Best Budget Tow Rigs in 2024

Intro

Trucks have morphed from being primarily work vehicles to personal transportation devices for families. However, there are still people out there that need a truck for doing truck things, such as towing. If you are one of those people, and towing is your primary objective, you have probably noticed that tow rigs can be expensive. Unfortunately, we can’t do anything about the price of trucks. But we can help you get the most bang for your buck. We built a list of the ten best budget tow rigs in 2024. We selected five new 2024 trucks and five used trucks.

For the new trucks we referenced the tow rating charts that Ford provides for each truck. We only looked at conventional tow ratings, not fifth-wheel or gooseneck. We then went on the Ford configurator and built the cheapest version of the truck that would give us the best tow rating per dollar. We then divided the configured price by the tow rating. That told us how many dollars that you would have to spend per pound of towing capacity. We then ranked them with the lower cost per pound being the best deal.

We did similar for used trucks. But it is important to note that the sheer number of used Ford trucks and configurations makes it impossible to evaluate every combination. So, what we did was went back five years and looked at 2019 models. Then we looked on CarGurus to get an average asking price and performed the same price/tow rating calculations. We also took a look further back for comparison’s sake and grabbed a 2015 model. We fully realize that you can probably find tow rigs for less than $5K and come up with even better budget rigs. But we had to draw the line somewhere and we stuck to newer, used vehicles that should still have plenty of life left in them. There are some great new and used budget tow rigs out there. Keep reading to find out some of the best. 

New #5 – Maverick XL EcoBoost AWD ($7.10/lb.)

If you need a serious tow rig, the Ford Maverick is probably not what you will be looking at. However, it does have some towing ability, and a low price, so we thought it would be a good benchmark for comparing against more serious tow rigs. The Maverick XL EcoBoost with AWD can tow 4,000 pounds. And we were able to configure one for just $28,300. That is significantly less expensive than any other new truck on our list. However, thanks to the low tow rating, the inexpensive Maverick ends up costing far more per pound of towing ability than many others listed here.

Used #5 – 2019 Ranger 4x4 SuperCab Towing Package 2.3L ($2.67/lb.)

A 2019 Ranger Ranger 4x4 SuperCab with the Towing Package can tow 7,500 pounds. Our research showed that you can find one of these in decent shape for about $20,000. That comes out to just $2.67 per pound of towing capacity. A 2024 Ranger will cost you over double the price per pound. This illustrates just how good a deal it is to go with a used vehicle compared to new. It might not be the latest and greatest, but if you just care about towing stuff, a used truck is a far better value.

New #4 – Ranger XL SuperCrew 4WD EcoBoost ($5.13/lb.)

The new Ranger is a great truck, but as you can see, compared to a used 2019 version, you will be paying much more for the same towing capacity. The new Ranger XL SuperCrew 4WD with the EcoBoost engine and optional Trailer Tow Package will tow 7,500 pounds and it will cost you at least $38,455. The new Ranger has some advantages over the previous generation, but as a budget tow rig, the old one wins easily.

Used #4 - 2019 F-350 DRW CrewCab 4x4 6.7L ($2.38/lb.)

Now we are getting into the more serious tow rigs, and you will begin to see the cost per pound of tow rating really tumble. The general takeaway here is that if you really need a tow rig, the bigger trucks that are made for the task are better value. Even if those trucks are more expensive to purchase. A 2019 F-350 4x4 CrewCab with dual rear wheels and the 6.7L Power Stroke diesel will cost you about $50,000 in the current market. But that truck can tow 21,000 pounds. That is most of any truck on this list and that makes it a solid value. 

New #3 – F-150 STX SuperCrew 4x4 5.0L (4.33/lb.)

The last non-Super Duty new truck on the list is the new F-150. The best value is the STX SuperCrew 4x4 with the optional Coyote V8 engine, and 3.73 gears with the Tow/Haul Max Tow package. That truck will cost you at least $55,870 and can tow 12,900 pounds. The $4.33 per pound of towing capacity is better value than the previously listed new trucks. However, it pales in comparison to the Super Duty trucks.

Used #3 - 2019 F-150 SuperCrew 4x2 5.0L ($1.98/lb.)

After this one, it is all Super Duty rigs. However, if you don’t want a Super Duty for some reason, this used F-150 offers exceptional towing value. You can find a 2019 F-150 SuperCrew 4x2 with the 5.0L V8 for about $20,000. And for that twenty grand, you get a truck that can tow 10,100 pounds. That brings the price per pound of towing capacity to below 2 dollars. And this is still a fairly modern truck that should last for many years.

New #2 – F-250 XL Regular Cab 4x4 6.7L ($3.07/lb.)

At $61,310 this is the most expensive truck on our entire list. However, the high tow rating still makes it one of the best values. A new F-250 4x4 with a regular cab, the 6.7L Power Stroke engine, 3.55 gears with the high-capacity axle upgrade will tow 20,000 pounds. That puts the cost per pound of towing capacity at just over three dollars. That is not bad for a brand spanking new Super Duty.

Used #2 – 2015 F-250 4x4 CrewCab 6.7L ($1.79/lb.)

For most of our used trucks we looked back just five years to the 2019 models. But for the sake of comparison, we decided to look for one truck that was a bit older. So, we looked at some 2015 models and found this one. A 2015 F-250 4x4 CrewCab with the 6.7L Power Stroke you can find for roughly $25,000. These trucks have a tow rating of 14,000 pounds. That works out to an impressive $1.79 per pound of towing.

New #1 – F-250 XL Regular Cab 4x2 6.8L ($2.74/lb.)

There are new Super Duty trucks that have a higher tow rating than this one. But once you start adding the optional Power Stroke engines, the price escalates quickly. If you can make do with ‘only’ 17,300 pounds of towing, this basic Super Duty is a great value. A new F-250 4x2 with a regular cab, the base 6.8L engine and optional 4.30 gears will cost $47,395. Not cheap per se, but an absolute steal in the world of the new Super Duty trucks. The result is a new truck that costs only $2.74 per pound of towing capacity.  

Used #1 – 2019 F-250 CrewCab 4x4 6.2L ($1.33/lb.)

It should come as no surprise that the best budget tow rig is a used Super Duty. And as we said in the intro, you can find some for far cheaper than this that would be even better value. But here you get a still modern truck that won’t break the bank but can still tow enough to suit the needs of most people. The 2019 F-250 CrewCab 4x4 with the 6.2L V8 and 6.75-foot box is rated to tow 15,000 pounds. You can find decent examples for sale for about $20,000. So, you are paying just $1.33 per pound of towing capacity. You can’t even get a pound of bologna that cheaply, and you can’t tow with bologna.

Images: Ford