What Is The Toyota Sienna AWD Towing Capacity?

Last Updated on January 29, 2023 by Leepu Da Maxim

The 2021 version of the Toyota Sienna AWD has a towing capacity of up to 3500 pounds in any of its trim levels. The towing capacity is the same as the Sienna Limited AWD or Sienna XSE FWD model. In some cases, a towing package may be required to prevent damage. 

Key Takeaways

• You should keep in mind that the exact towing capacity of the Toyota Sienna AWD varies depending on the model year and trim level of the vehicle
• The exact towing capacity of a vehicle is affected by quite a few factors like the weight of the vehicle, the weight of the trailer, cargo weight, etc.
• Toyota Sienna AWD has a minivan design and can carry up to 8 passengers

Toyota Sienna AWD Towing Capacity – Main Aspects

Aspects	Description
Towing capacity	3,500 lbs.
Payload	1,125 – 1,380 lbs.
GVWR	5,995 lbs.
GCWR	8,990 lbs.
Tongue Weight	9% – 11% of the total trailer weight

Can I Tow A Trailer With A Toyota Sienna?

Among the most popular Toyota vehicles of recent times is the Toyota Sienna. This vehicle is highly chosen for offering great interior space and considerable towing capacity. There may be a need for a towing package to match this vehicle when it comes to heavy towing.

This is the most common way to take advantage of the maximum towing capacity of this vehicle without suffering any damage to any components. A Toyota Sienna can tow up to 3500 pounds. Of course, this requires a towing package to maximize the maximum capacity.

This type of vehicle has a minivan design and can carry up to 8 passengers. So this is one of the most remarkable and versatile vehicles that can be used to transport a large family or some trailer.

When it comes to a small travel trailer, the Toyota Sienna is one of the best options. To better understand this, it is necessary to analyze the most critical factors in towing the vehicle. 

Trailer Brakes

A vehicle must have a towing package to tow a trailer. This usually includes towing brakes that provide greater power for the car. Braking a more significant amount of weight requires more wear and tear on conventional brakes. Each car model has an unbraked trailer weight limit.

This means the amount of weight towed before towing brakes is required. The owner’s manual for the 2020 Toyota Sienna model has an unbraked trailer weight limit of 1000 pounds. So towing a small trailer will require trailer brakes. A trailer brake controller may even be necessary as well.

Trailer Rating

As we mentioned, the 2020 or 2021 Toyota Sienna has a towing capacity of up to 3500 pounds, according to the owner’s manual.

Toyota Sienna from earlier days in the industry has a low towing capacity of 2000 pounds. This is logical because the vehicle needs additional components due to the extra wear and tear from the increased workload.

Tongue weight 

When we talk about the tongue weight, we refer to the weight that the trailer puts on the Toyota vehicle’s hitch. This component should only add or account for 9 to 11% of the trailer’s total weight. This is a crucial aspect to avoid trailer sway at certain speeds.

By complying with this requirement, the driver can notice that a stable and safe ride is obtained at all times. So this percentage should be calculated, considering that the maximum towing capacity is 3,500 pounds. It is possible to add some weight to the rear or front to meet this requirement.

Payload

If you look into the owner’s manual of the 2020 Toyota Sienna, the vehicle’s total weight can vary between 1125 pounds and 1380 pounds. So this allows us to calculate the payload, which is about the importance of the tow tongue, the weight of the passengers, and the weight of all the cargo.

Of course, the different components added to this allow us to affect the rating. Having a towing package is one factor that affects this rating, although it provides the right results to take advantage of the maximum towing capacity.

GVWR

This acronym stands for gross vehicle weight rating. It is the total weight of a vehicle, including the importance of the trailer tongue, persons, cargo to be transported, and the weight of the entire car itself. Sometimes it may be helpful to check the vehicle certification label as Toyota does not provide this data for any Sienna model.

Sometimes people can find some data on Google that indicates that the gross weight rating of the Toyota Sienna is approximately 6000 pounds. However, the exact figure will always be found on the vehicle’s certification label.

GCWR

Lastly, we must also consider the gross combination weight rating. This incorporates each of the factors of the gross vehicle weight rating and adds the weight of the trailer that needs to be towed. So the entire weight of the vehicle and the whole weight of the trailer is included in this rating.

Standard passenger vehicles can use the scales used by 18-wheelers. This way, you can know the gross combination weight rating of a Toyota Sienna combined with a given trailer. We can count on a gross combined weight rating of 8990 pounds when it comes to a Toyota Sienna AWD. 

Is Toyota Sienna AWD worth it?

Compared to the other Toyota Sienna models, the AWD traction can be very suitable to traverse different uneven roads or off-road trails. AWD allows a vehicle to better adapt to the various imperfections of any natural setting. 

Having only a 2-wheel drive in the middle of a snowstorm or on a muddy road can be a real problem. In this situation, AWD provides a great result and provides a more remarkable driving ability. That’s why the Toyota Sienna with AWD has become so much more popular when it comes to getting a versatile vehicle for long-distance travel.

Many people often choose to incorporate a towing package to optimize the capabilities of this vehicle. This is a set of parts added to this vehicle to take advantage of the vehicle’s maximum towing capacity. 

References:

https://getjerry.com/questions/what-is-the-toyota-siennas-towing-capacity

https://www.frontiertoyota.com/2022-toyota-sienna-towing-capacity/