Featured The 2024 Toyota Crown May Just Be the World’s Greatest Luxury Car

I like the author's definition of luxury. That just appeals to me.

On paper I should love the Crown, but every time I see the picture I cringe a little.

Specific love for the stretched wheelbase and understated interior features and highly functional driver controls.

Specific dislike for the ride height, the fastback styling and the two-tone finish.

I feel like they landed the exterior style in an uncanny valley where it either needs to be lowered and have the D-pillar cleaned up, or they should go full commitment and add neon plastic rally fender flares and a parkbench spoiler.

They nailed the is-it-or-isn't-it factor.

 

It'll be interesting to see what the Lexus version is called.
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"the Japanese version of this car looks way cooler on the outside."
The author erred when looking up the Japan version. The link is to the true sedan model. What we get is what Toyota calls the Crossover, which is like the Outback version of the Legacy sedan Subaru once had. The Japan Crossover looks just like what is being called the sedan here.

You want the actual sedan version then. Lower ride height, less black plastic exterior pieces, and no floating D pillar. Still fastback, but sedans are to some degree these days for the aero benefits.

The Crown was a Lexus before there was a Lexus. Even has its own emblem in the home market. Toyota could have rebadged and reskinned it as a Lexus since the brand has launched. They haven't, with all Lexus models being based on some 'lesser' Toyota one. I don't think they are going to start using the Crown for Lexus.

 

That solves for X, thank you!

It's a beautiful car, hope it floats over someday:

 

That got my attention, my particular interest is usable Heat/Vent controls, so I checked out the Owner's Manual. Not too impressed: a desolation row of identical buttons, requiring multiple presses up or down while watching an LCD display. In short, the usual.



I wonder too, what percent of buyers will opt for the turbo version; there's a significant mpg drop. Be interesting to see.

 

That looks better than usual to me. No touchscreen, every control has a defined location and purpose. Toggles even include status tally LEDs within them.

The closest button to the driver toggles between defrost mode and whatever you had it set for before.

If the previously selected mode were "auto" some drivers could go years without ever touching another key on that panel; just toggling between those two states.

 

I guess I'm spoiled. Used to be you could adjust vent mode, temp, fan speed and recirc, all by feel, without ever needing to take eyes off the road.

For example, 2017 Honda Fit Owner's Manual excerpt attached. The ergonomic controls were on the base models only; top end "upgraded" to a cumbersome buttons-and-touch-screen mess.

 

I don't like the looks of the Crown. Like @Leadfoot J. McCoalroler said, it doesn't seem to fit into an actual category.

What is a Luxury vehicle anyway? It seems to me that all vehicles these days are luxury vehicles. They all have A/C, are over-bloatedly huge, have touchscreens and have ludicrous amounts of power and acceleration.

Where's my Yaris? My Geo Metro? My volkswagen, and not all these luxuswagen that are out there?

 

And oversized wheels.

Hmm, does have a spare. Unless Toyota Canada's done another typo.

 

I forgot that having a spare tire was a luxury. I remember buying tires for the Mazda 323 in $25 a piece. Now I'm paying 10 times that price. I'm pretty sure that inflation hasn't gone up 10 times in the past 18 years either.

 

The author closed the article with:

So we have some context to work from here.

And I like this writer's definition of luxury.

 

It is ridiculous looking in person as well. A Venza is much better looking standing next to it.

Exactly. Along with the poor 26 mpg.

My normal dealer has several sitting on the lot.

 

It said the XLE and Limited editions do 41 combined. That's with a 2.5L NA engine where the Max Platinum edition has a 2.4L turbo to make that 26mpg score.

I've driven hybrid Avalons that scored in the forties so this is quite believable and reasonable to me. The writer just happened to be reviewing the guzzler version.

 

A bigger platform - it makes one wonder why they didn't offer a plug-in version right out of the gate.
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Because Toyota can make many more hybrids with the batteries required by one plugin. They have specifically said this at a corporate level.

 

They know we want it, but like rjparker said they can't fulfill the volume yet.

The way I see it, they are exercising the dignity of not selling a thing they don't have.

This does stand in contrast to other automakers who sell promises long in advance, but that's a bit off-topic.

 

Of all the CUV's out there, the Venza is one of the few I kind of like.

(Tal vez me ayude a que venza mis miedos y quejas de los CUVs)

 

LOL, “luxury vehicle”

 

Yep; where are the basic econo-boxes - No AC, hand-crank windows, 5 or 6 speed manual transmissions. I've always gotten better than EPA standard with a manual transmission, not so much with an automatic. Less money, less problems.... Where's my spare tire? Oh, that's right - don't want to break a nail swapping out a flat tire...

Replacing a windshield now requires some extra dough for sensor recalibrations.