If you tow a caravan, the number on the brochure is only the start of the conversation. Still, it is the right place to start, so we went to each manufacturer's own Australian website on 26 October 2026 and read the braked towing rating, seating, engine and warranty for the seven big four-wheel-drive wagons that most caravan owners shortlist. Where a price is on the manufacturer's own page we quote it and say what it includes. Where it is not, we leave it out rather than guess.
One timely note first. The Toyota Fortuner, a long-time favourite with caravan buyers, is gone. Toyota's own site says the Fortuner was discontinued from April 2026 and is no longer available for purchase, so any older towing list that still recommends one is out of date. If you want a new wagon with a 3,000kg-plus rating, the seven below are where to look.
How to read a towing rating
Every figure below is a braked towing capacity, which is the heaviest trailer the maker says the vehicle can pull when the trailer has its own brakes. It is a ceiling, not a target. Nissan's own footnote says the 3,500kg Patrol figure depends on a Genuine Nissan tow bar, the laden mass of the vehicle and the maximum towball download. Isuzu makes a similar point: its 3,500kg MU-X rating applies with the optional Genuine Isuzu tow bar kit, and it lists an electronic brake controller too. Toyota sells its own towing kit for the Prado.
What that means in practice: a 3,500kg rating does not mean you can hang a 3,500kg caravan off it with four adults, a roof box and a full tank. The weight on the towball, the vehicle's payload and the combined mass limit all bite before the headline number does. Before you buy a van, get the tare, the loaded mass and the ball weight from the caravan maker, then check them against the vehicle's compliance plate and the maker's spec sheet. Leave yourself some headroom. If you tow heavy and often, a rating that sits well above your van's loaded weight is far more relaxing than one that just scrapes in.
1. Ford Everest: 3,500kg, the best all-rounder
The Ford Everest is rated at 3,500kg and holds a five-star ANCAP rating. It seats up to seven, and the Sport grade adds folding third-row seating. Ford offers a 2.0 litre turbo diesel as standard and an optional 3.0 litre V6 turbo diesel. From our reporting on the launch, the 2.0 litre makes 125kW and 405Nm, while the V6 makes 184kW and 600Nm. If you tow a lot of weight regularly, the V6 is the one to put on your list.
Ford's page also highlights the 360 degree camera system with a view of the tow hitch and Pro Trailer Backup Assist, which makes reversing a van into a bush site far less stressful. The new Wolftrak, covered in our Everest Wolftrak report, adds an integrated trailer brake controller, and Ford says every Wolftrak comes with the Premium Towing Pack. On Ford's page on 26 October, the Everest Active 2.0L is from $60,000 drive-away, the Sport 2.0L from $70,000 and the Wolftrak from $73,000, with a seven year warranty when you service with Ford dealers. Those are advertised offers with conditions, so check the fine print with your dealer.
2. Toyota LandCruiser Prado: 3,500kg, and it is a bigger tow tug than before
The Toyota LandCruiser Prado lifted its braked towing capacity to 3,500kg, and Toyota's own page says that is half a tonne more than the previous model. You can have five seats on the GX and Altitude, a seven-seater on the VX and Kakadu, and a choice of five or seven on the GXL. Toyota sells a towing kit with a tow ball mount and tow ball separately, and the trailer wiring harness is sold separately again, so budget for the extras.
On price, the Prado starts at $73,200 before on-road costs, as we reported in our Pajero return story. It remains the safe choice for resale and dealer reach in the bush, which matters if you tow to remote places.
3. Toyota LandCruiser 300: 3,500kg, the premium touring pick
The Toyota LandCruiser 300 has a 3,500kg braked rating with its twin-turbo V6 diesel, according to Toyota's own LandCruiser page. Toyota also sells Performance Hybrid versions of the Sahara ZX and GR Sport using a 3.5 litre twin-turbo V6 with an extra electric motor, which Toyota says is designed for towing, off-roading and heavy-duty performance.
It is the dearest vehicle here bar the Patrol. Toyota's diesel list prices as of August were $99,270 for the GX, rising through the GXL, VX and Sahara, as set out in our Patrol vs LandCruiser 300 guide. That guide also covers how the two compare for service intervals and running costs if you are weighing the pair.
4. Nissan Patrol: 3,500kg and a V8
The new Nissan Patrol is the one that wins on seats, with room for up to eight. Nissan lists a 5.6 litre V8 petrol making 298kW and a 3,500kg braked towing capacity, which depends on fitting a Genuine Nissan tow bar. Nissan also offers a downloadable towing guide on its Patrol page, which is worth reading before you buy a van.
On Nissan's page on 26 October, drive-away pricing for postcode 5083 was $104,724 for the Ti and $116,684 for the Ti-L, so check your own postcode. Nissan advertises a 10 year, 300,000km warranty when you service with Nissan, falling back to five years unlimited kilometres if you do not. The catch is fuel: a big naturally aspirated petrol V8 will use more than a turbo diesel when it is working hard. Our Patrol Y63 production story has the latest on supply.
5. Isuzu MU-X: 3,500kg for far less money
The Isuzu MU-X is the value pick. Isuzu says every MU-X is rated to 3,500kg braked when fitted with the optional Genuine Isuzu tow bar kit and an electronic brake controller. All MU-Xs have seven seats and a five-star ANCAP rating, with a 3.0 litre or 2.2 litre turbo diesel, and Isuzu's warranty is six years or 150,000km.
When we last read Isuzu's offers page on 23 October, the 2025 build MU-X 4x2 LS-M 2.2 was $49,990 drive-away and the 4x4 LS-T 2.2 was $69,990, valid from 1 July to 31 October 2026, so ask your dealer what is current. Isuzu has also revealed a 150kW and 500Nm bi-turbo 2.2 litre diesel for 2027, as we covered in our Isuzu 2027 update story, but Thai showrooms get it first and we do not yet have Australian timing.
6. Mitsubishi Pajero Sport: 3,100kg and a long warranty
The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport has the lowest rating on the list at 3,100kg braked, from a 2.4 litre MIVEC turbo diesel. The GLS and Exceed are seven-seaters. Mitsubishi's page lists a 10 year warranty, up to 200,000km from first registration if you service at a Mitsubishi dealer, and five years or 100,000km if you do not. Mitsubishi does not publish a price on that page, only a dealer drive-away quote, so we have not listed one.
Plenty of caravans weigh well under 3,100kg when loaded, so this is a fair match if you tow a lighter van and want a long warranty.
7. Mitsubishi Pajero: the new one, not on the road yet
The Mitsubishi Pajero is back as a body-on-frame seven-seater a sister model to the Triton. As we reported, it has a 2.4 litre turbo diesel making 150kW and 480Nm and a 3,500kg braked tow rating, with prices from $68,490 before on-road costs and first deliveries due in December. Because it is not on the road yet, we have not tested it and we are going on the maker's announced figures. If you can wait, it is worth watching.
Other ways to tow
If the figure that matters most is the one on the price tag, the GWM Tank 500 diesel was priced from $65,990 drive-away with a 3,500kg rating at its August launch, as set out in our Tank 500 report. Our own LDV D90 report covers another 3,500kg option. If you would rather tow with a ute, see our best dual-cab utes, and for the wider 4WD market see our best 4WDs guide.
If you drive electric and want to tow, the rules change, because range falls sharply with a van behind you. Our guide to electric cars for towing lists the verified ratings and explains how much range you should expect to lose.
Cartell verdict
For most caravan owners the Everest is the pick: 3,500kg, a V6 option, good towing tech and a price that sits well below the LandCruiser and Patrol. The Isuzu MU-X is the budget answer, the Prado and LandCruiser are the resale and bush-support answer, the Patrol is the one if you need eight seats, and the Pajero Sport suits lighter vans. Whatever you pick, work out your caravan's loaded weight and ball weight first, then confirm them against the vehicle's compliance plate. If you need a seven-seater that is not a towing tool, start with our best seven-seater SUVs or cheapest 7-seaters.
Ratings, seating, warranty terms and prices in this guide were read from the manufacturers' Australian websites on 26 October 2026 (Isuzu pricing on 23 October) and can change. Prices are drive-away or before on-road costs as stated.
