2005 Ford Escape Towing Capacity

Find out how much the 2005 Ford Escape can pull, across 14 different trims.

In this article, we'll give you important data and details about the 2005 Ford Escape, including the towing capacity, engine size, gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), curb weight, payload capacity, horsepower, torque, axle ratio, drive type, transmission type, and more.

Select a trim from the list below to view the towing capacity data. The 2005 Ford Escape trims have been ordered by towing capacity, from the highest value of 2,000 lbs to the lowest value of 1,000 lbs.

If you need any help explaining the terms used in the tables below, you can find a glossary of terms at the bottom of this article.

Limited 3.0L Automatic 4x4
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 2,000
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,520
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,482
Payload Capacity (lbs) 1,038
Horsepower (hp) 200
Torque (lb-ft) 193
Axle Ratio 2.93
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,440
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,255
Limited 3.0L Automatic Front-wheel Drive
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 2,000
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,380
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,303
Payload Capacity (lbs) 1,077
Horsepower (hp) 200
Torque (lb-ft) 193
Axle Ratio 2.93
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,380
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,175
XLT 3.0L Automatic 4x4
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 2,000
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,520
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,482
Payload Capacity (lbs) 1,038
Horsepower (hp) 200
Torque (lb-ft) 193
Axle Ratio 2.93
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,440
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,255
XLT 3.0L Automatic Front-wheel Drive
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 2,000
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,380
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,303
Payload Capacity (lbs) 1,077
Horsepower (hp) 200
Torque (lb-ft) 193
Axle Ratio 2.93
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,380
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,175
XLT 3.0L Automatic Sport 4x4
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 2,000
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,520
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,482
Payload Capacity (lbs) 1,038
Horsepower (hp) 200
Torque (lb-ft) 193
Axle Ratio 2.93
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,440
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,255
XLT 3.0L Automatic Sport Front-wheel Drive
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 2,000
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,380
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,303
Payload Capacity (lbs) 1,077
Horsepower (hp) 200
Torque (lb-ft) 193
Axle Ratio 2.93
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,380
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,175
XLS 2.3L Automatic 4x4
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 1,500
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,420
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,408
Payload Capacity (lbs) 1,012
Horsepower (hp) 153
Torque (lb-ft) 152
Axle Ratio 2.93
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,380
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,215
XLS 2.3L Automatic Front-wheel Drive
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 1,500
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,260
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,260
Payload Capacity (lbs) 1,000
Horsepower (hp) 153
Torque (lb-ft) 152
Axle Ratio 2.93
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,320
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,115
XLS 2.3L Manual 4x4
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 1,500
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,360
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,344
Payload Capacity (lbs) 1,016
Horsepower (hp) 153
Torque (lb-ft) 152
Axle Ratio 2.93
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,320
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,215
XLS 2.3L Manual Front-wheel Drive
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 1,500
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,180
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,180
Payload Capacity (lbs) 1,000
Horsepower (hp) 153
Torque (lb-ft) 152
Axle Ratio 2.93
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,240
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,115
XLT 2.3L Automatic 4x4
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 1,500
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,520
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,482
Payload Capacity (lbs) 1,038
Horsepower (hp) 153
Torque (lb-ft) 152
Axle Ratio 2.93
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,440
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,255
XLT 2.3L Automatic Front-wheel Drive
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 1,500
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,380
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,303
Payload Capacity (lbs) 1,077
Horsepower (hp) 153
Torque (lb-ft) 152
Axle Ratio 2.93
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,380
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,175
Hybrid 4x4
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 1,000
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,720
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,792
Payload Capacity (lbs) 928
Horsepower (hp) 133
Torque (lb-ft) 124
Axle Ratio 3.04
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,440
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,255
Hybrid Front-wheel Drive
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs) 1,000
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lbs) 4,680
Curb Weight (lbs) 3,627
Payload Capacity (lbs) 1,053
Horsepower (hp) 133
Torque (lb-ft) 124
Axle Ratio 3.04
Drive Type
Transmission Type
Turbocharger
Wheelbase 103.10
Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,380
Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (lbs) 2,175

2005 Ford Escape Towing Capacity Terms

In the tables above, you'll see a lot of terms that you may not be familiar with. Here's a quick rundown of what they each mean and why each of them is important when it comes to towing capacity.

Maximum Towing Capacity

This is the maximum weight that the 2005 Ford Escape can tow.

If you are driving at altitudes above 3,280ft (or 1,000m) of sea level, the weight you can tow needs to be reduced by about 10% for every additional 3,280ft (or 1,000m) of altitude. This is because the air is thinner at higher altitudes, which means that the engine has to work harder to pull the same weight.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)

The GVWR the maximum weight of the 2005 Ford Escape when fully loaded. This includes the weight of the vehicle, passengers, cargo, and any accessories or equipment that you have added to the vehicle.

You can find this number in the vehicle owner's manual, or on a sticker on the driver's side door jamb.

Curb Weight

The curb weight of the Ford Escape is the weight of the vehicle with a full tank of gas, but with no passengers or cargo and the standard options that come with the vehicle.

Payload Capacity

The term "payload" is the weight of all the things that you put in the vehicle, including passengers, cargo, and any accessories or equipment that you have added. It can be increased by upgrading certain options, for example:

  • Better suspension springs
  • Coil-over shock absorbers
  • A longer truck bed
  • Attached a trailer to the vehicle
  • Adding bed rails

Horsepower

Horsepower is a measure of the power of the engine. It is the amount of work that the engine can do in a given amount of time.

In simple terms, the more horsepower a vehicle has, the more weight it can pull.

Torque

Measured in lb-ft, torque is the amount of force that the engine can apply to the wheels. This is an important metric for towing because better torque means you can pull weight at lower RPMs, which is better for the engine.

Axle Ratio

The axle ratio is the ratio of the number of turns of the drive shaft for every one turn of the wheels. The higher the axle ratio, the more torque is applied to the wheels.

Drive Type

The drive type is the type of transmission that the 2005 Ford Escape has. There are three main types:

  • Front-wheel drive (FWD)
  • Rear-wheel drive (RWD)
  • All-wheel drive (AWD)

All-wheel drive is the best type of drive type for towing because it distributes the weight of the vehicle evenly across all four wheels. Rear-wheel drive is also acceptable, but front-wheel drive is not recommended because they aren't able to pull as much weight.

Transmission Type

Transmission usually means manual or automatic. Some vehicles have a towing mode that will protect the transmission from damage when towing heavy loads - which can cause overheating and failure.

Turbocharger

A turbocharger is a device that forces more air into the engine, which increases the amount of fuel that can be burned. This increases the amount of power that the engine can produce.

If your vehicle has a turbocharger, it will be able to tow more weight than a vehicle without one.

Wheelbase

The wheelbase is the distance between the front and rear wheels. The longer the wheelbase, the more weight the vehicle can tow.

Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)

The front GAWR is the maximum weight that the front axle can support. This is usually a number that is stamped on the axle itself.

Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)

The rear GAWR is the maximum weight that the rear axle can support. This is usually a number that is stamped on the axle itself.

More Ford Escape Vehicles by Year

The list below will let you compare the 2005 Ford Escape towing capacity to previous years.