The Toyota Crown luxury five-passenger sedan was made for executives, enjoyed by government workers and used as a taxi in Japan since 1955. The crown jewel of Toyota's fleet came to America for a short stint 40 years ago (1958-1972).
Since the beginning of 2023, the Crown has been back in the U.S. as a high-riding sedan, shedding its limousine-like qualities but still sitting atop the Toyota lineup.
Plenty can and has been said about the Crown's looks. It either is your cup or tea or isn't, especially when wearing the two-tone paint that can cover the hood and trunk lid in black.
The shape of the Crown (base price of $40,050) makes it hard to pick exact rivals, but buyers will likely be cross-shopping bigger sedans like the Acura TLX ($40,050), Nissan Maxima ($38,340) and Volvo S90 ($57,000). Another like competitor is the brand-sharing Lexus ES sedan, which starts just above the Crown at $41,940.
Previous generations of the Crown were highlighted for their luxury car-like smoothness. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case here, at least at idle and slower speeds. The 2.5-liter, four-cylinder hybrid engine delivers 236 total horsepower divvied to both the front and rear ends, but it exhibits a grumble along with a light vibration until it gets moving.
Once at speed, the continuously variable transmission (CVT) is mostly smooth and quiet, gently moving to accommodate acceleration when prodded. To make any aggressive moves standing on the accelerator pedal is necessary. That's the only time the Crown's cabin gets loud. Most of the time occupants will only hear a tad bit of tire noise and almost no wind.
Crown's steering and braking are both easy and not made for aggressive moves. The wheel feels appropriately light, like a luxury car, with no road feel and the brakes are good for slowing but aren't as progressive as some other regenerative brake systems during a hard stop.
The car's suspension was made for comfort in the Crown and Toyota achieved that, though some larger potholes did jiggle the chassis around and are easily heard from the driver's seat.
Stepping into the cabin of the Crown, the switchgear, materials and finishes are nice enough, but not what someone might expect from the most luxurious Toyota sedan. The brushed gold trim looks great, though better with brown than this tester's black interior.
There's a physical volume knob, which is the best way to control the function, however the dial is small and is hard to find without looking. The climate controls, on the other hand, are easy to use with buttons and toggles for temperature.
Like Lexus, Toyota can build a comfortable seat and these Crown perches are excellent. They're both comfortable, soft and adjustable for a good driving position and feature quick-working heating and cooling to keep the driver at the right temperature.
However, if you're of average height or above, you're likely to have trouble fitting into the seats or finding a comfortable seating position.
The mid-grade Crown Limited tested ($45,550) came with a 12.3-inch infotainment display and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which all worked as advertised. .
The backseat and trunk are expectedly huge with plenty of space for two booster seats and two children and a full cargo load in the back. The shape may not be handsome, but it is useful for interior space.
Like the new Toyota Prius, the Crown has a driver-facing camera to make sure they are paying attention. The problem is that the system seems too sensitive, beeping when the driver's head turns to look for traffic approaching a stop. It also beeps when the a car is approaching from the rear, and if you get too close to something while parking, but those are much more useful.
With all-wheel drive and a little more ride height than average, along with more passenger and cargo space due to its shape, the Crown is a useful vehicle, though it's not quite into premium or luxury territory. In many ways, the Avalon that it replaced felt more like one of the company's luxury arm Lexus vehicles than this Crown.
However, fuel mileage is excellent at 41 miles per gallon combined for the hybrid Crown Limited, which puts it ahead of most of the competition in efficiency.
Toyota has loyal buyers. Many Camry owners looking to step up in size, but not to a big SUV, now have a new option with space and efficiency. And if it continues the company's legacy of legendary reliability, buyers will be the winners.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jake Lingeman is the Managing Editor for the Autos team at Newsweek. He has previously worked for Autoweek, The Detroit ... Read more
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