Words by: Adam Allen
The great William Shakespeare once penned the following memorable line in one of his plays: “Heavy is the head the wears the Crown.”
That basically means those charged with some sort of major responsibility inevitably carry a heavy burden that makes it difficult for them to relax. Non-Crown wearers may scoff at such a notion, but you try making decisions that could have serious and far-reaching consequences.
Although the Toyota Crown is thusly named, it does not have to shoulder the strain of such daunting accountability. The model which wears the Crown of Toyota’s sales charts is the RAV4, briskly passing the Camry some years ago as the Grand Poohbah in the lineup. Since the Crown you see here has vastly lower sales numbers expected of it, it has the latitude to let its hair down a little and test some uncharted waters.
The first time we laid eyes on one, it kind of blew us away a little- that’s saying something from the company who brought the world the Beige Corolla. Currently, the Crown is the most un-Toyota Toyota the brand is shilling these days. Like, just look at it! There is absolutely nothing else like it on the road for maybe the Subaru Outback which has sort-of-similar ground clearance but is infinitely frumpier than our tester’s unique shape. Years ago, Toyota’s top brass staunchly claimed that they would build “No more boring cars.” We admit to having a good chuckle at such a assertion because, after all, it came from those responsible for building Beige Corollas. But some years later this supposed joke is now being taken seriously- note the birth of the Supra, GR86, GR Corolla and the Crown. It doesn’t have the sporting bent of the aforementioned cars, but boy is it ever unique. We have a tough time imagining Toyota of but a decade ago even thinking about such a thing, let alone building it.
The Crown takes that unique proposition even further because it embodies the best traits from both sedans and SUVs and combines them into one model. You get the looks, handling prowess and increased efficiency of a sedan emulsified with the spaciousness, ground clearance and all-wheel drive of an SUV. Toyota’s decision to revive the Crown nameplate after a 40-year hiatus in North America is fortuitous from a timing standpoint as well. The market has lovingly embraced off-road centric versions of the Porsche 911, Lamborghini Huracan and Ford Mustang Mach-E. The Crown isn’t trying to play rally stage destroyer like those characters, but it does have similar shock value if the swiveling heads we noticed during our time with it mean anything.
Some remarked (unfairly, in our opinion) that the Crown looked like a bar of soap that had been exposed to too much water. At least one individual said that it reminded them of a Japanese Porsche Panamera- although we can kind of see it, we think that’s a bit of a stretch, although the resemblance in the rear taillights imparts that vibe.
The Crown drives unlike any Porsche, however. If you seek an apex slaying family sedan, look elsewhere. We suspect that Crown shoppers do not have Porsche handling chops on their mood board anyhow. This car much prefers a relaxed pace and rewards driver and occupants when such a cadence is achieved. You can hustle the Crown a little, and it will oblige- only the lifeless steering lets things down, because the chassis and suspension are expertly tuned. Driven as intended, the Crown makes for a very pleasing conveyance worthy of the Toyota flagship designation bestowed upon it.
It certainly feels like a flagship once you climb aboard. The Crown takes over where the Avalon left off, and that car’s defining trait was how well it blurred the lines between a Toyota and Lexus product. It’s the same story with the Crown’s interior- it is a very nice place to spend one’s time driving. While the creamy white colour palette wouldn’t be our first choice, it works undeniably well with the sparkling pearlescent white paint on the outside. We aren’t so much concerned about fashionable colour schemes as we are about meticulous fit and finish and the Crown offers the latter in spades. We loved the large, easy to use infotainment screen and the punchy sound provided by the upgraded JBL audio system. We also reveled in the comfort afforded by the seats, and the luxury of space is certainly part of the recipe with each occupant enjoying oodles of head, leg and shoulder room.
Know what else each occupant will relish? The exceptional ride quality. Toyota has always been good at calibrating comfort biased suspensions, but the Crown feels even more elevated than usual. It shrugs off the worst of the gnarly pavement we call roads with aplomb, and it absolutely never feels vague or floaty- it’s buttoned down and composed in every situation.
Would be Toyota buyers- and even some with Lexus aspirations- would be wise not to sleep on the Toyota Crown. We were surprised at how much we enjoyed our time flogging the unique sedan around and were feeling nonplussed when it came time to surrender the keys. It offers a compelling mix of fetching styling, brilliant comfort and the safety and security of all-wheel drive. Heck, there’s even a Platinum trim that has a much zootier power train and even more boundary pushing aesthetics. No matter which Crown you choose, getting behind the wheel just might make you feel like you’re wearing one.
2025 Toyota Crown Limited – Specifications
- Price as tested: $56,638.08
- Powertrain Layout: Front engine/all-wheel drive
- Engine: 2.5-Liter 4-Cylinder, DOHC, 16-valves
- Transmission: Continuously Variable Automatic (CVT)
- Horsepower, Combined: 236
- Torque (lb-ft.), Combined: 165
- Curb weight: 1,805 kg (3,979 lbs)
- Observed Fuel Economy: 7.2/100km (33 mpg)