How to work out your car towing capacity

9 May 2026

Towing capacity is the maximum weight your car can legally pull. The good news: it is easy to work out from figures already on your V5C logbook and the manufacturer documentation.

The formula

Towing capacity is the lower of two values: the manufacturer maximum braked towing weight, and the gross train weight minus the gross vehicle weight. You always keep the smaller of the two, never the larger.

The method in practice

Note the gross vehicle weight and the gross train weight, then the maximum braked towing weight from the handbook or VIN plate. Subtract, compare with the braked towing weight, keep the smaller result. No need to redo the maths for every car: each page on the site shows it already, engine by engine.

To go faster, compare two cars with the comparison tool, open a detailed page such as the Peugeot 3008, or read our primer on GVW, GTW and kerbweight. For the law, see also what licence you need to tow.

Every figure on the site is sourced and never invented: a missing value stays blank rather than guessed.