2024 Toyota Crown | The Future of Sedans? 

I bought a Limited for MSRP (a luxury these days) and have been using it as my daily driver… I drive 120 miles a day, and have been able to squeeze around 52mpg. Extremely happy with it!

There's always a clapped out Altima infront of all of us as we drive through life 🤣

Finally, the hybrid Crosstour we've all been asking for.

I like that SG hired someone to drive an older Altima slowly and erratically in front of them to simulate traffic.

A Prius with 8 inch ground clearance should be the future

Always appreciate the objective and subjective reviews of audio quality. Thanks for doing it.

Only reviewer that mentions how the stereo sounds. Keep up the good work. You have my vote for best car reviewer. Top notch!

This may appeal to a lot of the Avalon’s older customer base-older folks, who have difficulty getting into the physically lower Camry, but who still like sedans. It has SUV (well, crossover-ish) entry/exit ease, with the formality/higher status of a traditional sedan. And they’ll be geeked about the gas mileage that’s the same as the higher trim Camry Hybrids.

I can remember the 70s when the Toyota Crown and Mark2 were my dream cars but i was only in my teens, so looking was all i could do. I miss those cars.

Never thought the crown would have an identity crisis. What a time to be in.

I think the best part about driving this is the fact that you don't have to look at it.

For the price, you may as well go with the Lexus ES

The Nissan Altima driving off the road made my day.

I saw one in person recently and it looks really good for a Toyota. I almost thought it was a BMW or Mercedes product. Really luxurious looking

Looks like my shaver and Dustbuster hooked up with each other.

I'm probably one of only a few people in Canada who actually own a Crown Platinum with the Hybrid Max powertrain. I've had it for about a month now. There is no way I would've bought the two-tone paint version. I opted for a uniform magnetic dark gray, and to me anyways, it looks fantastic. Had a few nice compliments and questions from strangers, because it really doesn't look like anything else out there, especially from Toyota. It's an absolute gem of a ride. While I agree, if mileage and traffic heavy commutes are your reality, the XLE or Limited would be the more logical option, the Hybrid Max really does make it a different driving experience. I tested a Limited before going with the Hybrid Max and the difference in power, especially with a car with this much heft, is noticeable. Nobody would confuse this as a Sport sedan, I get that, but the Hybrid Max really does give this vehicle enough power to make driving it a bit more lively and engaging. Toyota is trying something new here, if a Crossover is typically more SUV than Sedan, then what on that spectrum is more Sedan than SUV? Enter the Crown. Toyota is experimenting with this to see if there are any buyers that might want a more Sedan-like vehicle than your typical Crossover but still give you a few things like extra ground clearance, some ride height, a lifted appearance, great visibility, ease of getting in and out and a spacious overall feel that separates it from a regular typical Sedan. They won't sell many to be sure, but will they sell enough to keep it around for a awhile? I don't know, but as someone who found it compelling enough to actually get one as my new daily, I can honestly say it's been a fantastic ride so far. In a world where most automakers are playing it safe and not pushing the boundaries much, kudos to Toyota for actually trying something different and bringing something new to the market, that success or failure aside, is truly an excellent product.

Nothing gets me harder than when my car looks like it's shitting out another car.

My local dealer has a price adjustment of -$2995 on an XLE model. ( It's 7/17/23, area code 53188. ). Great video as always; my favorite review channel especially when you guys are talking together.

The made in Japan factor is very important but I still don't get why the Crown Sport wasn't exported. That will certainly have been an easier sell.

I kinda dig it. If it had a hatchback and were a little cheaper (i.e. if dealers can't move them in 1-4 years and you can get a deal), I'd consider looking at it over an upper trim Prius

I lusted after one of these for over a year when I first saw they were coming out. I thought the Platinum hit everything I wanted from comfort, power, and convenience...but...the price was way into ES350 territory. The Limited seems like the best value if you don't need the power though. The 21" wheels are a big WTF for me as well, especially for a daily. First thing I was planning on doing was getting the lower trim 19" wheels. Sidewalls FTMFW! Finally the day of truth arrived when they started getting in stock. The local Toyota dealer had $5k of markup before the additional markup for tint, nitrogen, and stripes (barf). That is what finally killed it for me. I picked up a 1 owner '19 ES350 Ultra Luxury for $36k and couldn't be happier. Less complexity, great power, low NVH even with the crappy Michelin Energy tires. And the cost savings allows me to go on more road trips which this ES just absolutely excels at. It's everything I wanted. Which is a shame as I still have a weak spot for the Crown Platinum but not at MSRP let alone $5k+ over MSRP. I also considered a '23 Accord Touring Hybrid (I love that meteorite gray metallic) but again the dealer (different chain here locally too) had insane markups, and the lightly used ES came out cheaper again, even without said markups. At this point if I get rid of this ES for another daily it will be a '23+ ES350 Ultra Luxury for the wireless android auto update.

This Crown is odd for sure. Aside from the greater horsepower and ease of entry for the aged, I can't think why a buyer would choose the Crown over the ES hybrid. The Crown is available in monotone colors. It looks decent in black, which I've seen in person.

Just this morning I pulled up to a parked all white Crown and I thought based on looks alone it was pretty awesome looking!

Ive sat in one. Very nice cabin. This drive report is just what I would expect. I like it. I'd like one.

Thank you guys for making all these wonderful videos over the years, you two never cease to amaze.

Let me say again that I love that you review the audio systems. As someone who values good sound quality and will not buy a car with a crappy stereo I now know that if I want in on this Toyota platform I’ll stick with the Lexus ES with the Mark Levinson system. Despite that I heard about the sound system at the end of the interior discussion I still watched the whole video because wanted to hear about how it handles on the road.

Mr Goose I'm not sure exactly what's changed but the picture quality is insane. Not sure if it's a new camera or more editing but this video looks insane, and I'm just viewing at 1080p. Honestly a lot of the b roll looks like Toyota hired someone to shoot it for advertising. Great job honestly

Mark wears his BK Crown at Arby’s.

Just traded in my Rav4 Prime for the Crown Platinum. It gives me more power and better performance than the Prime. I'll miss the practicality, but i honestly can't stand driving an SUV anymore.

Thank you for talking about the audio system! It's often overlooked in reviews and plays an important part in comfort.

Great work as always. Would be very interesting if you guys would do a docu-film on the differences in your experience of where cars are built, as in Made in Japan or Germany VS Mexico or USA, etc.

I am here for it. Thanks for the great, detailed review!

I have a 2021 LEXUS IS 300 AWD with the V6 and it’s the quietest car I have *ever* experienced. It’s a very luxurious car. When you wring out the engine it sounds truly magnificent. It would be nice to add an exhaust with an adjustable gate to quiet things down. HOWEVER it only gets 20 MPG for NORMAL driving. BUT, it’s a lovably spirited vehicle who makes you feel safe and coddled.

" This is the pinnacle of the Toyota car lineup". Great

The Crown Sport is a real beauty, seems like Japan is keeping it for themselves sadly.

0w-8?! I can't even imagine how thin that oil is gonna be during a hot summer.

Love your reviews thank you

I see this one with one tone color and it's beautiful . One tone color suitable with it

I like it: someone has to make a Buick Park Avenue. Maybe part of the value proposition is that outside large urban areas, Lexus dealerships are few and far between while Toyota is more common.

Always a great practical review with no influencing BS like most other reviewers out there.......Thank you guys....

Great Review. I was strongly considering one of these until the pricing was released especially for the hybrid max. I went with a 23 Venza Limited and it gets great fuel economy in real world driving.

This will be perfect for driving to the grocery store in the morning to get my wife's boyfriend some eggs.

Great review and details on the trim levels. Really helps me as I am considering one of these for my wife, or the Lexus. This detail on the mechanicals, handling, and driving refinement is why I watch your channel so much and trust your recommendstions.

I was just searching the SG video list for a crown review yesterday

I like the way the crown looks personally

Agreed the lower trim engine is the one to get. XLE at 40k is a good value

Excellent video!!

Best channel and reviews on line

I've been waiting for this review (I've been driving the new Crown in Japan, the 2.4l turbo - maxed out trim - since this Feb). One thing is that I actually switched from Lexus ES, and had RX 4th, and RX 3rd gens before that (all maxed out hybrid versions). So I kinda know a bit about Lexus. I'd say Crown is actually very very close to ES in terms of comfort. But that's about where comparisons end really. These are generation apart (except for the platform, I guess). Toyota Safety Sense 3 is leaps and bounds above Lexus safety system (which is TSS 2.5). The navigation is so much better. The drive train - and one would really have to be into fuel efficiency to go with 2.5L hybrid in Crown - so yes, the drive train 2.4L turbo, 6-speed real transmission, all-time AWD, the 340hp (compare to ES… I think 180 or 216?… was it?…), it just drives so much better with so much less stress on highways. Sure this is kinda sorta preview of the next ES, but look at RX prices - we can't really expect new ES will be in the same price range as the Crown, it'll likely be considerably more expensive. I also don't think they'll go with the new AWD hybrid system there (probably just because there's no space to have it, if not for that reason alone). I loved my ES, LOVED IT. I love my Crown. Would I take one over another? This is complicated (I mean I took Crown over ES, but that's not what I'm talking about). ES is so much more kinda plushy, interior is better, the ride quality of sedan form factor is more relaxing in general, less body roll, that kind of stuff. Also ES has so many things Toyota has "saved" on in the Crown you won't notice, initially at least. Such as exhaust gas sensors flipping your HVAC automatically from outside intake to recirculation, the lack of polarized side mirrors (the rear one is digital, so that's fine), the lack of the TPMS ffs! Lack is interior illumination (as minimal as it was in the ES). Crown, on the other side, it technically so much more advanced. The 2.4L turbo drive train is fantastic. All the safety systems are great, way way way above ES (new RX has the same stuff though, and so would be the new ES - at the new price). I like the form factor, but I look at my old ES photos and I like that just as much (sometimes more, sometimes less than the Crown). Oh… talking about tech - the steering wheel is Crown is actually touch-sensitive, meaning you can just touch it for the car to keep holding the line in auto-cruise (vs older system which required you to put some force - otherwise the system would yell at you that you are not holding the wheel even THOUGH you WERE holding the goddamn wheel). So I mean… Do you want a Lexus quality ride, with Lexus RX 500h+ Sport whatever that new model is called drive train? At much less price? This is the car for you. I wouldn't go with the standard hybrid for this one. But I mean… that shouldn't be bad - you'll get 1000km per tank on a highway, no probs, with the standard hybrid. So duh. Oh! And did I mention rear wheel steering on all models? And how about the pro-active driving assist (it's a god-sent in city traffic). So I mean, this review - for me as an owner - felt a bit too shallow vs the normal content of this channel, but hey, still nice to hear the thoughts, appreciate everything. Also, one thing I totally agree on is that the fucking audio system sucks. I eventually had to replace all speakers and add an amp, because I couldn't get over what I was getting in the "toyota premium audio" package comparing to what I had in ES with Mark Levinson (which ended up costing me half of what I paid on Crown audio refinement to make it sound just about as good - speakers placements aside). Anyways. A wall of text, hopefully will help someone. Thanks for reviews and all that stuff :)

If it was a hatchback and had better rear headroom, i would have been a fan

HDR is back! Thank you!

I'm happy to see that Jewel LED style first introduced by Acura in 2012 is now adopted practically across the board.

I asked for it and you responded thank you I test drive the base model it drives like a Lexus. Interior is nice too Exterior in black is acceptable

I really love this car and I have no idea why! I’ve never liked SUVs, and this for sure isn’t one, but I love this concept of a slightly lifted sedan. It just looks so weird and quirky in the best way possible.

Jack's commentary is the best. Well Mark ohhhhahhhhh, whoa it's a product inteded for......ahhhhhhhh, oh man just the ride qaulity, isolation. Every corner is an adventure

Just wandered through a few listings, a lot of dealers are putting $3K under MSRP on the top spec models. At $50K, they finally reached the point where Toyota buyers say what?

there's quite a lot of European car makers that released a model like this in the past 2 years

Can't wait for the trd trim like they did the avalon

The way mark caressed the shifter was more than I could bear.

Great review

I live in Japan so I'm "in the know" about these cars. The "Crown" series in Japan is actually a fleet of cars (kind of like Lexus). The Crown Athlete for example is part of that fleet. Not sure how this thing is going to sell. Not many know about the JDM cars, but I do.

The problem is that the limited and xle don't ride and handle like this one with the lower profile tires but soft adaptive dampers, so the deal that you think you are getting by moving downward costs you in refinement.

Finally, a Toyota product that will depreciate enough for me to finally afford one.

You need to drive both powertrains. Even though it has less power, the more sedate base 2.5L hybrid is the way to go in the Crown. It totally comes together once you drive that version as a comfortable cruiser. The hybrid turbo powertrain doesn’t make any sense in this application.

The best thing about it is getting a glimpse of some of the things Toyota will do in the future. Personally, I think it's hideous and I don't understand the value proposition. I agree many people cross-shopping this thing would end up buying an ES.

This should have been a lift back like the Prius. I think it would sell way better if they made it like that.

Can you guys review the Crown Limited? I think that trim level makes the most sense!

As a data point, I never saw this car on the road until this weekend, when I saw three of them in Northern Virginia.

Looks are subjective and I like it, but for the price I'd probably be looking elsewhere. No hatch is also a negative given that body shape. All the negatives of a sloping rear roof for a hatch without the benefit. I think the prius is just a more reasonable choice..

When displaying the audio system testing graphs, could you add a plot that shows what the ideal audio result would be? For those not familiar with these graphs, it's no better than a Rorschach test. This one looked like the graph of my wife's date calendar with the pool boy.

dig the looks!!!

Are the cameras new? They look great.

I feel like these are going to drop in the used market pretty quick and become a very appealing option for people.

Reminds me of those weird lifted looking Imprezas for 15 years ago

Looks great in person. Wish it was a hatchback though.

As someone who’s selling their 2009 ls460 right now I love how you dive into the quality of the speaker systems in your reviews. Coming from The mark levinson I need something fantastic - a shame the jbl is underwhelming

They would sell more of these if they made it a hatchback. The trunk looks tiny

I think this will actually do relatively well, for the time at least. It's weird, the mainstream full size sedan segment is pretty much non-existent nowadatas. No more Impala, Maxima, LaCrosse, Taurus. That means at least less competition from other brands. Also, although I think the ride height thing is super weird, reminds me of the weird S60 cross country, a major buyer of large sedans historically has been crotchety old people, and the raised ride height will appeal to those geezers for it's ease of ingress and egress. My step father's father bought an outback almost solely for the ride height.

Finally the video is here!

The Crown has been rebirthed.. I'm all for it. Looking forward to the Estate launch.

Great video as always. Back in 1997 when I moved to Panama, my father had a used Toyota Crown. There was a mini fridge accessible from the backseat that could hold and chill a few cans of Coke (or beers). At that time I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Was disappointed to see that missing here... 😢

Totally agree. Why would anyone pay 10k more for 10mpg worse on a soft daily car. The standard hybrid 236hp is more than enough and 40mpg is incredible. Another example where the premium version makes no sense.

Still appreciate your content, very educational. It's all abt how to wisely use the tool otherwise it hurts.

In person, its a good looking vehicle with great interior

Of the four Crowns available, they gave us the most hideous one. I wish they had brought over the Sport-style instead.

I think the Crown looks good personally. It's not the car for me personally, but I like that it's different. Hopefully others think so too.

I dont understand the stereo audio graphs but i like that you pay more attn to stereo quality. That matters to me.

There are two that park in my garage and it's a head turner. ❤

Thank you for commenting on the audio! Toyota needs to get this fixed stat. JBL used to mean really good car audio, but Toyota's implementation cheapened the brand. Either that or Samsung screwed with the brand after it's purchase. Either way, Toyota can do better. Their Lexus partnerships with Alpine (base Lexus audio) and Mark Levinson means they know how to do better.

Did you say this will become a Lexus in future iterations? Interior styling kinda heavy and not luxurious to my eye.

The 1972 Crown had that same split chin look across the front of the hood.

Very helpful for this 2023 Avalon owner.

French manufacturers have initiated this "sedan/SUV Frankenstein" trend last year with the '23 Peugeot 408 and Citroën C4X. People seem to like the proposal, but for now the sales are quite anecdotic, certainly because the prices are significantly higher than regular sedans or SUVs.

Should have made it a liftback / sportback like the A7 ..

Lextoy Camvenza...All-In-One. I am sold.

6:27 I would think the eCVT would be quicker to respond, because it doesn't have gears that shift and is essentially simulating gear ratios by controlling the relationship between its electric motors.

I would get the base and look to get some smaller wheels but otherwise it’s perfect to me.

I wouldn’t buy it but I don’t hate the looks it’s at least interesting.

I'd describe this as the last car a retired boomer will purchase during their lifetime. That's their target market, I think. Reliable, comfy Toyota that's familiar and cheap to run with physical toggles. Perfect for an old person looking to buy their last car, who won't be concerned by the price tag.

What about the comfort for taller drivers..im 6'7" and im looking for a daily driver thats centered around comfort