Have you ever driven a vehicle where you liked it ... but at the same time it just felt a bit "weird"? That's the feeling I had after spending a week driving the 2024 Toyota Crown on a road trip through northern Indiana. On one hand, this is a sporty looking - though featuring a controversial livery - and on the other, it had some infuriatingly awkward design choices that made me wish I was driving the vehicle that this one was made to replace. Let's take a deeper look at who might like this one and who should stay away ...
Toyota Crown Is The Avalon's Replacement
Well, that's not really fair to say since the Toyota Crown is actually a heritage brand that just simply isn't familiar to myself and many others in the American market.
In fact, the Toyota Crown, launched in 1955, this makes it one of Toyota's longest-running and most iconic models. While it was initially designed as a mid-sized sedan for the Japanese market. It became the first Japanese car exported to the U.S. in 1958 and quickly established Toyota's international presence. Over the decades, the Crown has evolved into a symbol of luxury and innovation, often introducing new technologies like Japan's first ABS system in the 1980s. Known for its comfort and prestige, it was favored by executives and officials in Japan. In 2022, Toyota expanded the Crown line globally with new models, blending luxury and modern design to appeal to a wider audience.
With big sedans becoming less popular, Toyota took the opportunity to re-introduce the Crown for 2024 by replacing Avalon.
Sporty Looks, Power, and Efficiency - Sorry, You Can't Have It All!
The Crown is divisive to say the least ... depending on where you are standing to look at it, you may say it's inspiring and sporty ... you may say it looks like a bloated Camry, or you might just say WTF. In our family I had all three perspectives shared to me and I don't disagree with any of them.
For me - the sporty Platinum with the HYBRID MAX looked like a fun car with a unique personality. With its two-toned red and black paint job it was something that appealed to me as a guy who enjoys sporty drives, but is not comfortable in a true "sports car". My father-in-law and wife, on the other hand, just thought it looked bloated and weird. Frankly, they aren't wrong - it has that look of a plussed-up sedan or a squished crossover. I'm fine with that as long as it's fun and comfortable to drive.
With 264hp - 400.4 lb-ft of combined net torque and 340 combined net hp, Crown delivers a fun experience. That part is undeniable. However, when it comes to sedans like this, I expect good MPG numbers too. This is especially true when I see "hybrid" on the badge. While the base hybrid does deliver that - ~40mph EPA estimate, in our driving experience on the Indiana and Ohio Turnpikes, the actual MPG for the HYBRID MAX was closer to 30, with country roads pushing that number well below 30 miles per gallon.
Lexus-Like Interior ... But Not Perfect
The shining point here is the interior which feels more luxurious than a typical Toyota. While Toyota is working very hard to move from practical to desirable, it's tough to accept both so while I appreciate the nicer touches here and the fact that this is CLEARLY a step above a Camry in all ways possible, it's challenging to justify spending approximately $60,000 for a Toyota sedan (or anything that isn't a specialized sports car for that matter).
One thing I did appreciate though is that because of the way the seat and wheel are positioned, it was FAR more comfortable both in long stretches on the turnpike as well as in more engaged parts of the drive as we cruised down country roads. Similarly, it was also easier to enter and exit the car vs how I am forced to duck my head and contort my body in other sedans that are on the market.
As a guy approaching 50 years old, this was much appreciated.
However, as a direct result of this "not quite a sedan" the glare was reflecting the dash into the windshield and the VERY NICE digital infotainment panel felt awkward, almost distracting me from being able to have a more complete view of the car's nose. This may be something you simply grow to accept as an owner but it was awkward in the first few days of driving the vehicle so it's something that anyone considering a test drive needs to consider as well.
Overall "Space" Is Very Good
For our road trip I was a bit nervous that a sedan wouldn't be comfortable, nor would it have space in the trunk. However, both of these concerns proved to be non-issues.
In fact, the trunk is positively cavernous!
Likewise, while I would prefer the front seat, adult passengers in the rear seats wouldn't be uncomfortable on a 2-3 hour road trip like we did from Toledo, OH to Shipshewana, IN.
Toyota Crown Is An Upgrade From Avalon But I Expect More From A Heritage Badge
Coming into the vehicle "cold" and having never heard of the Crown or it's legacy and truly passionate base of Japanese executives who have been fans of the car for decades, I felt that it was "nice" but not something that was truly a good fit for me. However, I did enjoy driving it and I wouldn't be disappointed to see it show up in my driveway again.
However, after talking with some of my more passionate auto journalist friends and having them share with me how the badge is one of the most prestigious in Toyota's stable ... well ... I felt like they needed to do more to manifest the tradition and heritage.
With that being said, if you want a sporty sedan and don't like having to crunch up in a ball and still want to be able to take the boys out on a road trip or guys night out adventure ... this is a great option.
