The 2025 Toyota Crown – AUTOMOTIVE ROYALTY

The 2025 Toyota Crown

AUTOMOTIVE ROYALTY

CADDO GAP, Ark, — Nearing the Little Missouri River, I had mixed feelings.

Leaving the Red River’s alluvial plain at sunrise and climbing into the Ouachita Mountains in search of a mountain to conquer had been a joy. I escaped the tedious Interstate early to enjoy the solitude and peace of Arkansas’ rural valleys before challenging the Ouachita’s sweeping curves.

The 2025 Toyota Crown ($42,575 – $56,125), which three years ago replaced the esteemed Avalon as the vehicle that put Lexus-like engineering, materials, and build quality into Toyota showrooms, excelled in both environments – as well as it should.

Toyota first offered domestic buyers a top-of-line model known for longevity and luxury with the 1955 Crown. In 1958, the first Toyota sold in the United States was a Crown. In 1972, the Crown became the Corona Mark II. It was the best Toyota money could buy until 1991, when Lexus turned the Corona underpinnings into the Lexus GS, growing the new nameplate.

Toyota dealers continued to offer a top-of-line model – the Cressida – until 1994 when the Avalon became king of Toyota Mountain. With the coming advent of the new Crown, Toyota dropped the Avalon in 2022, but a fair share of the 1.5 million sold in the United States are still on the road and are one of the best used car options on the market.

So, who killed the Avalon? Credit goes to the American consumer, whose love for sedans now pivots to SUVs. The new Crown attempts to bridge that change with a sedan-like vehicle built on the same platform as the Highlander and Lexus RX SUVs.

The length is about the same as a Camry, but the roofline is four inches higher. That allows for seating positions, visibility and cargo capacity like a midsize SUV. To make the Crown even more SUV-like, for the new model year Toyota is rolling out the Crown Signa with a station-wagon-like jibe to the rear quarters.

On my journey to the mountains, a forgiving suspension and a smooth, powerful driveline delivered a comfort level pleasing to an aging baby boomer weaned on big Detroit muscle. Light, responsive steering, immensely comfortable seats, easy-to-understand switch gear, and an almost Lexus-like sound system make driving the Crown absolutely serene, almost sublime.

Climbing into the mountains, the Crown echoed that part of my wasted youth spent challenging the laws of physics in fast cars. With driving mode set to Sport+ to stiffen the suspension, firm up steering and raise shift points in the 6-speed liquid clutch transmission, as well as a computer telling electric motors front and rear where to distribute 400 ft./lb of torque to each wheel, the Crown behaved like a European GT sedan sticking like molten tar through a Bavarian switchback.

It had been such a lovely drive, but with some trepidation I left the paved road to traverse a rocky and rutted forest road from Albert Pike to Tall Peak. Aside from the 100-mile view from the top, this was the nicest surprise of the day. A skoosh more ground clearance gave the Crown ample arrival and departure angles. Add in the AWD, and the Crown tackles unpaved mountain roads with poise and tenacity.

I wouldn’t go rock climbing with it, but it will take most of us anywhere we want to go.

Two engines

Some critics are baffled by the Crown’s bifurcated personality, but others think it strikes a delightful balance between practicality, comfort, and luxury. With two hybrid powertrain options and generous standard features, the Crown is well-positioned to attract eco-conscious buyers and tech enthusiasts alike.

The internal combustion engines, hybrid components, and transmissions are all iterations of proven Toyota designs. One would expect performance and reliability from both systems, and that has been the case for three years, with no recalls and no significant issues.

The standard 236-hp powertrain is more than adequate for this car and delivers 42 mpg in combined fuel economy. 

When they send vehicles out for review, manufacturers usually check all the option boxes. Our $56,000 Platinum tester came with the Hybrid MAX hybrid with 340 net combined horsepower and a net 400 ft-lb torque. It pairs front and rear electric motors with a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine. The motors’ instant torque overcomes any turbo lag, giving the driveline a luxurious feel of power, refinement, and polished performance.

My mountain drive skipped as much interstate as possible, resulting in a relaxing drive on highways with 55-65 mph speed limits. The Crown Platinum easily bested the EPA’s estimated 30 mpg fuel economy. It was sitting at 34 mpg when we left the pavement, averaging 31.5 mpg for the round-trip.

Chief competitors include the Lexus ES ($41,060 – $51,080), Volvo S90 ($57,095 – $68,395), Subaru Outback ($29,620 – $42,070), and Nissan Murano ($33,660 – $49,470.

For the same price, why not just buy the Lexus ES? That is a question asked by most critics. A little research shows a simple reason: the Crown is further up Toyota’s ladder of propulsion systems evolution. The MAX drivetrain is not available on the ES, nor is AWD. 

The Crown comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, a suite of advanced driver-assistance systems with features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure alert. Toyota’s DAS generally outperforms most competitors.

The Toyota Crown offers a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. The predicted reliability for the Crown is high. Like the Avalon, the Crown should hold value better than most vehicles.

Bottom line

The 2025 Toyota Crown is a compelling choice for buyers seeking a vehicle that blends practicality, comfort, and luxury. It is yet more proof that excellent fuel economy does not mean boring.