The minivan has been a dependable family hauler ever since it first rolled onto the automotive scene in 1984. It's never quite managed to shake its unglamorous reputation, which goes a long way toward explaining why crossovers and SUVs have exploded in popularity. Even so, minivans share plenty of DNA with their SUV counterparts — a Honda Odyssey and a Honda Pilot, for example, are built on essentially the same platform — and the minivan consistently proves to be the more practical choice for family duty.
That shared DNA brings another advantage along with it: towing capability. We're not suggesting you hook up a massive 38-foot travel trailer, but many minivans offer a respectable towing capacity that handles lighter loads without breaking a sweat — think a small pop-up camper or a couple of personal watercraft. And when it comes to genuinely comfortable third-row seating, minivans routinely leave their crossover rivals in the dust.
The challenge facing today's minivan market is a combination of rising costs and shrinking selection. Brands like Chevrolet abandoned the segment years ago, and smaller options continue to vanish. New models are increasingly rare, and the ones that remain don't come with bargain price tags.
Rather than zeroing in exclusively on new vehicles, we're approaching this by price range — from under $10,000 all the way to $40,000 and beyond. Here's our breakdown of the best minivans for towing at every budget.
The Best Minivans for Towing in 2026
FAQs
What Makes CarGurus Best Cars Guides Different
Shopping Tools
Related Topics
2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
Price Range: Under $10,000
Max. towing capacity: 3,600 pounds
It comes as no surprise that the Dodge Grand Caravan — together with its platform siblings, the Chrysler Town & Country and the Ram C/V Tradesman — earns a place on this list. It's the undisputed king of the minivan segment. Even during stretches when minivan sales were routinely described as "flat," "declining," or "dying," Dodge was still moving roughly 125,000 Grand Caravans every year. What works in your favor as a used-car shopper is that about two-thirds of those units went directly into rental fleets. When Budget and Enterprise cycled their vans out of service, they flooded the used market with well-maintained examples at rock-bottom prices. Think of it as an indirect subsidy for your next summer road trip.
The upshot is that fifth-generation (2008–2020) Dodge Grand Caravans can be found on the used market for surprisingly little money. A budget under $10,000 can land you a 2016 Grand Caravan with fewer than 80,000 miles on the odometer. Keep an eye out for the American Value Package, or AVP trim — essentially an SE with a handful of extras, including a touchscreen navigation panel not offered on the base SE. It was a strong value when new, and it's an even better deal secondhand.
Beginning in 2011, the Grand Caravan — even in base AVP trim — came standard with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 making 283 horsepower, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. That's a capable powertrain for towing. The Grand Caravan is rated to pull 3,600 pounds, which is more than sufficient for a tent trailer, a sizable utility trailer, a small boat, or a pair of personal watercraft. Earlier model years in this generation may not include a reversing camera as standard equipment — it's a genuinely useful feature when hitching up a trailer. Aftermarket options are plentiful and affordable, and we strongly recommend adding one.
Search for Dodge Grand-Caravan
See all
2014–2021 Kia Sedona
Price Range: $10,000–$20,000
Max. towing capacity: 3,500 pounds
Kia's minivan has seen its share of ups and downs over the years, but the 2014 to 2021 generation sold in the United States as the Sedona was a genuinely impressive machine. Interior quality took a meaningful step forward compared to Chrysler's offerings, and later models featured the Hyundai Lambda II GDi V6 engine, channeling 280 hp through a smooth eight-speed automatic transmission.
A $10,000 to $20,000 budget stretches quite far in the Sedona market. At the top of that range, you're looking at a 2020 Sedona LX with around 45,000 miles. If you're willing to accept slightly higher mileage — around 80,000 miles — a 2016 Sedona SX Limited comes within reach, a trim that brings considerably more comfort and equipment. One important caveat: while Kia is well known for its industry-leading 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, that coverage doesn't transfer fully to subsequent owners. After a sale, the warranty drops to five years/60,000 miles. That's still a meaningful benefit if you fall within those thresholds, but it's worth factoring into your decision-making.
The good news is that virtually any Sedona from this generation will come equipped with a reversing camera — by 2014, they were nearly universal across the lineup.
Towing capacity matches the Grand Caravan at 3,500 pounds. You'll need a Class III receiver hitch and a trailer wiring harness; the hitch runs around $220 in the aftermarket.
If you're after something more current, the Kia Carnival Hybrid is worth a look — one of the few minivans still available new today, it occupies a compelling space somewhere between a traditional minivan and a three-row SUV.
2018–2022 Honda Odyssey
Price Range: $20,000–$30,000
Max. towing capacity: 3,500 pounds
The Odyssey has always carried one notable drawback: its sticker price. A fully loaded 2026 Honda Odyssey Elite can push past $51,000 — a steep ask for a vehicle aimed squarely at family budgets.
What works in your favor, however, is that unlike most Honda models, the Odyssey depreciates at a fairly brisk pace after purchase. A three-year-old example with a typical 30,000 miles frequently hits the used market at roughly half its original MSRP. A CarGurus search surfaces plenty of inventory in the $25,000 range with average mileage and solid condition. Push toward the $30,000 ceiling and you can find a fully loaded 2019 Odyssey Touring EX with just over 25,000 miles for around $29,600 — a trim level that brings advanced safety technology including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, and automatic emergency braking.
Shopping in this price range also means you're virtually guaranteed to get a reversing camera as standard equipment, which takes a lot of the stress out of hitching up a trailer. Towing capacity lands right in the minivan sweet spot at 3,500 pounds.
2023 Toyota Sienna
Price Range: $30,000–$40,000
Max. towing capacity: 3,500 pounds
Browsing CarGurus listings, it's easy to find a lightly used 2023 Sienna for around $35,000 — roughly $4,000 less than the base price of a new FWD 2026 Sienna LE. AWD versions also turn up in this price range for buyers who want all-weather capability built in.
I once spent a week behind the wheel of a new Sienna on a family vacation to Maine. My usual road-trip vehicle was a 1996 Buick Roadmaster wagon — a car I loved dearly but that my family had grown to resent after it overheated two summers running, forcing us to blast the heater on the return trip just to keep the coolant temperature in check. The Sienna was a revelation by comparison. The second-row captain's chairs gave each of my kids their own personal space, which they appreciated far more than they'd ever admit. And where we once had to strap gear to the Roadmaster's roof rack, the Sienna simply kept absorbing more luggage, courtesy of 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats.
Towing capacity comes in at 3,500 pounds, and every current-generation Sienna comes standard with a reversing camera to take the guesswork out of trailer hookups and tight parking situations.
2025 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV
Price Range: $40,000 and up
Max. towing capacity: 3,600 pounds
In our estimation, the Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) — with its dual sliding doors and cavernous interior — is the definitive vehicle for large families. It makes a compelling case lightly used, and it remains available as a new purchase as well.
Fuel economy has long been one of the minivan segment's most glaring weaknesses. These are large, heavy vehicles powered by robust V6 engines, and efficiency has never been their calling card. The Pacifica PHEV turns that narrative on its head with its plug-in hybrid powertrain. For trips up to 32 miles, the van runs entirely on electric power. Picture it on vacation: you tow your tent trailer to the campground, plug in overnight, and spend the following day making runs to the beach and into town without ever pulling into a gas station. But unlike a pure EV — which might leave you sweating over range — the Pacifica has a conventional internal combustion engine waiting in reserve once the electric range runs out. The combined result is 82 MPGe, and you can go wherever you need to go regardless of whether a charging station is anywhere nearby. The Pacifica also features Chrysler's clever Stow 'n Go seating system, adding yet another layer of everyday versatility.
Towing capacity for the PHEV is 3,600 pounds — identical to the gas-powered Pacifica. An available surround-view camera system shows you not just what's directly behind you, but what's around the entire vehicle, making trailer hookups and tight-space parking genuinely straightforward. The one notable limitation: the PHEV is only offered with front-wheel drive.
Search for Chrysler Pacifica
See all
The Best Minivans for Towing in 2026 FAQs
How much can a minivan tow?
Most modern minivans are rated to tow between 3,500 and 3,600 pounds, which is enough to handle a small boat, a pop-up camper, a tent trailer, or a pair of personal watercraft. That capacity is consistent across popular models like the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Kia Sedona, and Chrysler Pacifica. While minivans aren't built for heavy-duty hauling, they're well-matched to the kinds of loads most families actually need to pull.
What is the best used minivan for towing if I'm on a tight budget?
Under $10,000, the Dodge Grand Caravan is the standout pick — its 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 makes 283 horsepower and is rated to tow 3,600 pounds, and because so many Grand Caravans spent time in rental fleets, used examples are plentiful and affordable. A 2016 model with fewer than 80,000 miles can realistically be found for under $10,000. If your budget stretches to $10,000–$20,000, the Kia Sedona offers a step up in interior quality with a smooth eight-speed automatic and a matching 3,500-pound towing capacity.
Is the Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey a better used minivan buy?
Both offer 3,500 pounds of towing capacity, but they suit slightly different needs and budgets. The Honda Odyssey depreciates quickly, so a three-year-old example with around 30,000 miles often sells for roughly half its original MSRP, making it strong value in the $20,000–$30,000 range. The Toyota Sienna, which turns up lightly used in the $30,000–$40,000 range, adds the option of all-wheel drive — a meaningful advantage if you live somewhere with harsh winters.
Can the Chrysler Pacifica PHEV actually tow a trailer despite being a plug-in hybrid?
Yes — the Pacifica PHEV is rated to tow 3,600 pounds, identical to its gas-powered counterpart, so it doesn't give anything up on the towing front. Its plug-in system delivers up to 32 miles of all-electric driving, which means short campground runs and daily errands can happen without burning any gasoline. Once the electric range is depleted, the conventional engine takes over seamlessly, so range anxiety isn't a concern on longer towing trips.
What Makes CarGurus Best Cars Guides Different?
Most car-shopping websites publish lists of the best cars across a variety of categories, with recommendations generally driven by editorial expertise. Here's what makes ours different: In addition to the insights and verdicts of our team of car-testing experts, our best cars guides take into account other factors that we know matter to buyers-real owner experiences and current market value.
Our expert reviewers are among this country's most trusted automotive journalists, also writing for publications including US News and World Report, Edmunds, Digital Trends, J.D. Power, and Car & Driver. They put each car through real-world testing and create detailed reviews of performance in a range of categories, from practicality and driving manners to cost-effectiveness and safety.
We also analyze hundreds of thousands of used car listings on CarGurus.com to track which models consistently offer the highest percentage of best deals relative to how many are listed for sale. Then we factor in reviews from owners-people who actually live with these cars every day. Our proprietary Best Cars algorithm then creates a final Overall CarGurus rating combining expert scores, user reviews, and the percentage of listings that have earned the Good or Great Deal rating. This multi-pronged approach reveals not just which cars excel on paper, but which ones deliver satisfaction and value when you're ready to buy.
The CarGurus market data used in this guide was last updated in July 2026. Values were accurate at time of publication and should be used as a guide only.
Shopping Tools
Related Topics
