Honda CR-V Towing Capacity: 2026 Gas vs Hybrid

For U.S. vehicles; figures from Honda's 2026 CR-V specifications table, read November 4, 2026. This guide covers the 2026 model year only.

The 2026 Honda CR-V tows 1,500 lb in gas form and 1,000 lb as a hybrid. Honda's specifications page lists the figure by trim, and the split follows powertrain rather than drivetrain. That makes the CR-V a light-duty tow vehicle: fine for a small utility trailer, tight for most campers and boats.

2026 CR-V towing capacity table

2026 CR-V trim	Powertrain	Towing capacity
LX	1.5L turbo gas	1,500 lb
EX	1.5L turbo gas	1,500 lb
EX-L	1.5L turbo gas	1,500 lb
Sport Hybrid	Two-motor hybrid	1,000 lb
Sport-L Hybrid	Two-motor hybrid	1,000 lb
TrailSport Hybrid	Two-motor hybrid	1,000 lb
Sport Touring Hybrid	Two-motor hybrid	1,000 lb

Why the hybrid tows 500 lb less

Honda does not explain the difference on the page we read, so we will not guess at the engineering. What the page shows is the pattern: all three turbo gas trims at 1,500 lb, all four hybrid trims at 1,000 lb. SUVLook's 2026 CR-V profile lists the engines as a 190-hp 1.5L turbo with a CVT and a 204-hp two-motor hybrid.

Honda's table also lists curb weights, which matter for any loaded-weight calculation: 3,472 lb (FWD) and 3,591 lb (AWD) for the LX; 3,752 lb (FWD) and 3,869 lb (AWD) for the Sport Hybrid; and 3,900 lb for the AWD-only TrailSport Hybrid. Curb weight is not a payload figure. Honda's page does not list payload, so we do not offer one.

What you can realistically tow at 1,000 or 1,500 lb

The rating covers the loaded trailer, not its brochure weight. Add gear, water, propane and batteries. A few things to check:

Utility and small cargo trailers: compare the trailer's empty weight plus your load to 1,500 lb (gas) or 1,000 lb (hybrid).
Pop-up and teardrop campers: read the listed gross weight, not the dry weight, and compare.
Boats: include the trailer, motor and fuel, not just the hull.

Tongue weight is the downward load on the hitch, and it counts against the vehicle's passenger-and-cargo capacity. We have no published CR-V tongue-weight limit to quote, so find it in the manual. SUVLook does not provide hitch-installation steps; use the owner's manual and a qualified installer, and check the door-jamb label.

Gas or hybrid for towing?

If you tow at all, the gas model gives the larger margin. The profile shows the gas CR-V LX starting at $30,920 and the Sport Hybrid at $35,630, both before destination, so the gas trims are also the cheaper way to get the higher rating. Cargo space favors gas as well: Honda lists 39.3 cu ft behind the seats (76.5 maximum) for gas models against 36.3 (71.8 maximum) for applicable hybrids.

The hybrid's draw is fuel economy; the profile cites up to 43 city / 36 highway mpg for the best hybrid configuration. If you need to tow more than 1,500 lb, no CR-V trim qualifies, and you should look at a different SUV.

How the CR-V compares with rivals

SUV (2026)	Published towing	Condition in SUVLook profile	Source
Honda CR-V	1,500 lb gas; 1,000 lb hybrid	By powertrain	Honda
Toyota RAV4	3,500 lb; 1,750 lb on lower-rated grades	3,500 lb on specified AWD grades	Toyota Newsroom
Chevrolet Equinox	1,500 lb; 800 lb FWD	1,500 lb on properly equipped AWD models	Chevrolet Newsroom
Subaru Forester	1,500 lb most trims; 3,500 lb Wilderness	Properly equipped	Subaru
Mazda CX-50	2,000 lb gas; 1,500 lb hybrid	Manufacturer-published U.S. specification	Mazda

The gas CR-V ties the Equinox's AWD rating and most Forester trims, but trails the CX-50 gas (2,000 lb) and the RAV4's best grades (3,500 lb). The hybrid CR-V's 1,000 lb is the lowest in this set. Head-to-head pages: CR-V vs RAV4, CR-V vs Equinox, CR-V vs Forester and CR-V vs CX-50. Sort the whole class on our SUV towing capacity chart.

A pre-purchase checklist for CR-V towing

With ratings of 1,500 lb (gas) and 1,000 lb (hybrid), the CR-V leaves little margin, so the loaded weight of the trailer is the number that decides everything.

Match the trim to its rating. LX, EX and EX-L are gas at 1,500 lb. Sport Hybrid, Sport-L Hybrid, TrailSport Hybrid and Sport Touring Hybrid are 1,000 lb in Honda's table.
Weigh the packed trailer. A small utility trailer with a modest load may fit; a camper loaded for a trip often will not. Use the gross weight, not the brochure's empty weight.
Do not count on AWD to raise the limit. Honda's table lists a single figure per trim and does not credit Real Time AWD with a higher rating, so the TrailSport's all-terrain focus does not change its 1,000-lb number.
Look for the footnote. The asterisk on Honda's towing row has a footnote we could not read. Find it in the owner's manual before assuming the rating applies without conditions such as trailer brakes or equipment.
Ask a dealer or qualified installer about hitch equipment. We do not describe installation here, and Honda's page we read did not list a tongue-weight limit.

If your trailer does not fit within these numbers, the answer is a different tow vehicle, not a workaround. Our SUV towing capacity chart lets you compare other SUVs on the same published basis.

Do not carry these numbers to other model years

This guide covers the 2026 CR-V. Honda's table for another year may list different figures, and we have not checked any other year for this article, so we do not extend the 1,500-lb and 1,000-lb ratings to them. If you are shopping a used CR-V, use the owner's manual for that exact model year and powertrain.

The same applies to trims. Honda's 2026 table lists seven trims, with three gas and four hybrid. A trim name on a used listing does not always tell you which powertrain is under the hood, so confirm the engine before you apply either rating. Our CR-V cargo guide covers the other year-to-year differences we track.

Frequently asked questions

How much can a 2026 Honda CR-V tow?

1,500 lb for the LX, EX and EX-L gas trims, and 1,000 lb for the hybrid trims, per Honda's specifications table.

Does AWD change the CR-V towing capacity?

Honda's table does not split the rating by drivetrain. It varies by trim and powertrain only.

Can a CR-V tow a camper?

Only a very light one. Compare the camper's loaded weight to 1,500 lb (gas) or 1,000 lb (hybrid), and check tongue weight in the manual.

Is a braked or unbraked rating published?

Not on the page we read. The towing row has an asterisk whose footnote we could not see, so confirm in the owner's manual.

Has SUVLook tested these ratings?

No. They are Honda-published figures; we did not tow with any vehicle.