The Lexus GX 460 is a powerful luxury SUV with great off-road capabilities. The towing potential of this car, however, hasn’t been explored in great detail. In this article, we’ll find out the exact towing capacity of this car and discuss what you can ultimately tow. Let’s get started.
The Lexus GX 460 (with a hitch recommended by Lexus) has had a maximum towing capacity of 6,500 pounds since its inception in 2010. It is offered in multiple engine variations, including 460 6AT (305 HP), 4.6 V8 6AT (305 HP), and 4.6L V8 (301 HP). Lexus has mentioned the same towing capacity for all models of this car, i.e., 6,500 pounds, but you can expect slight variations due to engine variations.
Below we discuss the detailed towing capabilities of this car. We have mentioned the towing capacities of the Lexus GX 460 since 2010. We have then mentioned the weights of several trailer types and matched them against the towing capacity of this car. Lastly, we have analyzed the performance of this car within its competition.
Maximum Towing Capacity By Year
Although Lexus has provided official towing stats for this car, they don’t recommend regular towing as it will accelerate your car’s depreciation. The following table mentions the towing capacities of the Lexus GX 460 over the years. We can note that there hasn’t been any change as the towing capacity of 6,500 pounds remains constant over the years. Also, Lexus has no intention of improving these figures in the future.
| Year | Engine | Towing Capacity (lbs) | Note |
| 2021 | All | 6,500 | This towing capacity includes trailer weight plus cargo weight. |
| 2020 | All | 6,500 | This towing capacity includes trailer weight plus cargo weight. |
| 2019 | All | 6,500 | This towing capacity includes trailer weight plus cargo weight. |
| 2018 | All | 6,500 | This towing capacity includes trailer weight plus cargo weight. |
| 2017 | All | 6,500 | This towing capacity includes trailer weight plus cargo weight. |
| 2016 | All | 6,500 | This towing capacity includes trailer weight plus cargo weight. |
| 2015 | All | 6,500 | This towing capacity includes trailer weight plus cargo weight. |
| 2014 | All | 6,500 | This towing capacity includes trailer weight plus cargo weight. |
| 2013 | All | 6,500 | This towing capacity includes trailer weight plus cargo weight. |
| 2012 | All | 6,500 | This towing capacity includes trailer weight plus cargo weight. |
| 2011 | All | 6,500 | This towing capacity includes trailer weight plus cargo weight. |
| 2010 | All | 6,500 | This towing capacity includes trailer weight plus cargo weight. |
Can It Tow a Trailer, Boat, or Jet Ski?
Lots of trailers are available in the market to accompany you on your journey to the wild. You must know the weight of a particular trailer before you tow it with your car. We have done an extensive research to identify the weighing limits of different types of trailers. We have then matched these weight limits against the towing capacity of the Lexus GX 460.
All Lexus GX 460 SUV models can tow most of the medium and large-sized trailers with a maximum weight limit of 6,500 pounds. However, you’ll have to be careful when these trailers are fully loaded with maximum payload. For instance, a dump trailer weighs 4,500 pounds when it’s empty, but it can weigh up to 16,900 pounds which is way beyond the towing capacity of The Lexus GX 460.
| Trailer Type | Average Empty Weight (lbs.) | Average Total Loaded Weight (lbs.) | Can A Lexus GX 460 Tow It? |
| Canoe / Kayak Trailer | 200 | 400 | Yes, it can tow both empty and loaded trailers of this type. |
| Jet Ski Trailer | 300 | 1,800 | Yes, it can tow both empty and loaded trailers of this type. |
| Motorcycle Trailer | 500 | 2,400 | Yes, it can tow both empty and loaded trailers of this type. |
| Teardrop Trailer | 1,700 | 2,400 | Yes, it can tow both empty and loaded trailers of this type. |
| Small Open Utility Trailer | 700 | 2,500 | Yes, it can tow both empty and loaded trailers of this type. |
| A-Frame Camper | 1,700 | 2,900 | Yes, it can tow both empty and loaded trailers of this type. |
| Small Enclosed Utility Trailer | 1,000 | 3,200 | Yes, it can tow both empty and loaded trailers of this type. |
| Fishing Boat Trailer | 600 | 3,300 | Yes, it can tow both empty and loaded trailers of this type. |
| Pop Up Camper | 2,300 | 3,400 | Yes, it can tow both empty and loaded trailers of this type. |
| Small Travel Trailer | 2,800 | 3,600 | Yes, it can tow both empty and loaded trailers of this type. |
| Tow Dolly | 600 | 4,000 | Yes, it can tow both empty and loaded trailers of this type. |
| Large Enclosed Utility Trailer | 2,700 | 7,100 | It can only tow an empty trailer of this category. |
| Small Horse Trailer | 2,900 | 7,200 | It can only tow an empty trailer of this category. |
| Large Travel Trailer | 6,700 | 8,300 | No. |
| Car Trailer | 1,900 | 9,000 | It can only tow an empty trailer of this category. |
| Large Flatbed Trailer | 3,000 | 10,400 | It can only tow an empty trailer of this category. |
| Large Boat Trailer | 2,200 | 13,600 | It can only tow an empty trailer of this category. |
| Dump Trailer | 4,500 | 16,900 | It can only tow an empty trailer of this category. |
| Toy Hauler | 7,600 | 17,900 | No. |
| Large Livestock Trailer | 7,300 | 18,700 | No. |
| 5th Wheel Camper | 12,700 | 18,700 | No. |
| Gooseneck Flatbed Trailer | 7,200 | 23,200 | No. |
- Kayak: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow a kayak trailer. On average, an empty kayak trailer will weigh 200 pounds. A loaded kayak trailer will weigh an average of 400 pounds with a maximum of 800 pounds which is well within the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- Jet Ski Trailer: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow a jet ski trailer. On average, an empty jet ski trailer will weigh 300 pounds. A loaded jet ski trailer will weigh an average of 1,800 pounds with a maximum of 3,000 pounds which is within the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- Motorcycle Trailer: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow a motorcycle trailer. On average, an empty motorcycle trailer will weigh 500 pounds. A loaded motorcycle trailer will weigh an average of 2,400 pounds with a maximum of 3,500 pounds which is within the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- Teardrop Trailer: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow a teardrop trailer. On average, an empty teardrop trailer will weigh 1,700 pounds. A loaded teardrop trailer will weigh an average of 2,400 pounds which is within the range of the Lexus GX 460. Some teardrop trailers will weigh a maximum of 6,000 pounds which is also within the limits of the Lexus GX 460.
- Small Open Utility Trailer: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow a small open utility trailer. On average, an empty small open utility trailer will weigh 700 pounds. A loaded small open utility trailer will weigh an average of 2,500 pounds with a maximum of 3,000 pounds which is within the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- A-Frame Camper: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow an a-frame camper. On average, an empty a-frame camper weighs 1,700 pounds. A loaded a-frame camper will weigh an average of 2,900 pounds with a maximum of 3,600 pounds which is within the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- Small Enclosed Utility Trailer: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow an empty small enclosed utility trailer. On average, an empty small enclosed utility trailer weighs 1,000 pounds. A loaded small enclosed utility trailer will weigh an average of 3,200 pounds with a maximum of 7,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- Fishing Boat Trailer: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow a fishing boat trailer. On average, an empty fishing boat trailer weighs 600 pounds. A loaded fishing boat trailer will weigh an average of 3,300 pounds with a maximum of 6,000 pounds which is within the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- Pop-Up Camper: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow a pop-up camper. On average, an empty pop-up camper weighs 2,300 pounds. A loaded pop-up camper will weigh an average of 3,400 pounds with a maximum of 4,000 pounds which is within the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- Small Travel Trailer: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow a small travel trailer. On average, an empty small travel trailer weighs 2,800 pounds. A loaded small travel trailer will weigh an average of 3,600 pounds with a maximum of 4,500 pounds which is within the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- Tow Dolly: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow a tow dolly. On average, an empty tow dolly weighs 600 pounds. A loaded tow dolly will weigh an average of 4,000 pounds with a maximum of 5,000 pounds which is within the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- Large Enclosed Utility Trailer: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow an empty large enclosed utility trailer. On average, an empty large enclosed utility trailer weighs 2,700 pounds. A loaded large enclosed utility trailer weighs an average of 7,100 pounds with a maximum of 10,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- Small Horse Trailer: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow an empty small horse trailer. On average, an empty small horse trailer weighs 2,900 pounds. A loaded small horse trailer weighs an average of 7,200 pounds with a maximum of 8,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- Car Trailer: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow an empty car trailer. On average, an empty car trailer weighs 1,900 pounds. A loaded car trailer weighs an average of 9,000 pounds with a maximum of 15,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- Large Flatbed Trailer: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow an empty large flatbed trailer. On average, an empty large flatbed trailer weighs 3,000 pounds. A loaded large flatbed trailer weighs an average of 10,400 pounds with a maximum of 26,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Lexus GX 460.
- Large Boat Trailer: All Lexus GX 460 models will be able to tow an empty large boat trailer. On average, an empty large boat trailer weighs 2,200 pounds. A loaded large boat trailer weighs an average of 13,600 pounds with a maximum of 34,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Lexus GX 460.
How Well Can It Tow Compared to its Competitors?
SUVs are generally offered in many variations, including comfort, sport, premium, and luxury features. Not all manufacturers design their cars as multi-purpose vehicles. The following table mentions the towing capacities of several SUVs that compete with the Lexus GX 460 and if you’d like, you can also read our individual articles on the towing capacity of the RX350, LX470, LX570, and GX460.
We can witness that some cars have a tremendous towing capacity on top of several other features. 2021 Infiniti QX80 has a remarkable towing capacity of 8,500 pounds, 2,000 pounds more than the Lexus GX 460. Similar is the case with the 2021 GMC Yukon with 8,400 pounds. The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport has a better towing capacity of 7,716 pounds. Lexus has to improve the towing capacity of the GX 460 as the competition is ahead.
| Year / Make / Model | Min. Towing Capacity (lbs.) | Max. Towing Capacity (lbs.) |
| 2021 Toyota 4Runner | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| 2021 Infiniti QX80 | 8,500 | 8,500 |
| 2021 GMC Yukon | 8,400 | 8,400 |
| 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport | 7,716 | 7,716 |
| 2021 Volvo XC90 | 4,000 | 5,000 |
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