2024 Toyota Crown Platinum – Review by David Colman +VIDEO

An attention grabbing piece of sheet metal art

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent to THE AUTO CHANNEL

A gent who lives on my street takes long daily walks with his wife. This couple recently bought a brand new Toyota RAV 4 Prime, so they're presumably up on their Toyotas. On my first day driving the Platinum grade 2024 Crown, I passed the couple and waved as usual. Normally, they never give my weekly ride much of a look. But apparently the svelte new Crown peaked their interest enough to generate an extended gander. Two days later I again slipped the Crown passed them and ditto, they never took their eyes off my Crown jewel. At just $54,590 the Crown is a moderately priced, attention grabbing piece of sheet metal art. It shares a lot of its rakishly streamlined profile with the new generation Prius. But the Crown Limited is bigger, better equipped, and way faster than any Prius.

Toyota offers two versions of the Crown. We tested the normally aspirated 236hp Crown Limited hybrid in June of 2023, and found it surprisingly quick in a straight line. It jumped from 0-60mph in a respectable 7.6 seconds and sped through the quarter mile in 15.4 seconds. That performance came as something of a surprise, considering the Crown's hefty size and decidedly luxurious packaging. But the top rung 340hp turbocharged Hybrid Max Platinum we just tested knocks a full 2.5 seconds off the Limited's 0-60mph time, posting a stellar 5.1 second run, and covering the standing start quarter mile in a rather phenomenal 13.8 seconds at 101mph. If you know your drag racing history, those are times and speeds the fabled Muscle Cars of the 1960s (Ford Boss 302 Mustang, Chevy Z28 Camaro) did well to approach, let alone exceed. Make no mistake, the Crown Platinum is a very serious fast lane runner, even boasting a (governor-limited) top speed of 129mph.

But inside the spacious confines of the Crown's cabin, the pitch is about comfort, not high performance. The commodious seats are tri-temp heated and ventilated up front, and heated in back. Even the steering wheel rim offers two levels of warmth. We didn't see much evidence of platinum inside the Crown, but Toyota did take pains to finish the subdued black dash and door panels with flashes of rose anodized aluminum trim. The dash is thoughtfully supplied with a welcome array of physical buttons to activate fan, heat and air conditioning choices. An equally easy to operate 12.3 inch "Audio Multimedia" display screen eases selection of your favorite SiriusXM stations during a free 3-month "Platinum" trial. JBL provides a luscious 11 speaker sound system complete with subwoofer and amplifier, and wireless smartphone charging is offered on the console between the front seats.

Advanced parking assistance is available by depressing the button on the center console marked with a steering wheel pictograph. Unfortunately, the Crown inherits its spindly shift mechanism from the Prius. Niggling detents and complex pathways deter you from choosing a gear when you need it. At least the transmission offers a choice of 6 forward gear sets rather than an annoying and whiny CVT unit. Making a case for the Crown's sporting bent, Toyota offers a baker's half dozen "Drive Mode" choices that include Eco, Normal, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Custom. All are available via a simple flick switch just behind the shift lever. When the Crown arrived, it was operating in Comfort Mode. This choice provided such light fingertip steering that a Suicide Knob would have been an appropriate addition to the wheel rim. But response improved markedly in Sport Mode, and improved yet again when Sport+ was chosen as the default setting. In Sport+, the quick Crown Platinum felt devilishly close to a sports sedan, with its meaty 225/45R21 Michelin Primacy Tour A/S rubber establishing a great grab on the pavement. As a result, the sizeable (4,338lb.) Crown slithered through the twisty bits with unexpected aplomb.

Open the trunk with the remote button on the key fob because you'll never find the exterior release Toyota has managed to conceal from touch or view. When you do find your way into the baggage compartment you will discover a real (albeit Spacesaver) spare tire complete with all the tools and jack you'll need for an emergency roadside swap. You'll also discover the non-hybrid 12V auxiliary battery stowed behind a partition in the right rear corner of the trunk. So never lock up the Crown's electric joules without maintaining free access to the trunk. The storage space offered here is quite usefully shaped to provide 15 cubic feet of room.

The Limited Crown makes a useful and exciting addition to Toyota's sedan line. Its striking looks, multiple amenities and affordable price make it a welcome offering to families preferring a lithe passenger car to a bulky SUV.

2024 TOYOTA CROWN PLATINUM

• ENGINE: 2.4 liter inline-4, turbocharged and intercooled plus 2 AC motors and nickel metal hydride battery pack
• HORSEPOWER: 340hp (combined)
• TORQUE: 400lb.-ft. (combined)
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 29MPG City/32MPG Highway
• PRICE AS TESTED: $54,590

HYPES: Prius on Steroids Look

GRIPES: Needs Rear Wiper, Easier Trunk Latch

STAR RATING: 10 Stars out of 10

©2024 David E Colman