trim level you get.
There are twelve trim levels available for the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and based on which you get, you’ll get a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds, 6,200 pounds, or 7,200 pounds. The Laredo E, Freedom, Laredo X, Limited, 80th Anniversary, Overland, and Summit trim levels can all pull up to 3,500 pounds with a trailer. The Trailhawk and High Altitude trims have a towing capacity of up to 6,200 pounds. If maximizing towing capacity is the name of your game, you should go for the SRT or Trackhawk trim levels if possible. These can tow up to 7,200 pounds, which is astounding for an SUV.
How Does This Compare to Competitors?
The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee towing capacity is basically unmatched. For an SUV, the ability to tow 3,500 to 7,200 pounds is incredible, and that really shines through when you look at the competition. One of the closest runner-ups is the 2021 Ford Explorer, with a towing capacity of 5,000 to 5,600 pounds.
Next to this, most SUVs in this class max out at 5,000 pounds with their full towing equipment attached. The 2021 Toyota Highlander, 2021 Honda Pilot, and 2021 Honda Passport all have towing capacities of 3,500 to 5,000 pounds. The 2021 Toyota 4Runner and 2020 Volkswagen Atlas also both tow up to 5,000 pounds. Rounding out some of the lesser competitors for top SUV towing capacity are the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse, which can tow 1,500 to 5,000 pounds, and the 2021 Mazda XC-9, which can tow up to 3,500 pounds. Essentially, if towing capacity is your number one priority in finding an SUV, the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee is your best bet.
Other Towing Features of the Jeep Grand Cherokee
The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee is not only great at towing for its immensely high towing capacity, but for the robust suite of features, it offers to enhance your towing experience as well. This includes the cutting-edge Selec-Terrain Traction Management System that allows you to traverse all sorts of terrain by adapting to rough roads, and the all-terrain tires and Quadra-Drive II system that round out the Grand Cherokee’s ability to keep you from slipping in a variety of weather conditions. The towing capabilities of the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee are best in class and designed to optimize your experience hauling loads of equipment.
THE BEST SEDANS WITH HIGH GROUND CLEARANCE
There are plenty of vehicles on the market that let you tower over obstacles without losing the convenience of a compact car. Therefore, we’ve put together a list of our favorite new sedans with high ground clearance.
Everything Else You Need to Know
Our number one recommendation when it comes to towing is that you be properly informed so that you can be as safe as possible. Luckily, you’re almost done reading this article, so you should have a pretty good grasp on things by now! Knowing your Jeep Grand Cherokee towing capacity is the most important thing you must do so that you can avoid going past this limit and causing a whole bunch of problems (and damage) down the road. Weigh your load and find out the weight of your trailer beforehand, so you don’t unexpectedly discover later that it’s too heavy.
You should also make sure that your trailer can actually be attached to your Jeep Grand Cherokee, as not all trailers are compatible with all vehicles. Once you’re ready to attach your trailer and load your stuff on there, take care in balancing your load and strapping everything in tightly. You don’t want your things to fly around everywhere. If you take care of these steps, you should be good to go to hit the road with everything you need!
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