2023 Toyota Crown Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The 2023 Toyota Crown is a full-size sedan with seating for five. Its footprint is comparable to the recently discontinued Toyota Avalon, though the Crown noticeably rides 10 centimetres higher. With its elevated ride height alone, it stands out on the road and reminds us tangentially of the old Honda Accord Crosstour (or the even older AMC Eagle) crossover. The Crown's styling is likely to be more widely accepted than those examples, though.

Up front, the Crown sports a massive grille, although it seems it's mostly aesthetic as the openings are blocked off. A narrow slit above the grille has actual air inlets and is flanked by angular wraparound headlights. The Crown's front end is distinctive, with some sporty aggression that should attract a broad range of customers. From the side, large wheels and tires keep it from looking stilted or awkward and there's a black trim piece running along the bottom of the doors to break up the wide expanse of sheet metal. The XLE trim comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, while 21-inch wheels are included on the Platinum grade.

The rear of the Crown is pleasantly rounded while a bold taillight strip slices across a black trim element. There is an odd stepped transition from the side fender to the tail section, though. In the top Platinum trim, shoppers can add a two-tone colour option with glossy black paint that runs from the nose, over the hood, and into the tail section. This look may not be for everyone, especially in red which is reminiscent of original 1985 Air Jordans, but we applaud Toyota's uncharacteristic audacity.

On the inside, the Crown is appropriately modern, with a digital instrument panel and large horizontal touchscreen atop the dash. Just below is a row of physical buttons for climate control with 1980s-era LED temperature displays that tend to snap you out of the futuristic interior ambiance. The cabin features a mix of hard but sturdy plastic elements with cushioned elbow touch points. If the Crown had improved surface graining and fewer hard plastics, it could easily be mistaken for an entry-level luxury vehicle. As it is, it understandably looks and feels like a fancier Toyota.

In Canada, the 2023 Toyota Crown is offered with the choice of two hybrid powertrains between its XLE and Platinum trims. The standard base powertrain uses a 2.5-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with a hybrid electric motor/generator fed by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack. That battery also powers an additional electric motor between the rear wheels, delivering on-demand all-wheel-drive (AWD) at initial acceleration and when more traction is required. Combined output is 236 horsepower. The top Platinum trim is eligible for the Hybrid Max powertrain that upgrades to a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder and a more powerful rear electric motor. They combine to produce 340 horsepower.

The base hybrid is paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) while the Hybrid Max gets a traditional six-speed automatic. The Max also reprograms the rear motor to deliver full-time AWD with a minimum of 30 percent of net power driving the rear wheels. Toyota estimates the base hybrid will accelerate to 100 km/h in approximately 7.8 seconds. The turbo Hybrid Max should get there in 5.9 seconds.

The initial response is very quick, with the electric motors starting you off and the gas engine buzzing to life after a few metres. Neither the base nor Max feel particularly quick, but we're confident they're more powerful than most drivers will need. The base hybrid's CVT makes it seem slower than it is since the engine revs rather high and holds there the whole time. The gas engine sounds as though it's being abused as it drones loudly with some unrefined vibrations. The Hybrid Max's traditional automatic transmission breaks up the drone with gear shifts but can still drone on if your foot is planted on the pedal.

For maximum efficiency, there's an EV drive mode that uses only electric motors for propulsion. It's intended for low speeds and short distances. It's not easy to remain in that mode because you must have a featherlight touch on the accelerator. In our estimation, it would only be useful in oppressive bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The Crown's ride quality is tuned with comfort in mind and it delivers just that. The elevated ride height and the vehicle's 1,970-kilogram (4,300-pound) curb weight don't encourage sporty cornering. Instead, it confidently carves through the curves at sensible speeds. The Platinum trim adds an adaptive suspension with an additional Sport+ drive mode that firms up the dampers, but it doesn't deliver a significantly different experience.

Engine-drone notwithstanding, the cabin remains pleasantly quiet on a variety of road surfaces. At highway speeds, a slight rush of air can be heard coming off the mirrors, but that can easily be drowned out by the audio system. Overall, the Toyota Crown is enjoyable to drive, but some electronic driver aids can be annoying. A new Curve Speed Reduction system automatically slows the vehicle when approaching bends in the road and can be intrusive for attentive drivers. We also experienced several driver-attention false alarms. Hopefully, those can be retuned with the full production models.

In base XLE trim, you get fabric seat upholstery with Toyota's SofTex faux-leather trim. The Platinum trim level get full leather coverings, which we prefer since the SofTex is thin with a look and feel more like vinyl. The front seats are shaped for comfortable long-distance trips but the firm cushioning could cause some hard points after some time. The driver's view out the front and sides are largely unobstructed while the rearview is narrow, which is typical of most sedans today. The taller ride height gives drivers a slightly better view of the road ahead, but it doesn't deliver the commanding view that most SUV drivers enjoy.

The driver and front passenger have adequate space for their personal effects, with large cupholders and door pockets. The centre console armrest bin is also accommodating and has a convenient dual-hinged mechanism that allows easy access from either side. The lid is disappointingly wobbly when open but shuts firmly with no creaks or wiggles. We like the vertical phone tray that includes a wireless charging pad and spring-loaded wedges to keep your phone in place. It fits a larger max-sized phone with a case, plus you don't have to be particularly careful when inserting your phone to align it with the charger.

The rear seats provide ample space for adult passengers, with plenty of legroom and adequate headroom. The tapering roofline limits headroom but Toyota did well to carve out enough space to keep occupants from bumping into the headliner. The sense of space back there is hampered by smaller windows but a large panoramic sunroof is available that makes the cabin feel more airy and spacious.

Despite the Crown's fastback-like profile, it has a traditional trunk rather than a large hatch. The opening is wide and low for easier loading of bulky objects and there are remote releases for the rear seatbacks for when you need to expand the space. Trunk capacity is limited to 360 litres, which is small for such a large sedan. By comparison, the Kia Stinger can fit up to 660 litres and the Volkswagen Arteon maxes out at 770 litres. We wouldn't get too hung up on the smaller capacity though, since the trunk area is still very useful and should hold everything you need.

Regardless of which Toyota Crown trim you choose, it will come standard with a large 12.3-inch multimedia infotainment touchscreen. The graphics are sharp and modern, and the responses are adequately quick. Wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also included and pair well with the wireless charging pad. The base six-speaker audio system is adequate but audiophiles with higher expectations should consider upgrading to the available 11-speaker JBL premium system.

The new infotainment system further benefits from over-the-air (OTA) software updates to keep your maps and firmware current. A new voice-recognition system is activated by saying "Hey Toyota", and can control various systems including audio, navigation, and temperature. A Wi-Fi hotspot with remote monitoring and control is also available, along with streaming entertainment from Apple Music and Amazon Music services.

A digital key feature allows you to use your smartphone to unlock the Crown, just as you would with your key fob. It's standard on the Platinum trim level. As an added bonus, you can share virtual keys with other drivers.

Crash test results from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have not yet been published as of our date of publication.

Standard safety features include frontal and cross-traffic collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and lane departure warning, a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, traffic-sign recognition, and a rear-seat-passenger reminder. Several of these features are included in the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite of driver assistance technologies. The Platinum trim adds a semi-automated parallel parking system.

The adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist systems are well-tuned for smooth driving and reduce the effort required by the driver. New features that are part of the Proactive Driving Assist are annoying and intrusive though, as mentioned in our drive impressions above. We could possibly see their worth with new or less-confident drivers, and we're glad that many can be disabled. In our pre-production test vehicle, not all were able to be shut off completely, so we hope that's possible in the full production models.

2023 Toyota Crown new vehicle prices start at $48,805 (including a $1,860 destination fee) for the base Crown XLE trim. The Limited package adds $5,400 to that price, and the Toyota Crown Platinum carries an MSRP with fees of $63,205.

It's worth pointing out that most large sedans have been discontinued in Canada, and the Toyota Crown comes standard with an all-wheel drive (AWD) drivetrain. The base hybrid is estimated by Natural Resources Canada to carry a fuel economy of 5.6 litres per 100 kilometres city, 5.7 highway, and 5.7 in combined driving. The more powerful Hybrid Max is rated at 8.1 L/100 km city, 7.3 highway, and 7.8 combined. Since we didn't notice a significant difference between the Crown's two powertrains during our first drive, there isn't a critical drawback for sticking with the standard hybrid system.

Fuel efficiency is indeed the most impressive aspect of the Toyota Crown. Otherwise, we consider its performance, comfort, and interior more than adequate but not impressive. For the traditional large sedan buyer who may have considered the Avalon in the past, the Crown represents a considerable upgrade. Combined with the taller ground clearance that makes getting in and out effortless, we can certainly see its appeal for those shoppers.

Note: Images show a US model.