I'll be honest - when Toyota's PR person reached out to me and asked me to check out their Crown Signa, I wasn't entirely enthusiastic. Quite frankly, I wasn't in love with it's namesake - Toyota Crown. While historically the Crown name has always felt a bit stuffy and formal, the new one - despite it's chic but divisive looks, just didn't do it for me. This time around though, the Signa reflects a more athletic, "fat sedan" type of crossover with more space that made it one of my favorite review vehicles in 2024. This premium crossover SUV just feels right in a way that's hard to explain until you experience it yourself.
Ultimately, this vehicle reflects the brand promise that Toyota has tried to manifest recently - quality, efficiency, comfort, and a feeling of being something special while still being fun and approachable. This vehicle replaces the Venza, a "car" that I also liked but just sorta felt weird - like an orphan that never really fit in since at the time all I could think about was how much fun I had with the Avalon many years before that.
With Crown Signa though, I don't really feel a longing for what had been - but rather a desire to spend more time with the vehicle in the future.
Let's take a look at some of the things that made me feel that way ...
Deceptively Spacious Interior
The Crown Signia manages to pull off something quite impressive - it looks relatively compact and sleek from the outside, with its flowing silhouette and monochromatic grille, but step inside, and you'll find yourself in a surprisingly spacious cabin that's perfect for hauling both people and cargo.
Before I left on my trip from Toledo, Ohio to St Joseph, Michigan I did a grocery pickup to showcase just how much space it could hold for a vehicle that I was initially expecting only to hold a suitcase and my laptop bag. During my trip, I put that 68 cubic feet of cargo space (with the rear seats folded) to good use, and the flat load floor made it a breeze to slide boxes and furniture in and out.
Not only is the space pretty good but it felt practical too. For example, with a vehicle in this style - a sort of cross between sedan and crossover it was very easy to load / unload boxes and those heavy cases of water without having to bend over or lift them out of the trunk. It's difficult to articulate that feeling but again, it "just felt right".
A Quiet Sanctuary
What really impressed me was the thoughtful attention to interior comfort and quietness on the road. This isn't a Lexus - but it is pretty darn close to that experience. The leather-trimmed seats are properly supportive without being overly aggressive with the bolstering - perfect for long highway stretches. Toyota's engineers clearly spent serious time on sound isolation, using acoustic glass and strategic insulation to create what they call a "sanctuary on the road." They weren't kidding - highway cruising is remarkably serene.
Power Meets Efficiency
If there was one drawback to making this vehicle "comfortable" it is that the ultimate experience of driving it doesn't match the excitement that the design evokes from the outside.
While it has plenty of power to do everything you need it to do, it's very "Toyotay" in that it's not particularly exciting when doing it.
Despite that lack of driving excitement, I really don't consider this a negative. With 240 net horsepower and a hybrid engine, it's got plenty of punch when you need to pass a truck or get onto a crowded highway. However, it still manages to deliver an impressive 38 MPG combined. The standard electronic on-demand AWD system provides sure-footed handling without the typical fuel economy penalty you'd expect. For those interested in the technical details, it uses a clever rear-mounted electric motor instead of a traditional transfer case setup.
Tech and Amenities
One particularly neat feature I appreciated was the vertical wireless charging pad in the center console. It actually holds your phone in place while charging - a small detail but one that shows Toyota's attention to real-world usability. The 12.3-inch touchscreen interface is crisp and responsive, though I spent more time appreciating the exceptionally quiet cabin and premium sound insulation.
Approachable Luxury That Feels Right
Our Limited trim was priced at just over $50,000 - which honestly seems like a pretty fair price for the experience. The Crown Signa starts at $43,590 for the XLE grade and $47,990 for the Limited though. I appreciate the fact that unlike sometimes where you begin pricing things out and the vehicle you think you want comes out to thousands of dollars above the starting point.
Ultimately, while the Crown Signia may wear a somewhat stodgy nameplate that is designed to evoke luxury to those who are passionate fans of Toyota history, I encourage you to give this one a look. Don't let the nameplate fool you - this is a thoroughly modern and thoughtfully executed premium crossover that deserves serious consideration. It manages to nail the basics while adding genuine premium touches that enhance the ownership experience. Sometimes a vehicle just feels right, and that's exactly what Toyota has achieved here.
