After a bit of a slow start, Toyota's Avalon replacement, the Crown, is having a much better sophomore year.
Year-to-date sales are up more than 450%. And it would be very interesting to see a breakout of which powertrain is selling best.
All Crowns are hybrids. About a year ago, I reviewed the 2023 Toyota Crown Limited, with 236 system horsepower.
This time, it's the Platinum model, with the Hybrid MAX powerplant. Output leaps to 340 horsepower, the continuously variable transmission is swapped out for a six-speed automatic and it's all-wheel drive. Zero to 60 times plummet from 7.6 seconds to 5.7 seconds. Fuel economy takes a tumble, too---from an EPA-estimated 41 mpg combined city/highway to just 30. While the Crown Platinum is certainly quick, and handles well, you're aware at all times that you're at the wheel of a large and somewhat tall two-ton-plus sedan.
Trunk space is a reasonable 15.2 cubic feet. That's a foot less than the Avalon, but the Crown makes up for it with fold-down rear seats.
And people in those rear seats get a healthy 38.9 inches of legroom.
The base price of the 2024 Toyota Crown Platinum is $54,165, including destination. And yes, that's a tall starting point for a Toyota sedan. Here's what you get standard:
Custom drive modes, Toyota's comprehensive suite of active safety features, advanced parking assist, panoramic view mirror, four-door smart key system with pushbutton start, LED headlights and daytime running lights, 21-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic fixed glass roof, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 11-speaker JBL audio system including subwoofer and amp, heated leather steering wheel, heated and ventilated front leather seats, heated rear seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and wireless smartphone charging.
The only extra-cost option on our tester was the Heavy Metal paint ($425), so the bottom line of the window sticker stops at $54,590.
Is it worth it?
Here's the thing---there are really only two direct competitors to the Crown. One's the Volkswagen Arteon, which has less power and no hybrid, but is faster and the one I reviewed a year ago was a couple grand cheaper as tested.
If you want a hybrid, the Crown is essentially the same dimensions as its corporate cousin, the Lexus ES Hybrid---just taller. And loading a 2024 Lexus ES 300h Luxury with the few option packages available gets the price tag right about where the Crown landed, but you give up AWD and about a second and a half from zero to 60.
If you want the Toyota Crown Platinum's hybrid and its speed, you pretty much have to pay the Crown's price tag.
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