How many tons of capacity do I need in a floor jack?

For most passenger cars, a 2 to 2.5-ton jack is technically sufficient since you only lift one corner at a time, but specialist community consensus on r/MechanicAdvice and r/Tools strongly favors stepping up to a 3-ton model for the safety margin, especially if you ever work on SUVs or light trucks. Capacity ratings also tend to be optimistic on budget jacks, so headroom matters.