2023 Toyota Crown | Review & Road Test

For the latest Toyota Crown pricing and information: https://www.kbb.com/toyota/crown/ It might be new to the US, but the Crown name has a vibrant history in Japan. The first Toyota Crown debuted way back in 1955 and has evolved through 15 iterations. The latest generation Crown is offered in 4 variants in Japan but in America the only Crown we get is the crossover type. Even though our Crown has the stance of a quasi-crossover, Toyota refers to it as a “premium full-size sedan”. So, where the cancelled Avalon sedan leaves off, the Crown picks up. Rather than getting bogged down trying to label the Crown let me just describe it. The Crown seats 5. It has a trunk, not a hatchback. On the XLE and Limited trims, a 2.5L hybrid powertrain with an electronic continuously variable transmission comes standard, as does all-wheel drive facilitated by an electric motor that powers the rear wheels when traction demands. While all-wheel drive and black body cladding come standard, ground clearance is only 5.8 inches. So don’t venture too far from pavement in your Crown. If you choose the fanciest Platinum trim, you’ll get what Toyota calls its Hybrid Max powertrain, which blends a 2.4L turbocharged engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Like the standard hybrid, the Hybrid Max also uses an electric motor to power the rear wheels but in this case at least 30% of available power is sent to the rear wheels at all times, with up to 80% possible in certain conditions. The Hybrid Max-ified Platinum trim also comes with adaptive dampers for the suspension plus a few extra drive modes and an available contrasting black paint scheme that I wouldn’t personally choose but maybe you would. As mentioned, there’s a trunk in back. By size, its 15.2 cu-ft capacity isn’t massive but it’s probably big enough for an empty nester weekend away. Plus there’s a wide 60/40 passthrough for lugging larger items. With a better sense of the Crown’s character, let’s talk price. The base XLE starts just under $40k plus destination charges (XLE $39,950) and includes 19 inch wheels, fabric 8-way heated front seats, and dual-zone climate control, along with a full suite of active driver assist features. For $45,550 the Limited grade adds leather seats that are ventilated in the front and heated for rear passengers, along with a panoramic glass roof and an 11-speaker JBL audio system. And atop Crown mountain sits the $52,350 Platinum trim with its Hybrid Max powertrain and 21-inch wheels. I’ll quickly note this 12.3” screen comes standard. Wireless CarPlay and Android std. As for Toyota Crown competitors, the premium sedan landscape is mostly dead, though as of when I wrote this the Nissan Maxima & Kia Stinger are technically still kicking. More likely Crown buyers will include former Avalon fans, sedan devotes, or folks who want something a little livelier and more efficient than an SUV. If you’re part of the shrinking cadre of sedan fans, good news, Toyota is keeping the sedan alive. 00:00 2023 Toyota Crown 1:15 Exterior 1:28 Powertrain 1:59 Interior 3:27 Driving Impressions 7:49 Competitors