2024 Toyota Crown: Toyota’s Big New Offbeat Sedan

There was a time when the U.S. market consisted mainly of sedans. Today, it consists mostly of trucks. Yes, we’ve become a nation of truck drivers, piloting pickups, vans and SUVs.

But self-service is no everywhere, be it at your favorite grocery store, fast food joint or even online, where you input your own order rather than have someone in customer service do it for you. Certainly, it’s reduced costs, transforming us all into being part-time workers.

It’s the ultimate evil accounting trick — and we fell for it.

But there is a small bastion of consumers who do not check themselves out of stores, don’t shop online and refuse to drive an SUV or pickup. For them, Toyota builds the 2024 Toyota Crown, long its Japanese-market flagship sedan, sold worldwide since 1955, and in America from 1958 through 1972.

The Crown replaces the Toyota Avalon, a car that never escaped its geezer pleaser image. And it’s no wonder. Avalon is mythical island in Arthurian legend which serves as King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table’s eternal resting place. With a name like that, is it any wonder younger buyers stayed away?

A SEDAN THAT PLAYS YOUNG

That’s not a problem with the new 2024 Toyota Crown, with its shorter, taller proportions, dramatic clopping backlight and decked out in two-tone paint. It elicited positive responses from Generations Y and Z, while their elders seemed far more reticent.

It’s certainly an odd proportion, one created by Toyota designers to visually design a vehicle that’s not quite a car, nor quite an SUV. This explains the Toyota Crown’s 60.6-inch height, 4 inches higher than the Avalon. For those with bad hips, accessing the vehicle should be much easier.

But it’s also two inches shorter than the Avalon, which explains its cargo space, which shrinks 0.69 cubic feet to 15.4 cubic feet, nearly the same as the smaller Camry. And although it looks like a

hatchback, it’s actually a notchback.

Love it or hate it, you’ll never lose it in a parking lot.

THE INSIDE STORY

Climb into it and you’ll discover that front seat legroom is the same as that of the Avalon. On other words, it’s generous. Yet rear seat legroom has contracted 1.5 inches, making it tighter than you might expect for a large flagship sedan.

Available in base XLE, mid-level Limited and top-of-the-line Platinum trim, heated front seats and dual-zone climate control are fitted to all models. Crown Limited and Platinum grades come with standard ventilated front seats and heated rear seats, in-cabin LED lighting and a fixed panoramic moonroof.

As you might expect, the Crown’s 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is the star of the show, one that that sports Toyota’s newest user interface. Its simplicity and ease-of-use is light years beyond Toyota’s previous system.

Not surprisingly, it also comes equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 4G connectivity for up to five smartphones as well as essential USB-A & -C ports and a 12-volt outlet.

A six-speaker sound system is standard on the XLE. A JBL premium audio system with 11 speakers, including a rear subwoofer, powered by an 8-channel amplifier is standard on the Limited and Platinum.

Sounds good, right? But like an increasing number of new Toyota interiors, the Crown’s interior quality is merely average. While its design may denote an air of sportiness, it lacks the decadent feel expected of a flagship sedan. It’s functional, but artless.

HOPE YOU LIKE HYBRIDS

When it comes time to plant your right foot, you’ll find the 2024 Toyota Crown comes with a choice of gas-electric hybrid powertrains that do not have to be plugged in.

Choosing a Crown XLE or Limited nets a normally-aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission. It’s rated at 236 horsepower yet returns 41 mpg in combined city/highway driving.

Performance is acceptable, returning a 7.6-second 0-60 mph run. But its engine proves to be rather raucous when pushed, which seems out of place. On-demand all-wheel-drive activates when called for, so these trim levels are actually running in front-wheel drive for the most part.

The Crown Platinum is blessed with a stronger heart, in this case, Toyota’s new Hybrid Max driveline. Its 2.4-liter turbocharged engine works with an electric motor on each axle, through a six-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain produces a far healthier 340 horsepower. But that takes its toll on fuel economy, which comes in at 30 mpg in combined driving.

Yet this powertrain is more appropriate for the Crown’s market position. And it’s faster, reaching 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. This Crown has a more-regal bearing, delivering a more gracious driving experience. Quiet, comfortable and competent, but not engaging to drive, it uses a full-time all-wheel-drive system meant to enhance driving performance, not just grip. It comes with an adaptive variable suspension with variable oil pressure shock absorbers. That deliver the expected ride quality.

Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, a generous suite of advance driver assistance systems, comes standard and features Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Lane Tracing Assist, Proactive Driving Assist, Road Sign Assist, and Automatic High Beams.

An Advance Tech package adds a Digital Key, Traffic Jam Assist, Front-Cross Traffic Alert and Lane Change Assist and an advanced self-parking system. It’s standard on the Platinum and optional on the Limited.

You’ll find that the 2024 Toyota Crown is a very different animal from the Toyota Avalon. It’s luxurious, nor is it sporty. Its interior trim is average. And price any well-trimmed model against the similarly-sized Lexus ES 350 an you’ll find they’re similar in price, but not in value.

For most, the Lexus ES 350 will be a better buy. But for those looking for a large sedan with a unique flavor, the 2024 Toyota Crown fits the bill in a way few vehicles do.